CHICAGO — Best known for playing Maxine Shaw on the iconic sitcom “Living Single,” Erika Alexander is making her directorial debut with the documentary “The Big Payback,” about the first tax-funded reparations bill that passed in Evanston. The film airs on PBS’ “Independent Lens” on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 16.
Alexander co-directs with Whitney Dow, who has a background as a documentary filmmaker, which “made the transition for me into a director very easy,” said Alexander. “He was very patient and he has a natural teaching personality and I love to learn, so it was fairly smooth. And because I’ve been on sets since I was 14, it felt like a very natural place to be.”
Alexander’s acting credits also include “The Cosby Show,” “The Long Walk Home” and “Get Out” among many high points.
