Issuu

2023/2024 SEASON

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM · ADAM W. SADBERRY ALEXANDER DAVIS · AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE BERTHA HOPE · BILL T. JONES/ARNIE ZANE COMPANY BOBBY MORGAN · BORA YOON · CAMILLE A. BROWN CARL HANCOCK RUX · CHLOE DAVIS · CRAIG HARRIS DAFNIS PRIETO · DANIEL FETECUA · DAVID VALBUENA DJ SABINE BLAIZIN (OYASOUND) · FEI-FEI FLOR DE TOLOACHE · GEORGE EMILIO SANCHEZ HANNAH LEMMONS AKA LEMMONS · IAN ISIAH JAMES BLASZKO · JASON MORAN · JOANNE BRACKEEN JOSÉ JAMES · JOYA POWELL · JUEL D. LANE KALÍ RODRÍGUEZ-PEÑA · KIMBERLY NICHOLE LUCIANA SOUZA · MALEEK WASHINGTON MARY PRESCOTT · MATTHEW WHITAKER MAYTE NATALIO · MICAH THOMAS · nora chipaumire PABLO MAYOR’S FOLKLORE URBANO ORCHESTRA PATTY ORTIZ · RICKEY TRIPP RONALD K. BROWN/EVIDENCE SHANTELLE COURVOISIER JACKSON · STEW SUN HAN GUILD · TAMAR-KALI · URBAN BUSH WOMEN VIJAY IYER · YASSER TEJEDA · yuniya edi kwon

CREATE FEARLESSLY 1

Lead support for Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary Season is provided by the Mellon Foundation.

FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CEO Looking Back/Creating Forward — This 40th Anniversary year is very special for us and includes programs that resonate with our rich history and forecast our future. They represent something of a reunion in that we are presenting and commissioning artists who have epitomized the mission of Harlem Stage — to lift up the creative voices of artists of color who frequently lacked the recognition and support that their talent deserved. During these past four decades many of these artists have gone on to create new works that have transformed the performing arts field globally. We remain dedicated to leveling the playing field, and have called upon them to identify artists that are deserving of our attention and that we need to discover. Join us in welcoming the return of Bill T. Jones, Camille A. Brown, Vijay Iyer, Stew, Tamar-kali, Ronald K. Brown, Craig Harris, José James, nora chipaumire, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Jason Moran, the latter who is bringing in the legendary Abdullah Ibrahim in a reimagined Pianos for Duke on the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of Ellington’s birth. Our WaterWorks commissioning program features new works by Tamar-kali and Ambrose Akinmusire, as well as a December showcase of projects in development by our Emerging Artist cohort. Our beloved Uptown Nights series expands with the inclusion of new programs that represent the incredible diversity of Latin music with our inaugural Latin Music Series in the fall and and an exciting new partnership with Sugar Hill Salon and Concert Artists Guild in the winter. And that is not all — we will kick off the season with José James singing Erykah Badu in a free outdoor concert in collaboration with Bryant Park, and will present george emilio sanchez in November with work that urgently explores tribal sovereignty and the rights of Indigenous peoples. These artists, and more, have joined our incredible programming team led by Eric Oberstein, Sarah McCaffery, Maurice Ivy, and Carl Hancock Rux to challenge, enlighten, and entertain. You won’t want to miss this, and we don’t want to miss you!!!

Pat Cruz Artistic Director & CEO

ABOUT HARLEM STAGE Harlem Stage is the performing arts center that bridges Harlem’s cultural legacy to contemporary artists of color and dares to provide the artistic freedom that gives birth to new ideas. For 40 years Harlem Stage has stood proudly at the intersection of art and social justice with a singular mission to perpetuate and celebrate the unique and diverse artistic legacy of Harlem and the indelible impression it has made on American culture. We provide opportunity, commissioning, and support for artists of color, make performances easily accessible to all audiences, and introduce children to the rich diversity, excitement, and inspiration of the performing arts. We fulfill our mission through commissioning, incubating, and presenting innovative and vital work that responds to the historical and contemporary conditions that shape our lives and the communities we serve. With a long-standing tradition of supporting artists and organizations around the corner and across the globe, Harlem Stage boasts such legendary artists as Harry Belafonte, Max Roach, Sekou Sundiata, Abbey Lincoln, Sonia

Sanchez, Eddie Palmieri, Maya Angelou, and Tito Puente, as well as contemporary artists like Maimouna Youssef aka Mumu Fresh, Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité, Christian Scott “Chief Adjuah,” Tamar-kali, Vijay Iyer, Mike Ladd, Meshell Ndegeocello, Jason Moran, José James, Craig Harris, Nona Hendryx, Bill T. Jones, and more. Our education programs serve over 2,300 New York City school children each year. The New York Times has hailed Harlem Stage as “an invaluable incubator of talent” and we have been recognized as an organization still unafraid to take risks. Our investment in this visionary talent is often rewarded in the early stages of many artists’ careers and we proudly celebrate their increasing success. Five members of our artist family have joined the ranks of MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship awardees: Kyle Abraham (2013), Vijay Iyer (2013), Jason Moran (2010), Bill T. Jones (1994), and Cecil Taylor (1991). Harlem Stage is a winner of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters’ William Dawson Award for Programming Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming.

CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

ON & ON: JOSÉ JAMES SINGS BADU SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

UPTOWN NIGHTS LATIN MUSIC SERIES PABLO MAYOR’S FOLKLORE URBANO ORCHESTRA OCTOBER 13 – 14, 2023

BUY TICKETS TO 4 OR MORE PERFORMANCES AND GET 40% OFF! Use discount code HS40 at checkout.

Tickets must be purchased in a single transaction. Excludes tickets to April 27 Benefit Concert and June 3 Annual Gala. DECEMBER 1, 2023

UPTOWN NIGHTS LATIN MUSIC SERIES YASSER TEJEDA & DJ SABINE BLAIZIN (OYASOUND)

E-MOVES DECEMBER 9, 2023 RONALD K. BROWN/EVIDENCE WATERWORKS EMERGING ARTISTS SHOWCASE OCTOBER 20 – 21, 2023 FEATURING SHANTELLE CRAIG HARRIS COURVOISIER JACKSON, TONGUES OF FIRE HANNAH LEMMONS AKA (in a harlem state of mind) LEMMONS, BOBBY MORGAN, OCTOBER 27, 2023 MARY PRESCOTT & UPTOWN NIGHTS KALÍ RODRÍGUEZ-PEÑA LATIN MUSIC SERIES JANUARY 11–13, 2024 DAFNIS PRIETO FEATURING LUCIANA SOUZA E-MOVES URBAN BUSH WOMEN’S CANTAR HAINT BLU NOVEMBER 3, 2023

IN THE COURT OF THE CONQUEROR BY GEORGE EMILIO SANCHEZ IN COLLABORATION WITH VISUAL ARTIST PATTY ORTIZ NOVEMBER 10, 2023

UPTOWN NIGHTS LATIN MUSIC SERIES + CARNEGIE HALL CITYWIDE FLOR DE TOLOACHE

JANUARY 26, 2024

UPTOWN NIGHTS IAN ISIAH + KIMBERLY NICHOLE FEBRUARY 16, 2024

UPTOWN NIGHTS: CONVENT TO WYTHE yuniya edi kwon + SUN HAN GUILD

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

APRIL 27, 2024

MARCH 1 – 2, 2024

MAY 3 – 4, 2024

UPTOWN NIGHTS AN EVENING OF CHAMBER MUSIC PRESENTED WITH SUGAR HILL SALON & CONCERT ARTISTS GUILD ETERNAL SPIRIT: VIJAY IYER & FRIENDS CELEBRATE THE MUSIC OF ANDREW HILL MARCH 9, 2024

UPTOWN NIGHTS: CONVENT TO WYTHE BORA YOON AT NATIONAL SAWDUST MARCH 22 – 23, 2024

PIANOS FOR DUKE REIMAGINED: FEATURING JASON MORAN, ABDULLAH IBRAHIM & FRIENDS BENEFIT CONCERT

WATERWORKS ESTABLISHED ARTIST COMMISSION TAMAR-KALI THE SWANN CARL HANCOCK RUX, LIBRETTO MAY 17 – 18, 2024

E-MOVES nora chipaumire ShebeenDUB

STEW HIGH SUBSTITUTE FOR THE HEAD LECTURER

JUNE 3, 2024

MARCH 29 – 30, 2024

JUNE 14 – 15, 2024

WATERWORKS ESTABLISHED ARTIST COMMISSION AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE banyan seed APRIL 19 – 20, 2024

E-MOVES BILL T. JONES/ ARNIE ZANE COMPANY

HARLEM STAGE 40TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

E-MOVES CAMILLE A. BROWN & GUESTS: BLACK JOY FEATURING WORKS BY CAMILLE A. BROWN, CHLOE DAVIS, JUEL D. LANE, MAYTE NATALIO, RICKEY TRIPP & MALEEK WASHINGTON

APRIL 26, 2024

PIANOS FOR DUKE REIMAGINED: FEATURING JASON MORAN, ABDULLAH IBRAHIM & FRIENDS

*Note: All presentations subject to change as COVID-19 conditions evolve.

UPTOWN NIGHTS Harlem Stage returns with its beloved music series, Uptown Nights, to present a dynamic set of artists across a wide range of genres throughout the anniversary year.

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IAN ISIAH + KIMBERLY NICHOLE JANUARY 26

CONVENT TO WYTHE: yuniya edi kwon + SUN HAN GUILD FEBRUARY 16

AN EVENING OF CHAMBER MUSIC PRESENTED WITH SUGAR HILL SALON & CONCERT ARTISTS GUILD FEBRUARY 23

CONVENT TO WYTHE: BORA YOON AT NATIONAL SAWDUST MARCH 9

Photo by Kwame Brathwaite

INTRODUCING THE

UPTOWN NIGHTS LATIN MUSIC SERIES From September to December 2023, Harlem Stage launches the Uptown Nights Latin Music Series, an exciting lineup that celebrates music from the Latin diaspora.

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PABLO MAYOR’S FOLKLORE URBANO ORCHESTRA SEPTEMBER 22

DAFNI FEATU LUCIA CANTA OCTOB

IS PRIETO URING ANA SOUZA AR BER 27

FLOR DE TOLOACHE NOVEMBER 10

YASSER TEJEDA & DJ SABINE BLAIZIN (OYASOUND) DECEMBER 1

Photo by Kwame Brathwaite

WATERWORKS ESTABLISHED & EMERGING ARTISTS Our signature commissioning program, WaterWorks, was created to identify, cultivate, and nurture the talents of visionary artists of color — ranging from artists that are just emerging in the field to artists who have well-established careers. Our role is, by intention, to shine a light on these artists and to light the path on their road to artistic achievement. Through WaterWorks, we provide critical support and a creative home.

WATERWORKS EMER ARTISTS SHOWCASE F SHANTELLE COURVOI HANNAH LEMMONS A BOBBY MORGAN, MA KALÍ RODRÍGUEZ-PEÑ DECEMBER 9

RGING FEATURING ISIER JACKSON, AKA LEMMONS, ARY PRESCOTT & ÑA

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE banyan seed MARCH 29 – 30

TAMAR-KALI THE SWANN CARL HANCOCK RUX, LIBRETTO MAY 3 – 4

E-MOVES For 25 years Harlem Stage’s signature dance series, E-Moves, has brought together phenomenal artists of color to showcase their movement-based creations. On the occasion of Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary, Harlem Stage invites back to the Gatehouse artists who have been critical to the legacy of the institution’s dance programming and who serve as inspiration for the future of dance.

RONALD K.BROWN/ EVIDENCE OCTOBER 13 – 14

URBAN BUSH WOMEN’S HAINT BLU JANUARY 11–1

BILL T. JONES/ ARNIE ZANE COMPANY APRIL 19 – 20

nora chipaumire ShebeenDUB MAY 17 – 18

CAMILLE A. BROWN & GUESTS: BLACK JOY FEATURING WORKS BY CAMILLE A. BROWN, CHLOE DAVIS, JUEL D. LANE, MAYTE NATALIO, RICKEY TRIPP & MALEEK WASHINGTON JUNE 14 – 15

THU, SEP 14, 2023 | 7PM | FREE

ON & ON: JOSÉ JAMES SINGS BADU Co-Presented with Bryant Park Bryant Park (Bandstand at west end of Bryant Park, W. 41st St. & 6th Ave.) General Admission lawn seating Often referred to as a jazz singer for the hip-hop generation — or as Pitchfork called him, “one of the suavest vocal improvisers on the scene” — vocalist José James combines jazz, soul, R&B, and spoken word into his own unique brand of vocal jazz. An artist who shows love to those who inspire him, James has dedicated entire projects to artists whose music he’s admired — over the past decade, James has brought tributes to Billie Holiday and Gil Scott-Heron to the historic Harlem Stage Gatehouse.

Co-presented by Harlem Stage and Bryant Park on the occasion of Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary, James performs On & On: José James Sings Badu, his latest record honoring the legendary high priestess of neo-soul, singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. His new project finds James throwing down the gauntlet on the past 100 years of jazz singing while charting a path forward for the culture. The album, produced by James, investigates the breadth of Badu’s iconic catalog, from her groundbreaking debut, Baduizm, to her contemporary masterpieces, New Amerykah Pt. 1 and 2.

“It’s simple,” James explains. “Jazz singing has always been about interpreting the highest level of standards of your time. And for my generation Erykah Badu has been one of the most innovative and incisive songwriters. Her work has proven to be groundbreaking in a social, musical, and artistic sense.” Join us at Bryant Park for a celebration that both closes Bryant Park’s summer Picnic Performances series and kicks off Harlem Stage’s landmark 40th Anniversary Season. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support is provided by the Diana King Memorial Fund presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation.

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Photo by Valerio Baranovic

FRI, SEP 22, 2023 | 7PM | ADVANCE: $20 / DAY OF: $25 UPTOWN NIGHTS LATIN MUSIC SERIES

PABLO MAYOR’S FOLKLORE URBANO ORCHESTRA 7PM Doors, 7:15PM Dance class, 8PM Show, followed by Salsa DJ set Advance: $20/Day of Show: $25 Harlem Stage Gatehouse General Admission. Standing room. Limited bench seating. Kicking off Harlem Stage’s new Uptown Nights Latin Music Series is Colombianborn, Pan-Latin pianist, composer, and educator Pablo Mayor and his powerhouse 13-piece Folklore Urbano Orchestra. Upon arriving in New York City in 1999, Mayor began producing modern Latin American music inspired by his native Colombia, combining formal studies in jazz with a passion for folkloric Latin American rhythms. Mayor’s playing and arrangements have been featured in performances and on recordings by GRAMMY winners Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Colombian singer Totó la Momposina, Puerto Rican pioneers Los Pleneros de la 21, and the legendary Cuban Orquesta Broadway.

in the South Bronx. In this spirited dance party featuring a range of styles including Colombian music, salsa, and other music from across the Americas, Mayor and his vibrant band perform his mission of #GlobalMusictoUnify, lifting the roof off the historic Harlem Stage Gatehouse. Preceded by a salsa and Colombian dance class led by choreographer, dancer, and Harlem Stage commissioned artist, Daniel Fetecua, who will teach salsa, cumbia, and currulao. After the concert, the night continues with a salsa dance party with DJ Franklin Ayala, co-hosted with Talia Castro-Pozo!

This program is supported, in part, by, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support is provided by the Diana King Memorial Fund presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation.

Mayor is the founder and producer of NYC’s Colombian music festival Encuentro NYC, and since 2016, he has been in residence at iD Studio Theater 17

Photo of Pablo Mayor’s Folklore Urbano Orchestra by Sean Chee

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TALIA CASTRO-POZO

PABLO MAYOR

DJ FRANKLIN AYALA

FRI, OCT 13 & SAT, OCT 14, 2023 | 7:30PM | $40 / $25 E-MOVES

RONALD K. BROWN/ EVIDENCE Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating Founded in 1985 and based in Brooklyn, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE seamlessly melds traditional African and Afro-Cuban dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word. First presented at our previous home, Aaron Davis Hall, in 1998, the company returns for a not-to-be-missed performance featuring dances that are “pure Brown: otherworldly, charged, urgent in their undulating sweep and unaffectedly fervent” (The New York Times). In celebration of Harlem Stage’s 40th anniversary, EVIDENCE is honored to reprise Palo y Machete, an excerpt of the evening-length work One Shot. Originally choreographed for EVIDENCE Associate Artistic Director Arcell Cabuag, who will perform the piece at Harlem Stage, One Shot was commissioned for the opening of the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The work is a tribute to the legendary photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris, who was known for capturing his subjects in one click of the camera. The evening also features the extraordinary duet March set to a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which illustrates 19

Photo of Shaylin Watson by Rose Eichenbaum

a physical story of perseverance, dignity, and collective strength and care-taking. The program also includes the striking ensemble work Upside Down, an excerpt from the evening-length work Destiny, which was created during a residency collaboration between Ronald K. Brown/ EVIDENCE and a company from the Ivory Coast, Jeune Ballet d’Afrique Noire, helmed by choreographer Rokiya Kone. This seminal collaboration, a part of Africa Exchange (involving our former home Aaron Davis Hall, 651 Arts, NJPAC, and others), marked Brown’s signature breakout work where he used contemporary and African dance vocabulary in his now widely known and highly regarded fusion style. It remains one of EVIDENCE’s most popular and beloved works and speaks to the ideas of the importance of community and the destiny of the soul. Inspired by Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary Season’s theme of “Looking Back to Create Forward,” Brown invites emerging choreographer Joya Powell to present a work. A multiethnic Harlemite, Powell is a Bessie Award-winning choreographer and educator passionate about community, activism, and dances of the African Diaspora. Hailed by The New York Times as a “radiant performer,” Powell founded Movement of the People Dance Company in 2005, a company dedicated

to addressing sociocultural injustices through multidisciplinary Afrofuturist immersive contemporary dance. Hair Ties, created in collaboration with MOPDC dancers and community members, is a multidisciplinary, dancetheater piece inspired by America’s fear of Black power and beauty. Influenced by the artful and imaginative responses to the Tignon Laws of the 1700s, this evocative work is a celebration of Black beauty, creativity, and ingenuity in the face of perpetual oppression. Supported by the Mellon Foundation, Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, and Harkness Foundation for Dance.

GET TICKETS OCT 13

GET TICKETS OCT 14 RONALD K. BROWN

FRI, OCT 20 & SAT, OCT 21, 2023 | 7:30PM | $40 / $25

CRAIG HARRIS TONGUES OF FIRE

(in a harlem state of mind) Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating Following the success of his Harlem Stage commissioned work Nocturnal Nubian Ball for Conscientious Ballers and Cultural Shot Callers in 2021, trombonist, composer, and sonic shaman Craig Harris presents TONGUES OF FIRE (in a harlem state of mind), a concert of music, poetry, and movement. Harris explores the evolution of the Harlem community from the midseventies to the present day, gathering an all-star intergenerational cast spanning three generations of Harlem-based artists. Harris’ musical journey began when touring with the inimitable Sun Ra, leading him on a path that affirmed his place in performance with and among the ranks of creative music’s most progressive thought-leaders. A prolific composer and bandleader of various-sized ensembles, he has amassed an extensive discography of his own influential work in addition to contributing to the projects of his esteemed colleagues. Steeped in the tradition of using his musical voice to

Photo by Ozier Mohammed

comment on social injustice and humanity, and an active member of the Harlem community in which he lives, Harris is a 2022 nominee for the NAACP Image Awards as co-composer of the score for the Oscar-winning film Judas and the Black Messiah. He released his newest recording, Managing the Mask, in 2022. This program is supported, in part, by, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support is provided by the Diana King Memorial Fund presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation.

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FRI, OCT 27, 2023 | SETS: 7PM & 9PM | $40 / $25 UPTOWN NIGHTS LATIN MUSIC SERIES

DAFNIS PRIETO

FEATURING LUCIANA SOUZA

CANTAR

Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating Last seen at Harlem Stage’s Black Arts Movement Conference in May 2023 with Henry Threadgill and Craig Taborn, GRAMMY-winning Cuban-born drummer, composer, bandleader, and 2011 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Dafnis Prieto presents the New York debut of his heralded 2022 album, Cantar, featuring songs with music and lyrics by Prieto, performed by GRAMMYwinning Brazilian-born singer Luciana Souza. Since arriving in the U.S. from Cuba in 1999, Prieto, “one of the most multidimensional artists working today” (JazzTimes), has honed his forwardlooking musical vision across a range of styles and formats. In the process, he has become equally known for his composing brilliance and his electrifying drumming, comfortably exploring a wide spectrum of musical vocabularies.

Cantar, called a “marvel of acrobatic musicianship” by The New York Times and “breaking new ground” by NPR, reveals a new side of Prieto — lyricist. He grew up with a great love of popular songs and melodies, influenced by Cuban boleros, Los Van Van, Elis Regina, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Queen, Stevie Wonder, and more. Prieto felt inspired to create a record that would engage listeners through both

music and words. He invited Souza as his collaborator on the album, an admirer of her talents as one of the world’s leading vocalists and interpreters (she ultimately contributed lyrics on several tracks as well). The album features songs in three languages — English, Spanish, and Portuguese — and aims to reach a global audience. Recorded in September 2021, the project is co-produced by legendary GRAMMYwinning producer and Souza’s husband, Larry Klein (who has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, and many others), and GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY-winning producer, and Harlem Stage Managing Director, Eric Oberstein, Prieto’s collaborator since 2016. This program is supported, in part, by, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support is provided by the Diana King Memorial Fund presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation.

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Credit: Photograph by Gordon Parks. Copyright: Courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation.

Photo by Ebru Yildiz

FRI, NOV 3, 2023 | 7:30PM | $25

IN THE COURT OF THE CONQUEROR BY GEORGE EMILIO SANCHEZ

IN COLLABORATION WITH VISUAL ARTIST PATTY ORTIZ Harlem Stage Gatehouse General Admission Seating

program at the University of Oklahoma during the COVID-19 lockdown and graduated in August 2021. This performance Over the last 30 years, george emilio san- is the second installment of sanchez’s “Performing the Constitution” series. chez has built a reputation as an artist advancing cultural reform through innovation and a richly crafted and defined “george emilio sanchez’s work combines relatable vulnerability with rigorous inquiry artistic voice. In the Court of the into histories seldom well-explored or told. Conqueror features a solo performance by With Patty Ortiz’s exquisite video design, sanchez and visual storytelling by his collaborator, visual artist Patty Ortiz. Together, sanchez’s latest performance — In the Court of the Conqueror — deals with they confront the history of how the U.S. alarming facts of colonial/Indigenous Supreme Court has diminished the Tribal encounter, federal law, and court rulings, Sovereignty of Native Nations. The piece also tells the story of sanchez’s experiences and the ongoing struggle for justice. It’s of navigating generational trauma regarding no small miracle that this appealing,skillful his Indigenous identity while being raised in storyteller can instruct as effectively as he entertains and vice versa. I’m grateful to an Ecuadorian have witnessed this work which deserves to immigrant household. be seen and discussed throughout the US and beyond.” — Eva Yaa Asantewaa The work focuses on several Federal Indian Landmark cases, leading up to This program is supported, in part, the Johnson v. M’Intosh 1823 Supreme by, public funds from the New York Court case that applied the Doctrine of City Department of Cultural Affairs in Discovery that still holds legal precedent in partnership with the City Council. our courts of the conqueror. sanchez and Additional support is provided by the Ortiz traveled across hundreds of geoDiana King Memorial Fund presented graphic miles and ancestral homelands to by the Charles and Lucille King create this interdisciplinary performance Family Foundation. that combines text and video projections to reveal this country’s ongoing conflicts with Native Nations in search of Indigenous justice and sovereignty.

As part of his “artistic research” for this piece, sanchez enrolled in a Master of Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law

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PATTY ORTIZ

Photo of george emilio sanchez by Maria Baranova

FRI, NOV 10, 2023 | 7:30PM | FREE UPTOWN NIGHTS LATIN MUSIC SERIES CARNEGIE HALL CITYWIDE

FLOR DE TOLOACHE Co-presented with Carnegie Hall Harlem Stage Gatehouse General Admission Seating Latin GRAMMY winners Flor de Toloache, New York City’s first and only all-women mariachi group, make their Harlem Stage debut, presented in collaboration with Carnegie Hall. Founded in 2008, singers and founding members Mireya I. Ramos and Shae Fiol lead the four-piece band whose instrumentation includes vihuela, violin, trumpet, and guitarrón. Hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds, the ensemble brings a contemporary flair to traditional Mexican music, casting a spell on audiences like the legendary Toloache flower still being used in Mexico as a love potion. Making a name for themselves on NPR’s Tiny Desk series, where NPR Music stated, “There should be fireworks named after this band, for all the intensity and color and life that bursts forth from Flor de Toloache,” experience how this vibrant group pushes the boundaries of a centuries-old tradition.

Photo by Kelvin Pagan

Lead support for Carnegie Hall Citywide is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Hearst Foundations. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support is provided by the Diana King Memorial Fund presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation.

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DJ SABINE BLAIZIN (OYASOUND)

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FRI, DEC 1, 2023 | 8PM | ADVANCE: $20 / DAY OF: $25 UPTOWN NIGHTS LATIN MUSIC SERIES

YASSER TEJEDA & DJ SABINE BLAIZIN (OYASOUND) Co-presented with World Music Institute & Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) 8PM Doors + DJ Set, 9PM Show, 10:30PM DJ Set Harlem Stage Gatehouse General Admission. Standing room. Limited bench seating. In this special collaboration with World Music Institute and Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, rescheduled from June 2023, Harlem Stage presents Afro-Dominican bandleader and guitarist Yasser Tejeda performing a combination of traditional folkloric music, jazz, rock, and Caribbean rhythms. Keeping us moving before and after the performance, DJ Sabine Blaizin (Oyasound) will spin Global House and Soul, Afrotech, Afrobeat, and other diasporic Afro-Caribbean dance music with a nod to her Haitian roots.

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Photo Credits: Yasser Tejeda (Shervin Lainez), DJ Sabine Blaizin (West 38)

SAT, DEC 9, 2023 | 7:30PM | $25

WATERWORKS EMERGING ARTISTS SHOWCASE Harlem Stage Gatehouse General Admission Seating For nearly 30 years, the WaterWorks Emerging Artists program, formerly Fund for New Work, has supported artists of color emerging in their careers and artistic practice. Today, the program continues this tradition by awarding commissions to five early-career artists of color per year. The year-long program offers a space among a multidisciplinary cohort of artists who receive mentorship, critical feedback, professional development workshops, rehearsal space, and production support. Throughout the duration of the experience, artists develop an original performance piece.

Hannah Lemmons aka LEMMONS; choreographer and dancer Bobby Morgan; interdisciplinary artist, composer, and pianist Mary Prescott; and trumpeter and composer Kalí Rodríguez-Peña. Commissioned by Harlem Stage through its WaterWorks Emerging Artists Program and supported by a grant from the Jerome Foundation. Other supporters of the WaterWorks Emerging Artists Program are the Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Thompson Family Foundation, and the Leonard & Robert Weintraub Family Fund.

In this culminating work-in-progress showcase, Harlem Stage presents works by the 2023 WaterWorks Emerging Artists cohort: interdisciplinary performing artist and painter Shantelle Courvoisier Jackson; singer/songwriter

SHANTELLE COURVOISIER JACKSON

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HANNAH LEMMONS AKA LEMMONS KALÍ RODRÍGUEZ-PEÑA

BOBBY MORGAN

MARY PRESCOTT

Photo Credits: Shantelle Courvoisier Jackson (Rachel Keane, @rk_co_image), Bobby Morgan (Rick Meinecke), Mary Prescott (Ben Miller)

THU, JAN 11 – SAT, JAN 13, 2024 | 7:30PM | $25 E-MOVES

URBAN BUSH WOMEN’S HAINT BLU PRESENTED BY HARLEM STAGE, AS PART OF ITS SIGNATURE DANCE SERIES E-MOVES PRODUCED BY URBAN BUSH WOMEN Harlem Stage Gatehouse Seats are available for those in need* Harlem Stage and Urban Bush Women, both celebrating 40-year anniversaries, have come together to share an immersive evening with UBW’s Haint Blu. Steeped in memory and ancestral magic, this ensemble dance-theater work will flow through the historic landmarked Harlem Stage Gatehouse, taking the audience to a place where spirits share their legacies, journey onward, and leave the thick residue of their knowing behind. *This is a site-specific and interactive experience which moves throughout the theater. Supported by the Mellon Foundation, Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, and Harkness Foundation for Dance. Urban Bush Women 40th-Anniversary leadership funding provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Additional Funding Provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

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Photo by Woosler Delisfort

FRI, JAN 26, 2024 | 7:30PM | $35 / $25 UPTOWN NIGHTS

IAN ISIAH + KIMBERLY NICHOLE Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating As part of its beloved music series, Uptown Nights, Harlem Stage presents an electric double bill that promises to get you on your feet — Ian Isiah and Kimberly Nichole. Raised in the heart of Brooklyn with a strong gospel stripe, Ian Isiah has grown into the forefront of both fashion and LGBTQ+ movements, first with Hood By Air and now Telfar. He has toured with and has been featured on numerous Blood Orange projects and appeared on records by Yves Tumor, Theophilus London, and Mykki Blanco. 2018’s Shugga Sextape Vol. 1 took the music world by storm and, with his R&B and silky soul-infused AUNTIE, a collaborative EP with Chromeo, Ian has continued to break ground and prove himself to be a true rising star.

underground music scene and in nightlife by way of the late night club The Box. She has shared stages with Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Nancy Wilson (Heart), Slash (Guns N’ Roses), and Joe Walsh (The Eagles), as well as the likes of Nona Hendryx, Ledisi, Kehlani, Janelle Monae, and Christina Aguilera (who served as her coach when she was a finalist on The Voice). Now based in London, Kimberly returns to the Gatehouse for a special set showcasing her distinctive style, soaring voice, and edgy showmanship. This program is supported, in part, by, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support is provided by the Diana King Memorial Fund presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation.

Harlem Stage alum and punkSoul/Rock artist Kimberly Nichole (Kim Nicky) has a sound shaped by the groundbreaking grunge music of her hometown, Seattle, and the southern blues and gospel roots of her parents. Kimberly made a name for herself in New York City on the

Photo Credits: Ian Isiah (Thuan Tran), Kimberly Nichole (Daryon Haylock)

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FRI, FEB 16, 2024 | 7:30PM | $25 UPTOWN NIGHTS: CONVENT TO WYTHE

yuniya edi kwon + SUN HAN GUILD Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating Aligned by a mission to foster artistic experimentation and champion voices that are reshaping the landscape of new music for this century, Harlem Stage and National Sawdust band together in a cross-borough collaboration to present yuniya edi kwon, SUN HAN GUILD, and Bora Yoon. On February 16, 2023, Harlem Stage presents silver through the grass like nothing, a work in progress solo by yuniya edi kwon, and even in the shadow of a retching fog, the WORLD PREMIERE of a new work by the SUN HAN GUILD. yuniya edi kwon’s silver through the grass like nothing is an emergent, impressionistic work shared from the perspective of the body, in dialogue with the spirit, as they experience the entangled and porous process of becoming a pearl. SUN HAN GUILD’s even in the shadow of a retching fog is a ritual for grief and an opening for generosity that connects the group’s ecstatic compositional collectivity to the continuum of sinawi, or the improvisational music that flows through Korean shamanic rites. 37

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Photo Credits: yuniya edi kwon (Hannah Turner Harts), Sun Han Guild (Frank Schemmann)

SUN HAN GUILD

SAT, MAR 9, 2024 | 7:30PM UPTOWN NIGHTS: CONVENT TO WYTHE

BORA YOON AT NATIONAL SAWDUST National Sawdust Reserved Seating On March 9, 2024, National Sawdust presents (( ( PHONATION ) )) a work of sound and visuals by Bora Yoon and R. Luke DuBois.

FRI, FEB 23, 2024 | 7:30PM | $35 / $25 UPTOWN NIGHTS

AN EVENING OF CHAMBER MUSIC PRESENTED WITH SUGAR HILL SALON & CONCERT ARTISTS GUILD Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating As part of its Uptown Nights music series, Harlem Stage collaborates with Harlem-based Sugar Hill Salon — one of the first chamber music series and artistic collectives that centers on black and brown woodwind artistry in classical music — and Concert Artists Guild —which has, since 1951, launched the careers of hundreds of emerging classical artists and ensembles — to curate an evening of chamber music at the Gatehouse, featuring works by living composers of color, performed by musicians from each organization’s ranks, including Alexander Davis (bassoon), Adam W. Sadberry (flute), David Valbuena (clarinet), and Fei-Fei (piano).

Photo Credits: Adam W. Sadberry (Jamie Harmon)

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ALEXANDER DAVIS

ADAM W. SADBERRY

FEI-FEI

DAVID VALBUENA 40

FRI, MAR 1 & SAT, MAR 2, 2024 | 7:30PM | $40 / $25

ETERNAL SPIRIT:

VIJAY IYER & FRIENDS CELEBRATE THE MUSIC OF ANDREW HILL Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating Described by The New York Times as a “social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker, and multicultural gateway,” composer and pianist Vijay Iyer is one of the leading music-makers of his generation. Iyer returns, following his Harlem Stage commissioned work, Holding It Down, to guest curate and perform in Eternal Spirit: Vijay Iyer & Friends Celebrate the Music of Andrew Hill. Iyer leads a stellar ensemble, including drummer Nasheet Waits, trumpet player Milena Casado, saxophonist Mark Shim, and others, through his arrangements of compositions by his friend and hero, the vastly influential jazz piano legend Andrew Hill. Andrew Hill’s album Black Fire, released on Blue Note Records in 1964, was a “revelatory vision of jazz — and impacted generations of progressive pianists” (TIDAL Magazine). Iyer reflects on Black Fire, “there’s so much wildness going on inside of it…You could not write that down, whatever that is. It’s just in its own universe” (TIDAL Magazine). A reflection from Pat Cruz, Harlem Stage Artistic Director & CEO: 41

Photo by Ebru Yildiz

“I have been privileged to learn of, follow, and love Andrew Hill’s music for decades. He and my husband, the late artist Emilio Cruz, became friends and mutual admirers. I first presented Andrew in the early 90s at the Studio Museum in Harlem in the Artist’s Voice series that I created. Andrew sat down at the piano declaring to play something with which we were all familiar. I joined the audience bewildered and bewitched as we tried to find the familiar in the music he performed. He concluded his performance by claiming it as his version of an ‘old Negro spiritual.’ A spiritual transformed and reinvented into an unrecognizable piano solo, grounded in tradition but radically reimagined and transcendent. We later presented Andrew Hill in our Pianos for Duke concert in 1999.” This program is supported, in part, by, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support is provided by the Diana King Memorial Fund presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation.

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FRI, MAR 22 & SAT, MAR 23, 2024 | 7:30PM | $40 / $25

STEW HIGH SUBSTITUTE FOR THE HEAD LECTURER: Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating Tony Award-winning playwright, composer, performer, and Harvard University professor Stew (Passing Strange, Notes of a Native Song) premieres HIGH SUBSTITUTE FOR THE HEAD LECTURER. The second in his series of “black super-hero free-constructions,” Stew works through Amiri Baraka’s, and Leroi Jones’, twin influences on his life and art. Baraka, previously known as Leroi Jones, was a legendary writer and founder of the Black Arts Movement. In the spirit of Stew’s critically acclaimed Notes of a Native Song, the musical meditation on James Baldwin, also commissioned by Harlem Stage, HIGH SUBSTITUTE will irreverently transmit troubadour songs scribbled on and about the life trail blazed by Baraka Jones.

Photo by Marc Millman

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FRI, MAR 29 & SAT, MAR 30, 2024 | 7:30PM | $40 / $25 WATERWORKS ESTABLISHED ARTIST COMMISSION

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE banyan seed Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating Described by NPR Music as “a trumpeter of deep expressive resources and a composer of kaleidoscopic vision,” composer, trumpeter, and bandleader Ambrose Akinmusire has made a home at the crossroads of different musical forms and languages, from post-bop and avant-garde jazz to contemporary chamber music and hip-hop to singersongwriter aesthetics. Akinmusire returns to Harlem Stage during its 40th Anniversary Season to present banyan seed. He builds on his interest in the intersection of the griot, mentor, and oral historian in social history to develop a multi-part suite. Like the banyan tree, which starts as a plant growing on another plant to become a tree of farflung roots and interwoven vines, the project incorporates interviews with

Photo by Michael Ogata

jazz elders to share ideas, knowledge, history, and community with younger musicians, and to connect audiences to the living stories of jazz — its social innovation and endless creativity. Commissioned by Harlem Stage through its WaterWorks Established Artists Program and supported by the Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Thompson Family Foundation, and the Leonard & Robert Weintraub Family Fund.

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FRI, APR 19 & SAT, APR 20, 2024 | 7:30PM | $40 / $25 E-MOVES

BILL T. JONES/ARNIE ZANE COMPANY Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating Choreographer Bill T. Jones has participated in various presentations at Harlem Stage since the 1980s; in 2006, he created the Harlem Stage commission Chapel/Chapter, inaugurating the Harlem Stage Gatehouse with what The New York Times would deem the “most affecting, the most disturbing, the most powerful, and the most compassionate” dance from the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. Born in 1982 out of an 11year collaboration between Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane (1948-1988), the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company is recognized as one of the most innovative and powerful forces in the dance-theater world.

Photo by Maria Baranova

Jones returns to Harlem Stage to present a dynamic program of works, including work from emerging artist Roderick George.. As part of the evening and the centennial celebration of the late jazz drummer and composer Max Roach, Jones performs an intervention, revisiting and reflecting on Degga (1995), a performance that was created through a legendary collaboration between Jones, Roach, and Toni Morrison. Supported by the Mellon Foundation, Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, and Harkness Foundation for Dance.

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ABDULLAH IBRAHIM

JOANNE BRACKEEN

BERTHA HOPE

MICAH THOMAS 49

Photo Credits: Jason Moran (Marc Millman), Joanne Brackeen (Carol Friedman), Micah Thomas (Antoine Jaussaud)

FRI, APR 26, 2024 | 7:30PM | $40

PIANOS FOR DUKE REIMAGINED: FEATURING JASON MORAN, ABDULLAH IBRAHIM & FRIENDS Harlem Stage Gatehouse General Admission Seating On the occasion of Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary, pianist, composer, and educator Jason Moran — “an artist with an eye for connections among the past, present, and future” (The New York Times) — reimagines Pianos For Duke, a Harlem Stage program dedicated to the music of Duke Ellington, first presented at our previous home Aaron Davis Hall in 1999. Moran performed in the ’99 program, at the time a young up-andcoming pianist, featured alongside superstars of the instrument.

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Now, 25 years later — on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Ellington’s birth — Moran guest curates an intimate evening of Ellington’s music in the round, with a single piano in the center of the room, and invites legendary jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, and other acclaimed pianists, including Bertha Hope, Joanne Brackeen, and Micah Thomas, to join him in the celebratory performance.

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM

JOANNE BRACKEEN

BERTHA HOPE

MATTHEW WHITAKER 51

Photo Credits: Jason Moran (Marc Millman), Joanne Brackeen (Carol Friedman), Matthew Whitaker (Rahil Ashruff)

SAT, APR 27, 2024 | 7:30PM | $100

BENEFIT CONCERT CELEBRATING HARLEM STAGE’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY

PIANOS FOR DUKE REIMAGINED: FEATURING JASON MORAN, ABDULLAH IBRAHIM & FRIENDS Harlem Stage Gatehouse General Admission Seating Join us for a BENEFIT CONCERT supporting Harlem Stage at its 40th Anniversary! On the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Duke Ellington’s birth, experience an intimate evening of Ellington’s music at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse with a single piano in the center of the room, and seating in the round. This special performance features pianist, composer, and educator Jason Moran; legendary jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim; and other acclaimed pianists, including Bertha Hope, Joanne Brackeen, and Matthew Whitaker. After this all-star performance, there will a riveting discussion between Moran and Ibrahim on Ellington’s significance, followed by a lively cocktail reception.

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FRI, MAY 3 & SAT, MAY 4, 2024 | 7:30PM | $35 / $25 WATERWORKS ESTABLISHED ARTIST COMMISSION

TAMAR-KALI THE SWANN

CARL HANCOCK RUX, LIBRETTO Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating Composer, vocalist, and performing and recording artist Tamar-kali presents performance excerpts from The Swann — an opera she is developing featuring a libretto by Harlem Stage Associate Artistic Director and Curator-in-Residence, Carl Hancock Rux, about the life and times of William Dorsey Swann, the first known person to identify as a “queen of drag.” A formerly enslaved denizen of our nation’s capital, Swann was the first

Photo Credits: Tamar-kali (Bas Bogaerts), Spread image from Swann, directed by James Blaszko

American on record to pursue legal and political action to defend the LGBTQ community’s right to gather. Set during his detention and conviction in 1896 for “keeping a disorderly house,” a criminal charge often levied against those who ran brothels, the opera explores the interior of Swann’s mind as inquest, analysis, and detainment begin to take their toll. The program concludes with a discussion featuring Tamar-kali and her collaborators, including Rux and stage director James Blaszko.

Commissioned by Harlem Stage through its WaterWorks Established Artists Program and supported by the Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Thompson Family Foundation, and the Leonard & Robert Weintraub Family Fund. Supported by New Music USA’s Organization Fund in 2023-24.

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Photo by Foteini Christofilopoulou

FRI, MAY 17 & SAT, MAY 18, 2024 | $10 – $50 E-MOVES

NORA CHIPAUMIRE ShebeenDUB Harlem Stage Gatehouse General Admission. Standing room. Limited bench seating. 2-6PM: Radio Opera Installation 6PM: Doors, DJ set 7:30-9PM: Performance 9PM-12AM: Dance Party with DJ Radio Opera Installation: $10 Performance + Dance Party: $40 Dance Party: $20 Access to Radio Opera Installation, Performance & Dance Party: $50 ($20 savings) Contemporary artist, choreographer, and performer nora chipaumire — a “rock star of dance” (The New Yorker) — has enlivened Harlem Stage with her revolutionary dance performances on numerous occasions. chipaumire returns to E-Moves with the New York premiere of ShebeenDUB, which transforms the historic Harlem Stage Gatehouse into a sonic and visual statement of radical black indictment of Empire. Featuring the monumental afternow sound installation, including the soundshitsystem, designed by Ari Marcopoulos and Kara Walker and constructed by Matt Jackson Studio, the afternoon and evening unfold in three parts. Audiences are first invited to expe-

rience Nehanda, a radio opera by chimpaumire which relays the story of Nehanda, a Shona spirit who inhabits women, and in 1866 caused Charwe Nyakasikana to incite resistance against British colonialists in Central Africa. The opera, developing over four hours and played through the sound installation, delves into the Shona people’s experience of the anti-colonial war in Zimbabwe. Following the opera, three dancers, a dub DJ, and chipaumire as emcee perform ShebeenDUB within the afternow installation, celebrating dub — a musical style that emerged in the late 60s and early 70s which interrogates empire, its aesthetics, and ideas of human rights. To close the night, audiences are invited to participate in a dance party featuring music by a dub DJ. Supported by the Mellon Foundation, Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, and Harkness Foundation for Dance.

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MON, JUNE 3, 2024 | 6PM

HARLEM STAGE 40TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Join us for Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary Gala as we celebrate the significance of our history and work, our transformative mission, and our boundary-pushing future. This milestone event will be a night to remember with special guests, food and cocktails, performances, an awards ceremony, and more. We are excited to come together for an evening honoring art and social justice — it is not one you will want to miss. To find out more information about sponsorship, purchasing a ticket, or making a donation, contact our Development Manager Julianna Friedman at jfriedman@harlemstage.org

Photo by Marc Millman

FRI, JUNE 14 & SAT, JUNE 15, 2024 | 7:30PM | $40 / $25

CAMILLE A. BROWN & GUESTS: BLACK JOY

FEATURING WORKS BY CAMILLE A. BROWN, CHLOE DAVIS, JUEL D. LANE, MAYTE NATALIO, RICKEY TRIPP & MALEEK WASHINGTON Harlem Stage Gatehouse Reserved Seating First presented in E-Moves in 2004, celebrated director and choreographer Camille A. Brown returns to Harlem Stage’s flagship dance series to curate works on the theme of BLACK JOY by associate choreographers in her theater and commercial work who are pursuing their own careers in the field — Chloe Davis, Juel D. Lane, Mayte Natalio, Rickey Tripp, and Maleek Washington. Brown will also present an excerpt of a new work featuring her “tour de force” (The New York Times) company, Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Join us for this special evening of dance celebrating the conclusion of Harlem Stage’s 40th Anniversary Season!

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Supported by the Mellon Foundation, Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, and Harkness Foundation for Dance.

Photo Credits: Camille A. Brown (Whitney Browne), Juel D. Lane (Alex D. Rodgers)

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CAMILLE A. BROWN

CHLOE DAVIS

JUEL D. LANE

MAYTE NATALIO

RICKEY TRIPP

MALEEK WASHINGTON

THE HARLEM STAGE FAMILY OF SUPPORTERS

The SHS Foundation

JoAnn Chase Company

Mailing List Management • Mailing List Brokerage

Other significant institutional support provided by the Thompson Family Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, and the Leonard & Robert Weintraub Family Fund. 61

THE HARLEM STAGE FAMILY OF SUPPORTERS Harlem Stage deeply appreciates the many individuals and institutions that provide their generous support, making our programs possible. We are pleased to recognize the following contributors for their donation of $1,000 or more: ENDOWMENT Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Leonard and Sophie Davis Estate Rockefeller Brothers Fund PUBLIC SOURCES Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner Laurie Cumbo and the New York City Council National Endowment for the Arts New York State Council on the Arts Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone FOUNDATIONS Altman Foundation The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc. The Black Seed Fund Black Theatre United Bloomberg Philanthropies Capozzalo Heil Giving Fund Citi Foundation Columbia Community Service Cotsen Foundation For The Art Of Teaching Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation For The Arts Davis/Dauray Family Fund Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Francena T. Harrison Foundation The Ford Foundation The Gershwind Foundation The Howard Gilman Foundation The Harkness Foundation For Dance Interpublic Group Of Companies, Inc. Jerome Foundation The Diana King Memorial Fund Presented By The Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation Lambent Foundation/Tides Foundation Lucille Lortel Foundation Mellon Foundation Mertz Gilmore Foundation

Metzger-Price Fund Mosaic Network and Fund In The New York Community Trust New Music USA The New York Community Trust Open Society Foundations The Perry Foundation Ruth Foundation For The Arts Stavros Niarchos Foundation The Scherman Foundation, Inc. SHS Foundation The Shubert Foundation, Inc. The David and Sylvia Teitelbaum Fund, Inc. The Thompson Family Foundation, Inc. The Leonard & Robert Weintraub Family Fund CORPORATIONS ABC Signature BET Networks Berklee NYC Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids Joann Chase Company Consolidated Edison Company Endeavor Gluck Plus Janus Properties Manhattan Beer Distributors Paula Cooper Gallery Sesac, Inc. TD Bank UTA-United Talent Agency Vision Marketing, Inc. WABC-TV Warner Bros. Discovery West Harlem Development Corporation

INDIVIDUALS Randy Adams Linda Arrington J. Arner Tracy L. Austin Rosemarie and Burnside anderson Neal Baer Catherine Baker-Pitts Laurie Beckelman Stefany and Simon Bergson Saul H. Bethay Angela Glover Blackwell* and Fred Blackwell Patricia Blanchet Carrie Bloxson Valerie Bradley Jamila* and Alvin Bragg Bill Bragin Terry Burrell Geoffrey Canada Jamie Cannon* Patty and Bill Cannon Kathleen and Henry Chalfant Joann K. Chase* Sharon Combs Barry Cohen Kinshasha Conwill Karin Coonrod Barbara Corneo Caroline and Paul Cronson Patricia Cruz* Hugh Dancy* and Claire Danes* Wendy Davies Linda Dehart Winfred Dooley Elasea Douglas Carrie Durbin Sarah Fargo Toni Fay Angelina Fiordellisi and Matt Williams James Francis Vivian Friedman Neil Gaiman Trevor Gale Alex Gansa Fernando Garcia Justin Garrett Moore Stuart Gelwarg and Karen Lipkind Myrna and Freddie Gershon Richard J. Gibbs Carol Goldberg 63

Thelma Golden Gail Gregg Agnes Gund Michael Haggen Lisa Hakim Sharon Hall Maya L. Harris and Tony West Mitchell Harris and Ilham Mezyan Mari Hashasian Milly Hawk Daniel Drew Hawkins Ernestine Haynes-Day Willy Holtzman and Sylvia Shepard Ardith Holmgrain Deborah Hope Deirdre Howley Erika Irish Brown Vijay Iyer Debra James John Josephson and Carolina Zapf Jenette Kahn* and Al Williams Michael Kenny Steven Kirkpatrick Laurie Klatscher Sascha Kolakowski LaChanze Maxine Lapiduss and Hillary Carlip Brad Learmonth and Jon Gilman Courtney F. Lee-Mitchell* and Marcus Mitchell Steve Levine Glenn Ligon Aleida Llanes-Oberstein and Alan Oberstein Todd London Carey Lovelace Allison and Howard Lutnick Marcia and Maurice Lyons Mickey Lyons Brian Maas Marilu Marshall Steven Mayerson Edward McBrien Gay McDougall Sherman and Chris Meloni Bonnie Monte Phoebe Morris Jonas Norr Marti Noxon Eric Oberstein and Jenny Fornoff Cynthia Oliver and Jason Finkelman Ryan Scott Oliver

Daniel Oliverio Daniel J. Osheyack Estelle Parsons Marguerite Pitts Lisa Podulka Ann Pogue Stan Ponte Maxine and John Potts Sharon and Bob Prince Dee Dee Ricks Floree Robinson Rebecca Robertson* Diane Rodriguez Verdery Roosevelt and Lina Alfonso Gretchen Rubin Judith Rubin Sarah Saltzberg L. Josh Schmell Kay Shaw Janice Shelton-Crebbs Edward W. Snowden Jr. Yarissa Soriano Robyn L. Stein David Stone Elizabeth Streb and Laura Flanders Jordan Thaler

Mark Thomas* Jennifer and Derek Trulson Tamara Tunie* Dana Tyler Walton Waterbury Reginald Van Lee and Corey L. McCathern Jason Watt Fran and Barry Weissler Katy and Greg Williamson Carol Wood Moore Michael A. Young* *Board Members As of September 1, 2023, list in formation. Donations under $1,000 are greatly appreciated, but not acknowledged publicly. If your name has been omitted or misprinted, please accept our apologies and contact Associate Director of Development, Shanté Skyers, at sskyers@harlemstage.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Courtney F. Lee-Mitchell, President Jamie Cannon, Vice President Michael Young, Secretary Mark Thomas, Treasurer Angela Glover Blackwell Jenna Bond Jamila Ponton Bragg

JoAnn K. Chase LaChanze Patricia Cruz Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes Jenette Kahn Rebecca Robertson Tamara Tunie

STAFF Patricia Cruz, Artistic Director & CEO MANAGEMENT Eric Oberstein, Managing Director DEVELOPMENT Shamar Hill, Director of Development Shanté Skyers, Associate Director of Development Julianna Friedman, Development Manager PROGRAMMING Carl Hancock Rux, Associate Artistic Director/ Curator-in-Residence Sarah McCaffery, Programming Manager and Associate Curator Maurice Ivy, Programming Associate MARKETING Deirdre May, Senior Director of Digital Content and Marketing Andre Padayhag, Marketing Manager and Graphic Designer Adrienne Gomez, Box Office Manager EDUCATION Jordan Carter, Education & Community Engagement Manager Bethany Cintron, Education & Community Engagement Associate PRODUCTION Amanda K. Ringger, Director of Production

OPERATIONS Rodney Bissessar, Director of Operations Lamont Askins, Operations Associate Acey Anderson Sr., Maintenance

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

NCheng LLC, Accountants/Advisors Jake Lee, Partner Aaron Lam, Supervising Senior Accountant CONSULTANTS Aon/Albert G. Ruben Company (NY)/ Claudia Kaufman, Insurance Arts Education Consultants: Sobha Kavanakudiyil, Sierra Ray & Wendy Rojas Blake Zidell & Associates, Public Relations Briguel, Digital Video Services DAS, IT Consultant Derrick Saint Pierre/Snugg Studios, Digital Video Services Intrepid Digital, SEO Services JCA, Inc.: Database Consulting Jess Medenbach, Digital Video Services LCM/247, Digital Video Services Lutz & Carr/Chris Bellando, Accountants Madison Consulting Group, Matthew Laurence Manchester Benefits, Greg Martin Marc Millman, Photography Robyn L. Stein, Rl Stein Group, Development Consultant Charles Whelan, The Whelan Group Incorporated

CREATING FEARLESSLY FOR 40 YEARS

Diverse Artists. Transformative Art.

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@harlemstage Cover Photo: Joyce Edwards of Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE Photo by Quinn B. Wharton