The Coalition of Theatres of Color (CTC) recently held an important town hall meeting at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The meeting, titled “Can NYC’s Theatre of Color Survive in the New Economy?” addressed the issues faced by theaters of color in these difficult economic times. Organizations involved in the CTC include the Black Spectrum Theatre, the Billie Holiday Theatre, New Federal Theatre, National Black Theatre, New Heritage Theatre Group, Paul Robeson Theater, the Negro Ensemble Company, HADLEY Players, Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center, Pan Asian Repertory, the Afrikan Poetry Theatre and AUDELCO.
“The city gives $800,000 to 10 theaters of color to share,” Voza Rivers, executive producer for New Heritage Theatre Group, explained. He then introduced the one and only Daniel Beaty, playwright and actor.
Beaty started off singing, then went into a stirring monologue about how our people disconnect, connect and reconnect. His monologue was a poem that rhymes and calls to task Black superstars on what are they doing for our children. He talked about children failing in school and how we need to reconnect for our children.
Khalil Mohammad, head of the Schomburg Center, welcomed everyone to the center. “The arts are the most important and powerful vehicle for exposing the world we live in by reminding people of our humanity and how our souls cry out for justice,” Mohammad said.
Rivers introduced journalist and playwright Esther Armah, whose plays he has produced at New Heritage Theatre Group. Armah talked about how challenging it was in London to present the theater she wanted. With Voza and New Heritage Theatre and the Dwyer Cultural Center, Armah said, she found a home.
“Working with Voza, I found a safe space,” Armah said. “Nobody is taking down Black theater, this energy, this possibility. We need to have the financial creativity to keep things going. Nothing else has the swagger or sexiness of Black theater. There isn’t anywhere else to go, so we defend it. It is special.”
Moderator and radio personality Bob Law was called to moderate the first panel, which included John Watusi Branch of the Afrikan Poetry Theatre, Madaha Kinsey-Lamb of Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center, Woodie King Jr. of the New Federal Theatre, Tisa Chang of the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre and David Shakes, a representative from an upstate theater group.
Law said, “This panel is significant because anything that will empower Black people is under siege.” He talked about the takeover that is happening at Black-owned radio stations and TV stations. “It’s important that we are here to raise the issue of the survival of Black theater. It’s going to take a Black arts movement, as it did in the 1960s,” Law said.
Panel members talked about themselves. Shakes said he is dedicated to presenting our people with dignity and truth, that he was disgusted growing up in the 1960s and seeing how our people were portrayed on stage then. King talked about being one of the founding members of the CTC and bringing to the public’s attention cuts that are being proposed, so people couldn’t say they didn’t know what was happening.
“We also want to make sure that people know there are many theaters of color doing great work. We are all one. The theater needs you and you need the theater,” King advised.
Kinsey-Lamb talked about Mind-Builders’ youth members and families making theater their own and making it home. The organization manages to get funding by going to the Legislature and making it happen.
Branch, of the Afrikan Poetry Theatre, talked about how they are struggling at his center. Their issues have been dealing with bureaucracy. He emphasized the importance of the public’s support, not only coming to see the productions, but also donating money. “Art brings a quality of life to us,” he said.
Chang talked about the in-depth work the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre does and the topics they cover, including the Vietnam War, genocide, Cambodian issues, etc.
