The Billie Holiday Theatre launches the inaugural Black Narrative theater series. Celebrating the power of Black storytelling with this new bi-annual series, The Billie presents three days of performances, readings and conversations that give voice to the African American experience. Intended to further The Billie’s commitment to centering the exploration of the Black Theater canon and in the spirit of collaboration, each day of Black Narrative will spotlight different writers and will be presented in partnership with some of Black theater’s most renowned companies and collectives.
The series includes award-winning actor, singer and writer Daniel Koa Beaty’s highly acclaimed one-person show Love Warrior, about the power of the human spirit and produced by Harlem-based esteemed theater company New Heritage Theatre Group; a collaboration with the renowned The Fire This Time Festival to present a special edition of the Festival directed by award-winning director Cezar Williams with six 10-minute plays focused on social and political issues impacting the Black community; and A Festival of Violence bringing together the works of celebrated playwrights Amiri Baraka and Aishah Rahman—both major figures in The Black Arts Movement—with Baraka’s award-winning classic Dutchman and Rahman’s powerful response The Lady and The Tramp in partnership with dynamic director Awoye Timpo’s CLASSIX Collective and directed by Brooklyn-based director and writer Domonique Rider.
