Which is why Broadway Black has no choice but to share the release of Contemporary Plays by African American Women: Ten Complete Works by Sandra Adell. If there is one voice that’s been undervalued on stage, it’s that of the Black woman. That’s what makes this anthology so great. It’s a combined work that includes prominent Black female playwrights and some up-and-coming writers.

It features works from contemporary Black female playwrights including Blue Door by Tanya Barfield; Levee James  by S. M. Shephard-Massat; Hoodoo Love  by Katori Hall; Carnaval  by Nikkole Salter; Single Black Female  by Lisa B. Thompson; Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine by Lynn Nottage; BlackTop Sky by Christina Anderson; Voyeurs de Venus by Lydia Diamond; Fedra by J. Nicole Brooks; and Uppa Creek: A Modern Anachronistic Parody in the Minstrel Tradition by Keli Garrett.

The description reads:

African American women have increasingly begun to see their plays performed from regional stages to Broadway. Yet many of these artists still struggle to gain attention. In this volume, Sandra Adell draws from the vital wellspring of works created by African American women in the twenty-first century to present ten plays by both prominent and up-and-coming writers. Taken together, the selections portray how these women engage with history as they delve into–and shake up–issues of gender and class to craft compelling stories of African American life. Gliding from gritty urbanism to rural landscapes, these works expand boundaries and boldly disrupt modes of theatrical representation.

Sandra Adell (Ph.D., UW–Madison) is a professor of Literature in the department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Comparative Literature. Her other works include Confessions of a Slot Machine Queen, Literary Masters: Toni Morrison, Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Culture: African American Culture, and Double Consciousness/Double Bind: Theoretical Issues in Twentieth-Century Black Literature.

Contemporary Plays by African American Women: Ten Complete Works was released December 15th and is available for purchase in hardcopy, paperback, and digital copy at Amazon here.

The post Sandra Adell Releases Ten Contemporary Plays by African American Women appeared first on Broadway Black.

Gurira, who is most notably known as an actress — the star of the wildly popular AMC seriesThe Walking Dead — wrote the play fresh out of finishing her studies at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned her Master’s of Fine Arts. She’s starred on Broadway in the August Wilson play Joe Turner’s Come And Gone but is making her Great White Way debut as a playwright with Eclipsed.

“That’s kind of the thing that excites me the most is the idea that we’re breaking that type of barrier with these types of women and hearing these particular voices on The Great White Way,” she said. “It’s really time to break through those barriers and show that there isn’t a reason for the lack of representation or the under-representation.”

Read the entire Bold & Black On The Great White Way article and view more pictures of the entire cast HERE. Such a great read and gorgeous photography by Marc Baptiste. Below are just a few of our favorites including “Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o joined by a stellar ensemble including Pascale Armand, Akosua Busia, Zainab Jah and Saycon Sengbloh, & the playwright Danai Gurira.

The post The Women of Eclipsed Shine in Uptown Magazine appeared first on Broadway Black.

The history-making all-woman cast, director, and writing team stand behind a program that at its core, is looking to empower girls and women. The program will target 10,000 girls from the Tri-State area who would have otherwise not been able to experience a show on Broadway, and give them the opportunity to do so.

Now that’s a blessing.

Eclipsed playwright and 10,000 Girls Campaign spokesperson, Danai Gurira, champions this movement stating:

I wrote this play and gave it the title Eclipsed for young girls and women to be celebrated, to see their intrinsic value and light despite a world that may tell them otherwise. Ten Thousand Girls pursues that vision by exposing girls and young women to theater they would never otherwise see, and exposing them to women performers who look like them shine onstage. I hope and believe this initiative will spark a mind, an imagination, and awakens the many giants within these young women.

Eclipsed promotes liberation through telling the true story of African women in the midst of turmoil— the Liberian civil war. It is a story that marries the pain and reality of oppression with the humorous undertones of everyday life. It’s the definition of beauty in a struggle.

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, “a movement that changes both people and institutions is a revolution.” Let’s hope this revolution is televised—broadcasted and supported! But more importantly, influential in shaping a more diverse audience for tomorrow.

Donations can be made to sponsor girls through the Broadway Education Alliance. To find out more on how you can donate and join the revolution visit HERE.

So much great energy on the @eclipsedbway stage! Love this pic via @eclipsedbway

A photo posted by Broadway Black (@broadwayblack) on Feb 11, 2016 at 11:07am PST

 

#BroadwayBlack Moment w/ @lupita_nyongo & Our Founder @drewshade: You should be following @BroadwayBlack today of ALL days! I’m just saying. & if you haven’t gotten your tickets for Eclipsed with this amazingly talented woman you should really do that soon!

 

A photo posted by Broadway Black (@broadwayblack) on Feb 11, 2016 at 8:57am PST

Broadway producer @Lala Anthony & @eclipsedbway star @vintagepopsoul w/ #BroadwayBlack @ Meet & Greet!

A photo posted by Broadway Black (@broadwayblack) on Feb 11, 2016 at 8:16am PST

 

A historic day! @eclipsedbway press meet & greet! Previews start Feb 23!

 

A photo posted by Broadway Black (@broadwayblack) on Feb 11, 2016 at 7:42am PST

Mood. @eclipsedbway

A photo posted by Broadway Black (@broadwayblack) on Feb 11, 2016 at 8:22am PST

 

A model of the @eclipsedbway set we were just standing on! It truly came to life! You’ll find these pictures & more on BroadwayBlack.com later today!

 

A photo posted by Broadway Black (@broadwayblack) on Feb 11, 2016 at 8:25am PST

A model of the @eclipsedbway set we were just standing on! It truly came to life! You’ll find these pictures & more on BroadwayBlack.com later today!

A photo posted by Broadway Black (@broadwayblack) on Feb 11, 2016 at 8:25am PST

The post The Gift of Theatre: Eclipsed Launches 10,000 Girls Campaign appeared first on Broadway Black.

You’ll see some familiar faces in this musical comedy sketch. Rodney Hicks, best known for his roles in the original companies of RENT & Scottsboro Boys, takes on the role of a commentator. He throws a little shade at Beyonce but we’ll let him live. Also, Krystal Joy Brown, known as the last Diana Ross on Broadway in Motown: The Musical, is seen here as a moderator for the Super Bowl discussion. Watch the video below!

CAST:
Rodney Hicks as Commentator 1
Scott Richard Foster as Commentator 2
Krystal Joy Brown as Moderator

CREW:
Written by David Ingber
Producer: Todd Pellegrino & Pete Iannucilli & New Wave Entertainment
Director: Evan Kaufman
Music Composition: Brian Usifer

The post Rodney Hicks & Krystal Joy Brown Spit Fire In The Super Bowl Mixtape appeared first on Broadway Black.

This year, the theme of Black History Month at the White House is “Honoring the Past While Celebrating the Present; 7 Years of Living African American History.” As part of this celebration, First Lady Michelle Obama will highlight the contributions African American women have made to dance by hosting a day-long dance workshop for local students.

The First Lady will welcome 51 local Washington, D.C. students to the White House. These students will work with iconic leaders in dance, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Judith Jamison, Debbie Allen, the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Virginia Johnson, and Hip-Hop choreographer Fatima Robinson. Each of these women have played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of African American women and girls in dance.

12:30pm ET – In the afternoon, the First Lady will join Judith Jamison, Debbie Allen, Virginia Johnson, and Fatima Robinson for a panel discussion. The panelists will take questions from the students in the audience on a variety of topics including self-confidence, health, hard work, and overcoming adversity.

4:15pm ET – Later In the evening, the First Lady will deliver remarks and introduce a student presentation. As a culmination of the workshops, these young dancers will tell the story of African American history and culture through dance.

Excited to be in DC for #DanceAtTheWhiteHouse with @fatima_noir & @dancetheatreofharlem’s Virginia Johnson! #BlackHistoryMonth

A photo posted by Debbie Allen (@therealdebbieallen) on Feb 8, 2016 at 7:25am PST

#ALVINAILEY dancer Jacqueline Green leads a group of young ladies in Mr. Ailey’s signature movement from his “Revelations.” @whitehouse @jagreen711 Stay tuned for more photos from @michelleobama’s #DanceattheWhiteHouse #BlackHistoryMonth celebration! #AILEYinDC #instaAILEY #AILEYontour

A photo posted by Alvin Ailey (@alvinailey) on Feb 8, 2016 at 8:42am PST

The post First Lady Michelle Obama Celebrates Black Women & Dance appeared first on Broadway Black.

Founded in 2009 by playwright Kelley Nicole Girod, the Obie Award-winning festival has been a vehicle for directing diversity on stage as it showcases emerging playwrights of African and African-American descent. The first season in February 2010 produced short one-act plays with more than 30 theatre artists and collaborators.

Presented by Horse Trade Theater Group, much of the work for the 2016 festival is world premiere and allows for reflection of 21st century perspectives. Seven playwrights were commissioned to write new 10-minute plays:

• Tanya Everett (Without Scars with Breast Friends)
• Keelay Gipson (The Lost at Planet Connections Theater Festivity; N/F at Downtown Urban Theater Festival)
• Jiréh Breon Holder (2012-13 Kenny Leon Fellow, Alliance Theatre)
• Roger Q. Mason (Onion Creek with Son of Semele Ensemble, Los Angeles)
• Stacey Rose (2015-16 Dramatists Guild Fellow)
• Korde Arrington Tuttle (Beautiful Mess in Around the Block: a 5D Project)
• Nia Ostrow Witherspoon (Global Arts Fund Grant for The Messiah Complex)

Bedford + Bowery stated: “It’s refreshing to see diversity not only present in the artists chosen, but in the work being made, as TFTT clearly demonstrates that theater and performance today is not only defined by the standard play, but so much more.”

In addition to the panel discussion, the event hosts an Open Mic Night (Jan. 28) and Inaugural Writers Group Presentations (Jan. 31). The latter focuses on excerpts of works in progress by Ngozi Anyanwu, Christine Jean Chambers, Edgar Chisholm, Danielle Davenport, Khalil Kain and Maia Matsushita. A musical reading, Hotel Harare – written by Daaimah Mubashshir and music by Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa – also is among the offerings.

Inspired of the James Baldwin-packaged essays The Fire Next Time, the festival website displays the following Baldwin quote: “There is something terribly radical about believing that one’s own experience and images are important enough to speak about, much less to write about and to perform.”

Festival alumni include: Katori Hall (The Mountaintop, Hurt Village); Dominique Morrisseau (Detroit ’67); Marcus Gardley (The Box); Radha Blank (Seed); and Zoey Martinson (Ndebele Funeral).

Among the team behind the festival are: producing artistic director Kevin R. Free (2012 New Black Fest Playwriting Fellow); associate artistic director Angelica Cheri (Papers and Plastics film); founding playwright and production consultant Derek McPhatter (Under the Spell Productions, Harlem Arts Alliance/Columbia University Dramatic Writing Fellow); founding playwright Germono Toussaint (A Mile In My Shoes, Inc.); and assistant producer Keila Fontanez-La Salle.

The post The Fire This Time Festival A Haven For Diversity appeared first on Broadway Black.

Playwrights Horizons recently announced casting for Familiar, which will feature Ito Aghayere, Joby Earle, Melanie Nicholls-King, Roslyn Ruff, Harold Surratt, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Joe Tippett, and Tony Award winner Tamara Tunie (Spring Awakening). Rebecca Taichman is set to direct.

Previews are scheduled to begin February 12 with an opening night set for March 3 and run through March 27 at Playwrights Horizons’ Mainstage Theater. Familiar had its world premiere at Yale Repertory Theatre in February 2014.

The synopsis is billed as:

It’s winter in Minnesota and a Zimbabwean family is preparing for the wedding of their eldest daughter (Ruff), a first-generation American. But when the bride insists on observing a traditional African custom, it opens a deep rift in the household. Rowdy and affectionate, Familiar pitches tradition against assimilation, drawing a loving portrait of a family: the customs they keep, and the secrets they bury.

Gurira has made it known that she is very interested in getting stories about women of color out there for the world to see. “I want to see women of African descent shine,” Gurira told “Elle” magazine in a recent interview. “I want to see them [in roles] that are intense, that are full, that are complex—that allow them to exercise their chops. I want women of color who are preparing for auditions to stop asking, ‘Where are the monologues? Where are my stories?'”

Tickets to Familiar aren’t yet on sale, but information regarding tickets and the show can be found at the official website , by phone at (212) 279-4200, or by visiting Ticket Central Box Office at 416 West 42nd St., Manhattan.

The post Danai Gurira’s Familiar Announces Casting appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hamilton 

What is a best of 2015 list without Hamilton? Not a list at all. The hip-hop musical about America’s most controversial founding father with its diverse cast and #hamiltunes that will be stuck in your head forever earns its prized spot on the list. Any show capable of selling out for over a year is a winner in my book. #HamilTonys

Invisible Thread 

Did I mention I saw this show four times? I’m not kidding. The only reason it wasn’t more is because I’m not rich and I went home for Christmas break. The show that tells the story of one man’s incredible journey of self and the people’s lives he impacts was a no-brainer on my list. The dancing, the acting, and the singing is enough to bring you in and take you to new places. #Belamusana

The Color Purple 

Of course, The Color Purple was going to make this list. Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks and Jennifer Hudson make their Broadway debuts and they enter with a big ol’ splash. The simplistic styling of this musical requires the actors to give their all and bare it on the stage, which they do every night. I see Tonys in their future.

Whorl Inside A Loop 

No wonder it’s going to Broadway!  It’s that darn good. Second Stage is doing some pretty awesome things over there on 43rd Street, if this show is any indication. It tells the story of an actress teaching prisoners how to tell and act out their personal stories. This show definitely tugged at my heartstrings and now, hopefully, many more will be able to witness its brilliance.

The Gin Game 

Legendary. James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson sharing the stage again was one of the most amazing moments of 2015. Being able to just be in that room and watch these masters grace the stage effortlessly was a big deal. Black don’t crack, and neither does our ability to memorize scripts and get out there and be amazing eight nights a week.

Barbecue 

The Public Theater also has some hits on their hands. Barbecue centered around family, addiction, and making difficult choices. Written by Obie Award Winning Playwright Robert O’Hara, the play was full of twists and turns that left audiences gasping and guessing about what was going to happen next.

Paradise Blue

Our girl Dominique Morisseau came through. The production is directed by the always amazing Ruben Santiago-Hudson and stars Tony Award-nominee De’Adre Aziza (Passing Strange), Golden Globe-nominee Blair Underwood (A Street Car Named Desire), and Andre Holland. This show, which is the first in a trilogy, made waves at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Like Morisseau herself, I doubt it’s the last you’ll hear about it.

An Octoroon 

An Octoroon (the term “Octoroon” is a person who is one-eighth Black) is all about race in the United States. The brilliant show written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins got its start at Soho Rep and uses satire to get at the United States’ horrible legacy of slavery. Incorporating Black face, red face and everything in between, this show took it there unapologetically. An Octoroon can make an entire audience uncomfortable and force them to face the harsh realities of this “great” nation all in one. After all, art is an imitation of life, right?

Amazing Grace

Gone too soon. The song I sang as a child suddenly held more weight when I finally was able to see this show in the summer. Beautifully and thoroughly executed, Amazing Grace was a gracious piece of theatre that wasn’t afraid to go there. While it may have left Broadway, the cast recording will be enough to keep me going.

Eclipsed 

This is another one that moved from Off-Broadway because of its stellar cast and amazing story. Danai Gurira is genius. Set during the Liberian Civil War, Eclipsed tells the stories of the captive wives of a rebel officer who band together to form a fragile community—until the balance of their lives is upset by the arrival of a new girl. Heartfelt, funny, and mesmerizing are just a few adjectives to describe how great of a show this is.

Special Mention: The Wiz Live!

How could I make a list without The Wiz Live! on it? This show and all of its #melaninmagic captivated audiences everywhere. The old classic story of The Wiz with a modern twist appealed to audiences young and old, and brought together an entire community on Dec. 3rd. That night also made us realize Shanice Williams was going places, Stephanie Mills has still got it, David Alan Grier has some serious pipes, Uzo Aduba and Queen Latifah can do no wrong, Amber Riley was underappreciated on Glee, and “conversate” is an actual word.

Thats our list, what did you see that you put on your list? Sound off in the comments below and check out in-depth information on all of these shows on our site!

The post And The Winner Is…Broadway Black Top 10 of 2015 appeared first on Broadway Black.

Denee Benton, who toured with the Book of Mormon, takes on the role of Natasha in Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, playing at the American Repertory Theater’s Loeb Drama Center.

The musical curates a portion of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” The show is described as an electro-pop opera with book, lyrics and music by David Malloy.

With an immersive quality and lots of risk taking, people all over the U.S. are talking about this show. The show debuted December 6^th to rave reviews and has been collecting accolades ever since.

Benton, who has a long list of credits to her name, is already receiving a lot of buzz for her performance. The young actress is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon and was on Moron’s National and West End tour.

The show runs through Jan. 3^rd 2016.

Look below to see the shows official program. To purchase tickets click here.

The post Denee Benton Takes on Tolstoy in The Great Comet appeared first on Broadway Black.

The Apollo Theater presents its annual Amateur Night Holiday Special,  a community favorite and one of the highlights of the Apollo season. The special show is an evening of entertainment presented by talented child dancers, musicians and singers all who are past Amateur Night Stars of Tomorrow winners.

This year features special guest performances by TV and Broadway performer Corbin Bleu (In the Heights, Godspell) and breakout star of NBC’s The Wiz Live! Shanice Williams. Co-hosted by Chaz Shepherd and Corbin Bleu.

Some of the performers for the night include Alexis Morrast, Christian Guardino, Lianah Sta. Ana, Mathew Whitaker, Dominique Gervais, Solomon Hicks, Austin Paul Jr. , Haruto Maeda, Street Justice Crew and Ex-Crew of Junior Exile.

Amateur Night at the Apollo is one of New York’s most popular live entertainment experiences, attracting performers and audiences  from all over the world. Amateur Night is known for its “tough crowd” audience that ultimately decides who will go on to win the grand prize. That is if they aren’t swept off the stage first. Many singers and even some Broadway Black stars got their start on the famous Apollo stage including Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, and Williams’ own co-stars Ne-Yo and Stephanie Mills (who won Amateur Night six weeks in a row when she was only 11 years old!)

Amateur Night Holiday Special is a one-night only special on Saturday, December 19th starting at 7:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased here.

In NYC?! You can see @luvbeingshanice live @apollotheater as guest for #amateurnightapollo TONIGHT! Make your way to Harlem!

A photo posted by Broadway Black (@broadwayblack) on Dec 19, 2015 at 8:24am PST

The post Shanice Williams To Perform At The Apollo Theater appeared first on Broadway Black.