The 16th biennial National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) has come to an end. It declares sexual abuse and rape the most insidious War Crimes that can since be prosecuted. I am glad to be a part of this giant entertainment mogul, we call "The Performing Arts". Thats a standard policy for most theater critics. Broadway: Macbeth. Emmett was lynched by two brothers after allegedly offending a white woman in Money, Mississippi, in 1955. Soon, Orpah, the award winning Soul singer, will arrive to record her live Gospel album in the church. So, if youre interested in attending and would like the full experience, make sure you make arrangements to be there for about a week. I talked to my fellow theatergoers as we waited to enter a theater or during intermissions. Many of the restaurants catered to patrons by extending their business hours. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}360556N 801455W / 36.09875N 80.24863W / 36.09875; -80.24863. Charlotte Conservatory Theatre(Witch), the Queen Citys newest professional performing arts company has announced their second production, Selina Fillingers recent Broadway smashPOTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. This season of work is exceptionally meaningful as NBTs return to in-person programming is forged out of a vision to amplify the needs of our community at this catalytic moment in time. January 5, 2022. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Dina Vovsis direction guides Abrams strong acting. I have been in "awe" all day beginning with the noon-day press conference spearheaded by Media Relations Director, Brian McLaughlin. Several funding sources reduced support and the budget for the Festival was left with a $300,000 deficit. Ross recently made her Broadway debut in the Tony nominated revival of For Colored Girls. NBTF was founded by the late Larry Leon Hamlin in 1989 with the goal of uniting black theater companies in America and ensuring the survival of the genre into the next millennium. IG @mrwallacecharles. Tylie Shider is a 2019-20 Playwrights' Center Jerome Fellow. [3], The NBTF has been successful, but not without difficulties. NBTF is "taking over" the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina this entire week, July 29-August 3. In January 2019, "Canfield Drive," a portrait of two reporters with opposing viewpoints in Ferguson, MO, following the 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown, premiered to sold-out audiences in St. Louis and travelled to the National Black Theatre Festival in August of that year. She received her M.F.A from the University of Louisville and her bachelor's in theatre from Tennessee State University. Recognized by AARP as an Age Disruptor, I have an ageism-busting TEDx Talk and an age-affirming solo show which broke a 30-year box office record at the 2019 National Black Theatre Festival in . The Schomburg Center and the National Black Theatre in collaboration with the New York Philharmonic presents artists and scholars in conversation about art, identity, and issues of beauty as part of the Philharmonics Authentic Selves: The Beauty Within Festival. It lived up to its theme: An International Celebration and Reunion of Spirit. The 16th biennial National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) rolls out the purple carpet July 29 - August 3, 2019 in Winston-Salem, transforming North Carolina's city of arts and innovation into a. From his childhood friend to a dude hes never met, Curtis life sentence has been placed on us all. Dr. Maya Angelou, who lived in Winston-Salem, was on board right away and became the first Festival Chairperson, inviting known black performers and singers to take part in the festival which is still booming. <> It is truly a loyal public. Lynn Nottages Pulitzer Prize winning drama had its world premiere at Goodman Theatre in 2008. It chronicles abuse and sexual abuse of women in war times, here during the 2000s in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He concluded that a festival could serve as a method to bring these companies together, and he contacted renowned author and poet Maya Angelou for support. 2019 National Black Theatre Festival July 29 - August 3 An International Celebration & Reunion of Spirit Micki Grant And to the leaders and executive team of the North Carolina Black Repertory Theatre that host the NBTFhats tipped to Artistic Director, Jackie Alexander and Executive Director, Nigel Alston. Please email info@nationalblacktheatre.org with any questions. The Greenbrier Valley Theatre of Lewisburg, West Virginia, was invited to introduce Bricktop: Legend of the Jazz Age, a one woman show. A room is dedicated to Emmett Tills life and death at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, D.C. Thanks for the report. It lived up to its theme: An International Celebration and Reunion of Spirit. 2 0 obj Many thanks to agents at HCKR IG:@mzzzruth @Nutchocheese James 1:17, Charles E. Wallace, is excited to, finally, be working at The National Black Theatre after being neighbors for over twenty years. They share their life-stories in earnest and occasionally in lighthearted dialogues and banter, until we see the murder scene of Emmett - just heartbreaking minutes! The play introduces Anne Frank (played by Hannah Church) and her story of the Holocaust in scenes alternating with the story of Emmett Till (Enoch King), the Chicago boy murdered in Mississippi. In light of the ongoing unrest in the country, and the current death toll of nearly 1600 black bodies murdered by the cops since Browns unforgettable murder, this production will showcase a collection of seven monologues written by seven different playwrights highlighting their personal testaments of being Black in America. Posted: Jul 29, 2019 / 07:57 PM EDT. His wife, Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin, the executive producer, has gracefully and skillfully taken the reigns and guided this ship to a glorious experience of theater, music, film, dancea full-blown explosion of The Performing Artsaccented in purple. 2007. endobj National Black Theatre Festival. Her audience was very responsive. <> <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 13 0 R 14 0 R 15 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> % National Black Theatre is partnered with the New York Philharmonic to bring NY Phil Bandwagon 2 to Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. I love Sam Cooke and You Send Me was almost over before I realized it was being sung. by Lauren Van HemertPhotos by Martha Wade Steketee and Jay Handelman This summer, the top black theater companies from around the world convened in Winston-Salem, N.C. for the 16th National Black Theatre Festival. The National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) will once again be held in the City of the Arts, Winston-Salem, Monday, Aug. 1- Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. ", * Email address required for verification and does not appear with comments. (Comments may not show up immediately), Back Moderated by Dominique Rider. Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (5/19-6/11), Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (8/25-9/17), Blumenthal Performing Arts Center: Belk Theater (6/06-6/11), Blumenthal Performing Arts Center: Belk Theater (5/30-6/04), Blumenthal Performing Arts Center: Belk Theater (3/28-4/02), Thalian Hall Center For The Perform (6/22-7/02), Blumenthal Performing Arts Center: Belk Theater (3/24-3/26), Blumenthal Performing Arts Center: Belk Theater (7/25-7/30), Children's Theatre of Charlotte Presents THE NIGHT DIARY, Western Piedmont Symphony Presents MASTERWORKS- MIGHTY MAHLER. It feels like a familiar story to Juicy, well-versed in Hamlets woes. Manage Settings Walk with Amal is a co-production between The Walk Productions and St. Anns Warehouse in association with Handspring Puppet Company. Each day will begin with the National Black Theatres Stage for Healing and Resilience, co-produced by The Public Theater and National Black Theatre in continuation of a relationship that dates back to the 1960s. Monroe Auditorium on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory. Make sure you pack black-tie attire because there will be a gala awards ceremony on opening night. Adrienne D. Williams is Harlem born storyteller. Five soul-men, one woman and a hip-hop and rap singer and dancer lead the audience through twenty or more years of soul searching.. N_x2vE[?k/NoS3 |7e5'^`^C/BG Another "well done" affairI tip my hat to Queen Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin and everyone involved in making this production a huge success. Transportation for festival programs is free of charge. 2023 Travel Noire. Based on the life of Miriam MakebaBy Somi KakomaDirected by Lileana Blain-CruzChoreography by Marjani Fort-SaundersA co-production with New York Theatre WorkshopAt her final concert, South African musical legend and activist Miriam Makeba delivers the performance of her life, raising the conscience and the consciousness of a people. Sunday, October 8, 2023; 10a-10p I hope to see some of these productions grace the stage of Broadway or receive Tony Awards somedaythey are truly worthy of the honor. As the originators and attendees declare"This Is Holy Ground!" On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Working on such shows as HBOs The Wire, NBCs Homicide, ABCs Golden Boy, & CBSs Person of Interest, & Blue Bloods. Most recent Theatre credits include the role of Mister, from The Color Purple, at the Riverside Center For the Performing Arts, Amonasro, from Aida, at the Source Theatre Constellation Theatre Company, In addition to Ton Ton Julian, from Once On This Island, at Olney Theatre Center. Wendell would like to dedicate his performance to his sun Fate Jordan. The six-day festival is a vacation destination and a source of great pride for black theatergoers. Notes and references [ edit] ^ "National Black Theatre Festival History Page". Along with them was a small contingent of American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) members to. While realizing that we might have been missing the cultural significance of this, my colleagues and I were puzzled by the meaning of this chilling action. The NBTF brings nearly 60,000 people to Winston-Salem. What a "full" and "fabulous" day I have experienced. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Eventually, their two stories merge somewhere in memory and the young people converse about their histories, dreams and deaths. Such great talents gracefully and skillfully showcased their fine acting abilities on the main stages throughout the city. Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, presents MASTERWORKS: MIGHTY MAHLER featuring Mahler's Symphony No. The Gospel Woman National Black Theatre THE GOSPEL WOMAN RETURN TO FULL 2022-2023 SEASON LINEUP ABOUT THE Gospel WomAn Workshop Production By TyLie Shider Directed by Adrienne D. Williams Co-production with Chelsea Factory Soon, Orpah, the award winning Soul singer, will arrive to record her live Gospel album in the church. 4 0 obj That's exactly how the opening day of the National Black. [6], The 2009 NBTF was held August 38, 2009, with celebrity co-chairs Ted Lange and Wendy Raquel Robinson. Please email info@nationalblacktheatre.org with any questions. The driving force of this work is Kathy D. Harrison as: Director, producer of the book, original music and lyrics as well as the complex step- and dance arrangements. He is a veteran of the Stage and TV, and has been seen on Broadway in: Amazing Grace, Miss Saigon (John), Smokey Joe's Caf, and Jekyll & Hyde. Within each of our productions we are uplifting the healing power of Love, the strength in vulnerability, the self respect in drawing a boundary, and the deliverance in the truth, because love is a verb. Off Broadway: If Pretty Hurts National tours: Ghost (Oda Mae Brown) and The Color Purple revival (Shug Avery). While both were about interesting historical characters, the Mary Mcleod Bethune production is far superior as theater. This new evening-length work, co-commissioned by the Apollo Theatre, brings the ancestral tradition of the Ring Shout into a contemporary context, taking audiences on a sonic quest rooted in the ritual tradition with a diverse array of contemporary multidisciplinary artists. 2019. You can cancel at any time. Many who return to every festival, make their hotel reservations one or two years in advance and purchase tickets blindly - so we learned. Anne and Emmettis staged in a contemporary way with stirring sound design and projections that aid in the storytelling. Gabrielle Lee, here Ada Bricktop Smith, performed beautifully more than 20 songs as part of Bricktops storied life as an expatriate in Paris, Mexico City, and Rome. The NBTF is one of the most historic and culturally significant events in the history of black theatre and is produced by The North Carolina Black Repertory Company (NCBRC) in Winston-Salem,. His work has been developed by Liberation Theatre Company, Dixon Place, La MaMa, Frank Silvera Writers Workshop, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Harlem 9, Homebase Theatre Collective, 3:5 Creative[s], Yendor Arts, The Classical Theatre of Harlem, Luna Stage, Joust Theatre co., New York New Works Theater Festival and The Theater Project. Two solo shows about eminent black historical figures. Women of Soul, by the Black Ensemble Theater from Chicago, Illinois, was produced by Jackie Taylor, who started the very successful company in 1976. You will see a "sea" of exuberant attendees who have traveled from near and far to celebrate Black theaterat its very best. Anne & Emmett, by Janet Langhart Cohen, pairs on stage Anne Frank, a Jewish, German-Dutch girl, and Emmett Till, a young black boy from Chicago. Additionally, Mr. Wallace was honored to play Roy Wilkins in All the Way at The Denver Theatre Center and Cleveland Playhouse and the role of Davenport in The Arkansas Repertory Theatres production of A Soldier's Play. She is an Artistic Associate at the Marthas Vineyard Playhouse, and holds an MFA in Acting from Binghamton University. The African American theatre and their public are alive and well! This year marked NBTF's thirtieth anniversary. Co-Production with Public TheaterBy James IjamesDirected by Saheem Ali. Because its a student production, I wont review it. Wendell Jordan has a BFA from Howard University & has been an active member of SAG/ AFTRA for 20+ years. Its theme was "An International Celebration and Reunion of Spirit". 2031 National Black Theatre WayNew York, NY 10035Temporarily closed. Abroad, Ta-Nias work was presented at Theatretreffens Stckemarkt 2021 and Das Hessische Landestheater Marburgs Das Stck Zur Zeit 2022. A moving conversation between Anne (Frank) and Emmett (Till), somewhere in memory. endobj The festival is produced every two years in Winston by the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, a 40-year-old theater company founded in 1979 by the late Larry Leon Hamlin, whose memory we observed in a moment of silence before each performance. Her mother, who bore 17 children, saved to buy land from her former owner and she and her family raised cotton. A limited number of after-festival session tickets will be sold on site, day of festival. MFA: NYU. MOBILE UNITS SUMMER OF JOY will be a pop-up experience in New Yorks open spaces with three key community and performance elements. The National Black Theatre Festival will stage plays, have poetry readings, screen films and hold workshops frmo July 29 to Aug. 3 in Winston-Salem. NY Phil Bandwagon 2 is a series of four weekend-long festivals across New York City, May 730, 2021. Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, presents MASTERWORKS: MIGHTY MAHLER featuring Mahler's Symphony No. These young protesters played their part in moving the Civil Rights agenda forward. 2019 Tony winner Andre De Shields has been attending The National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) in Winston-Salem, N. C. since 1995. Education: He holds a BA in journalism from Delaware State University and an MFA in playwriting from New York University and has studied the Fornsian Method with playwright Migdalia Cruz. Adams, a member of the Winston-Salem city council, makes an entrance during the National Black Theatre Festival's opening night gala on Monday, July 29, 2019, at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. A drummer performs during the National Black Theatre Festival's opening night gala on Monday, July 29, 2019, at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. Hattie Winston speaks during the National Black Theatre Festival's opening night gala on Monday, July 29, 2019, at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. A dancer performs during the National Black Theatre Festival's opening night gala on Monday, July 29, 2019, at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. Written and performed by international music sensation Somi Kakoma, this world premiere musical is an electrifying portrait of a revolutionary artists singular voice and vision. 5 and Bach's Orchestral Suite No.2 on Saturday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. at P.E. Image courtesy Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. First by Faithwas paired with Dinner with Booker T.and staged in the upstairs theater at the Milton Rhodes Center. 1 0 obj Together, they raised $500,000 in grants and contributions to finance the festival's operating costs. Truly, this is Black Theatre Holy Ground. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Nigel Alston, executive director of the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, speaks during the National Black Theatre Festival's opening night gala on Monday, July 29, 2019, at the Benton . The original music and arrangements ofDreaming Zenzilewere made possible through theFrench American Jazz Exchange, a joint program ofFACE FoundationandMid Atlantic Arts Foundationwith generous funding fromCultural Services of the French Embassy,Doris Duke Charitable Foundation,SACEM,Institut Franaisand theMinistere de la Culture et de la Communication. The White House issued statements at first denying the dinner took place and later saying that the Roosevelt women had not been present. He believed that African-American theatre was important and was able to make his dream a success.[4]. While Children's Theatre of Charlotte continues to celebrate its 75th season, it recognizes that 75 years ago, this past August, India was split into two countries: India and Pakistan. The North Carolina Black Repertory Co. is supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources and the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County in our City of Arts and Innovation. She was 76. The soul-stirring production includes a live jazz band playing original music and reinterpretations of Makebas remarkable catalog. Whose appeal is heard? Charles appeared as Daddy Warbucks, in Annie, at The Alabama Shakespeare Festival and performed Ntozake Shanges From Okra to Greens at The National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina. http://www.adriennedwilliams.com. If you need help getting around, transportation will be available to theatre venues from designated festival hotels throughout the festivals duration. From an uproarious family barbecue emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy. Regional: Hop tha A, Feeding Beatrice, Actually. Critically-acclaimed playwright James Ijames reinvents Shakespeares masterpiece with his new drama, FAT HAM. According to The New York Times, "The 1989 National Black Theatre Festival was one of the most historic and culturally significant events in the history of black theatre and American theatre in general." Over 10,000 people attended the inaugural event. This is a rousing and toe-tapping concert-as-play with a thin story line comparing modern music to the soul music and talents of the 1950s and 60s. So proud to be a African American who loves the Performing Arts. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Black_Theatre_Festival&oldid=1121052088, Tourist attractions in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 November 2022, at 07:11. 8:00 PM. You can reserve your tickets here. Larry Leon Hamlin, the late founder of The National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., would likely have described the 2019 event using a favorite word he coined - "marvtastic," a combination of "marvelous" and "fantastic." (read more about this author), Jinkx Monsoon Announces 'Everything at Stake' Tour Dates, Photos: Meet The Cast Of POTUS At Charlotte Conservatory Theatre, Review: BRUCH VIOLIN CONCERTO at Charlotte Symphony, 2023 BIPOC Playwrights' Festival Now Accepting New and Original Works. The upcoming 2021/2022 season includes 3 New York Premieres and 2 brand new digital commissions! and in collaboration with Diversity Youth Theatre in New York City. (An early version of fake news.). Each time I attend this great mecca, I walk away mesmerized. According to The New York Times, The 1989 National Black Theatre Festival was one of the most historic and culturally significant events in the history of black theatre and American theatre in general. Over 10,000 people attended the inaugural event. More info to come soon! Later that evening, the stars continued to shine bright at the formal gala, held at the Benton Convention Center. A rousing concert tribute to soul music. He vigorously opposed the disenfranchisement of blacks and the Jim Crow laws that were passed after Reconstruction. - There she was, as she put it, a saloon-keeper: Chez Bricktop, and invited the biggest American performers, musicians, singers and acts from the 1920s to 1960s. (He died in 2007 at age 58.) The celebrity co-hosts of this year's festival is Margaret "Sug" Avery (The Color Purple) and Chester Gregory (The Jackie Wilson Story). National Black Theatre Festival. Serving as its executive director, Hamlins goal in creating the Festival was "to unite black theatre companies in America to ensure the survival of the genre into the next millennium. Website Design and maintenance by BerkSites [-] Berkshire Website Design, "Astrid, your mater-of-fact description of what you experienced was enough to cause me a bit of regret, tinged with envy, at having missed what sounded like a terrific, moving experience. The show was written and directed by Daryl Brooks, who staged solo memories of the Young Josephine Baker, Mahalia Jackson, Etta James, Donna Summers, Janis Joplin and others. Travel Noire, New Release, Livestream, GMC, American Woman Kidnapped by Family and Allegedly Forced to marry for A $500K Dowry, Take Flight: 5 Destinations Under $300 Round-Trip in March, The 10 Best Places For Black Americans To Move Abroad, Happy Birthday, Bob Marley! The North Carolina Black Repertory Co. is supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources and the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County in our City of Arts and Innovation. %PDF-1.7 I can truly say that each could earn a shot on Broadway, a great testament to the theater companies, producers, playwrights, and directors working behind the scene to develop such works of "excellence". Other articles about the 2019 Black Theatre Festival on Berkshire Fine Arts have been written by: The opinions expressed are those of individual authors who are solely responsible for their statements and as such are not those of the staff and management of Berkshire Fine Arts or its affiliates. Anchored by an 80-member orchestra and a 50-voice choir composed of both professional and amateur singers from multiple African American churches and choral ensembles in New York, this not-to-be-missed event features new musical works including New York premieres by Carlos Simon and Joel Thompson paired with new commissions from Toshi Reagon, Jason Michael Webb, and Lelund Thompson created to honor our present need for a collective space of remembrance. She is a member of The Honor Roll, The Bechdel Group, the Rattlestick Theatre Community, and NCTC. Hall is earnest in his characterization of Washington, but his style and many of his transitions are erratic. See photos of the cast! National Black Theatre Festival July 29 to August 3, 2019 Winston-Salem North Carolina Productions we attended: Wednesday Ruined By Lynn Nottage North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, NC (Astrid only) Blood on the Root By Dominique Morisseau North Carolina Central University Durham, North Carolina Thursday on the Internet. I do have some quibbles with the script, which is quite basic in some ways (such as when Anne and Emmett try to top each other by naming famous Jewish and black achievers). It was a simple White House dinner. But the ancestors are callingtransporting her through the music and fractured memories of her past on a spiritual journey of reconciliation. After placing Top 24 on American Idol he was sent on a world tour sponsored by the US Armed Forces, where he performed for thousands in England, Italy, Holland, Germany, France, Korea, Kuwait and Japan. We saw one other musical The Movement: An A Cappella Musical by LEAP, Artists LIVE! Mary was at work in the fields by age 5. What a smashing success! Specializing in theater-making, she performs, teaches, curates, co-facilitates, develops curriculum, directs, and produces arts events. The Japanese Army forced young women, from occupied countries, Korea, China and Indonesia into sex slavery as so called Comfort Women. These crimes lasted from 1931 to 1945, where an estimated 200,000-400,000 women became forced prostitutes. The 16th biennial National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) has come to an end. 2019 National Black Theatre Festival July 29 - August 3 An International Celebration & Reunion of Spirit Dick Gregory 1989 Some of the plays and events were held at two hotels in central Winston-Salem, but many of the 30 theatrical productions were on stages all over townin schools and universities, churches, and arts centers. Born in 1856Virginia, he was the last generation born into slavery. Volunteers are widely considered the most vital piece of the National Black Theatre Festival. African-American festival in North Carolina, "National Black Theatre Festival History Page", "Larry Leon Hamlin, 58, Dies; Promoted Black Theaters", "Black Theatre Family Holds Biannual Reunion; A firsthand report from the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C.", "A Six-Day Bash Celebrates Black Theater", "National Black Theatre Festival Home Page". Monday, September 26, 20223:00pm - 5:00pmParade Route: Event begins at The State Office Building (125th Street & Adam Clayton Powell Blvd) and concludes at Marcus Garvey (Entrance at 120th Street). A rousing concert tribute to soul music. Established in 1989, the festival is a lifelong dream and manifestation of its founder, Larry Leon Hamlin, a.k,a. 5 and Bach's Orchestral Suite No.2 on Saturday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. at P.E. There was a problem saving your notification. Other celebrities in attendance included: Keith David (Greenleaf), Ted Lange - the most famous bartender (The Love Boat), Petri Hawkins-Byrd - one of the most recognized bailiff (Judge Judy), Darnell Williams ("Jessie" All My Children). As a culmination to our Founder's Month 2022 celebration, we are excited to host an NBT@Home panel discussion that uplifts this seasons theme, A Ritual of Repair. A five-man band was on stage, behind the seven musical performers. We were truly welcomed as minorities during the festival, which does have a small percentage of non-black theatergoers from Winston-Salem and nearby towns and cities.