Dr. Rodney K. Douglas is Founder, Executive Artistic Director and Producer of New Day Repertory Company. A native of Grenada, Rodney, the fifth of twelve children, moved to nearby Trinidad in his teens with plans to embark upon a career in business administration after completing studies at the London Schools of Economics in Great Britain. While in Trinidad he opened a commercial school to train students for civil service jobs. But after accepting a part in a local production of the play "The Big Knife," Rodney became totally enthralled with acting and the stage. He left Trinidad for London to study acting at the British Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and later the Guild Hall Film Institute. It was world-famous actor, Paul Robeson who wrote his letter of recommendation for the scholarship he received in England.

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His career spans British Repertory, the London stage and television including BBC. Rodney's commitment to repertory theatre extends from his early days in London, where he appeared with such luminaries as  Rex Harrison, Glenda Jackson,  Lynn Redgrave, Laurence Olivier, Alec Guinness, who in classic repertory tradition, played supporting rather than major roles. He also did extensive repertory work in the provinces throughout the British Isles. Today,​​  Rodney hold a BA in Speech, an MA in Theatre Arts, a PhD in Educational Theatre and a PhD in Drama.

He migrated to America in the 1960s. He was working on an off-broadway play with James Earl Jones  (whose father, Robert Earl Jones became his best friend) when he got word for the casting call for a production of "The Merchant of Venice" a work he had performed many times. When he went for the call he was dumbfounded when informed that "there were no parts for Negros." This incident was the impetus that gave birth to New Day Repertory Company which was founded in 1963. But it is Dr. Douglas' sense of mission in bringing serious drama to the Hudson Valley and performing it with consistently high standards that has been the motivating force propelling New Day forward through the years. He admits that "finding money to keep the project alive has been his biggest challenge."
   

His U.S. credits include radio, stage, television, and film in New York, Los Angeles, and on tour. He has directed on both sides of the Atlantic, is a published playwright ("Voice of the Ghetto"), poet ("Hope and Reflection"; "My Imaginary Lover") and author ("Like Manna from the Sky") and has been the recipient of numerous coveted awards. As an educator, Rodney has worked for the State University at New York in various capacities, including Foreign Student Advisor and Director of Alternative High School for the Research Foundation at SUNY.