The convention – theatre’s answer to comic con – was conceived by Melissa Anelli, Stephanie Dornheim and Anthony Rapp, and is produced in partnership with Playbill. Rapp, an original performer in Rent, said of the first-ever event:

“I signed on to help create this event not only because it is the first convention for theatre fans, and not only because it is a singular opportunity to spend quality time with those who love Broadway most, but because this is the convention that this community deserves.”

A look at Broadway behind the scenes and its creative teams will be covered from taking a show from page to stage to adapting stage plays for the screen, from creating a cast recording to costumer tips and tricks. Attendees also will have the opportunity to learn why favorite shows close and how to launch a nonprofit theatre company.

The inaugural convention will feature Hamilton cast members Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Phillipa Soo, René Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs and Arianna DeBose; Billy Porter (Kinky Boots); James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin); Tamika Lawrence (If/Then); Michael McElroy (Rent); Marisha Wallace (Something Rotten!).

Ultimately, the event – which will feature more than 100 happenings – is designed to give the attendee the most memorable experience possible. Unlike other conventions, autographs and photo opportunities will be free. “We are creating content that will inspire, excite and just plain entertain,” Rapp said. The schedule, times and guests will be finalized the closer to the event.

“Conceived and created by people who live and love theatre,” BroadwayCon will be Jan. 22-24, at the New York Hilton Midtown hotel. The initial ticket block offered Oct. 17 sold out in hours, according to the event website. The third and final batch of tickets is on sale now.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in their work to help people who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.

We’ll be there! Make sure to get your tickets and check out the panel on diversity moderated by the Editorial Director and Founder of Broadway Black, Andrew Shade. Details below

The post First-Ever BroadwayCon Gives Theatre Fans Ultimate Experience appeared first on Broadway Black.

This is the first in a series of articles where we get to know a few of the artists across the country who are using their work for activism and awareness regarding important subjects and conversations vital to society’s growth.

This is the final weekend for a new play, Moon Man Walk, by Philadelphia based playwright, four-time Barrymore Award winner, and 2015 Pew Fellow, James Ijames (prononced: eye-ms); it is a play about finding love and family secrets with a bit of magic. Mr. Ijames astounded audiences last summer with his tragicomedy, The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington and this time, with Moon Man Walk, Ijames is exploring relationships between mothers and sons, specifically in black families. While very aware that familial themes are universal and his work can be and is enjoyed by all audience members, Ijames writes, “…very specifically to black people. The humor, the diction, the structure, are all subverting the white gaze…I always think I’m writing something that is going to be exclusive to a black viewer, but it never ends up that way.I’m always proving that we are all very different but we are all very much the same.” It is this last statement that very succinctly sums up the need for diversity in the arts as well as the cornerstone of artistic activism: to celebrate rather than to further divide.

As far as the role of the playwright in artistic activism, Ijames believes that it plays a very specific and unique part. “I think a large part of the ‘talent’ of a playwright is being able to feel the full wave of history. To not just be living in the moment but to examine the current moment and write about what you think this moment in time will have to say to us in 10 years. The playwright is prophetic in that way…I believe that part of my job is to have that kind of cultural sensitivity.” This sensitivity is what has made iconic playwrights in the past which is why their works are still revered today. In all of human history, the one tradition that has remained as the first tool of education has been storytelling. This art has provided not only entertainment, but also vital instruction on interaction and survival.

In the struggle for true equality it is important that a variety of stories are told on the artistic platform. All good stories are based in truth, and that truth is best found from those who have lived it. This is why artists and creators of color are so necessary moving forward. America needs to see and relate to this truth in order to be free.

Orbiter 3 presents Moon Man Walk by James Ijames is running now until July 19th at the Prince Theater Independent Black Box in Philadelphia. It is directed by Edward Sobel and stars Lindsay Smiling, Jaylene Clark Ownes, Aimé Donna Kelly, and Carlo Campbell.

Following this production, James Ijames’ newest work, WHITE, will be presented in the 2015 PlayPenn New Play Conference. WHITE explores the concept of visual art and who truly gets to make “black art”.

For tickets and more information on Moon Man Walk, visit www.orbiter3.com
For tickets and more information on the 2015 PlayPenn New Play Conference, visit www.playpenn.org
For information on James Ijames, visit www.jamesijames.com

The post Arts and Activism in America: James Ijames appeared first on Broadway Black.

The North Carolina Black Repertory Company was founded in 1979 and is the state’s first professional Black theatre. NCBRC also partners with many community programs to enrich the youth of Winston-Salem and many of these partnerships are part of the festival. Founder Larry Leon Hamlin intends for this event to “illuminate the powerful theatrical spirit and extraordinary talent of Black performers, designers, directors, producers, and technicians from across the country and abroad.” and it is truly shaping up to be nothing less than extraordinary.

This year’s honorees include Bill Cobbs who is receiving the Sidney Poitier Lifelong Achievement Award for his work as an actor for over the past 40 years. Cobbs worked with the Negro Ensemble Company and has been in countless films and television shows including New Jack City, The Bodyguard, and Ghosts of Mississippi.

Katori Hall is the recipient of the August Wilson Playwright Award. Hall has become one the theater world’s most sought after playwrights winning the 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Play (The Mountaintop) and her most recent work Blood Quilt was previously featured here on Broadway Black

Among the Living Legend Award honorees this year is the iconic Grace Jones. Jones has been on the cutting edge of music, fashion, and acting for the past 4 decades. With her eclectic chart-topping albums, starring roles in films such as A View to a Kill, Boomerang, and Shaka Zulu: The Last Great Warrior, and her unforgettable presence- the mere mention of her name evokes fearlessness and stunning beauty that transfers into her music, her work, and her life.

There are so many powerhouse talents and organizations being honored this year for the festival performer/choreographer Maurice Hines (Eubie, Sophisticated Ladies), costume designer Emilio Sosa aka ESOSA (The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess, Motown: The Musical) , as well as the 100 year old theatre, The Karamu House. See the entire list below.

2015 NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE FESTIVAL® HONOREES

Sidney Poitier Lifelong Achievement Award
Bill Cobbs
Larry Leon Hamlin Producer Award
Nate Jacobs
Emerging Producer Award
Erich McMillan-McCall
August Wilson Playwright Award
Katori Hall
Lloyd Richards Director Award
Clinton Turner Davis
Living Legend Award
A. Peter Bailey
Maurice Hines
Robert Hooks
Grace Jones
Hattie Winston
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
ESOSA
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Allen Lee Hughes
Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design
Harlan Penn
Theatre Longevity Award
The Carpetbag Theatre, Inc. – Knoxville, TN
Special Recognition Award
Karamu House (100 years old)
Cleveland, OH
Special Recognition Award
Rachel P. Jackson
Marvtastic Philanthrophy Award
The Millennium Fund
Theatre Arts & Humanitarian Award
Warren Dell Leggett

The 2015 National Black Theatre Festival is August 3rd- August 8th in Winston-Salem, NC. For more information, tickets, and a complete list of the artists and organizations being honored this year, visit www.nbtf.org

The post The National Black Theatre Festival 2015 Honorees appeared first on Broadway Black.

Founded by Larry Leon Hamlin with the support of Dr. Maya Angelou in 1989, the National Black Theatre Festival has become the most significant event in Black American theatre history. NBTF is held biennially and attracts more than 65,000 people during the week long event. Throughout the six days there is an Opening Night Gala, Celebrity Receptions, Readers’ Theatre of New Works, National Black Film Fest, the Youth Celebrity Project, Midnight Poetry Jam, TeenTastic (Collaborative Teen Initiative), International Colloquium, International Vendor’s Market, NBTF Fringe, Author’s Pavilion, Artists Networking Showcase, Workshops and Seminars, the Larry Leon Hamlin Solo Performance Series, and 35 Black Theatre Companies from across the country and abroad offering over 100 performances.

This is sure to be an incredible event for the world of Black Theatre! You have to go at least once and this is your year. You can’t be a part of the community and have never gone to the National Black Theatre Festival For more information on the National Black Theatre Festival and its history visit nbtf.org.

The post Students And Stars To Gather At National Black Theatre Festival appeared first on Broadway Black.

From the Black Theatre Network official release:

Presentation proposals should highlight (but are not limited to) the most current concepts, practices, challenges and works in the following areas:

• Black Theatre and Social Justice
• Missions and curations of black theatre companies (Selections and special events for current seasons).
• Past to Present: The history of protest in black theatre
• Empowering the community through theatre
• Challenges and new practices in design and staging
• Pedagogy and curricula
• Contemporary approaches as a playwright, director, actor, etc.
• Educational Theatre
• Hip-Hop Theatre
• Black Theatre and social media
• New forms of performance
• New Works (Page-to-stage, development, presentations, readings, etc.)

Submission info:

Applicants should submit abstracts and panel proposals (250 words or less) no later than Tuesday, March 31^st.

Presentation and performance applications must include the applicant’s name, professional affiliation, contact information (including email), presentation format (lecture, demonstration, performance, etc.), a preferred title of the session, and description of the presentation/performance.

Paper proposals should include a 200-250 word abstract with paper title, author’s name, institutional affiliation, status, postal address, email address and phone number on the upper left corner of the page.

Panel proposals should include (1) a copy of each panelist’s 200-250 word abstract with paper title, author’s name, institutional affiliation, status, postal address, email address and phone number on the upper left corner of the page, and (2) a succinct, 50-word rationale for the grouping of the papers. The BTN member proposing the panel should also include their contact information (including email), presentation format (paper readings, round-table discussion, etc.), and a preferred title for the session.

Also include specific technology needs for your presentation.

Proposals and questions should be should be submitted to Dr. John Foster, BTN Vice President and Conference Coordinator at drjfoster@gmail.com.

The conference is to be held from July 31st to August 3rd, 2015 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

We at Broadway Black  think this would be a brilliant opportunity for you scholars and professionals in our community to share their thoughts, ideas, findings, and artistic viewpoints, and hope that you will consider submitting a proposal!

Good luck!

The post NOW SEEKING PROPOSALS: Black Theatre Network’s 29th Annual Conference appeared first on Broadway Black.