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Our mission matters... to ignite the artistic freedom of performing artists of the Global Majority (85% of the global population) who dare to create new artistic works, new ideas, and a new world in which ALL people can flourish.

Due to persistent and longstanding inequitable systems and structures, artists and institutions of the Global Majority remain the underinvested communities of the 21st century and yet...

Harlem Stage is forged in a crucible of a creative fire whose flames and embers may waver, still — undeterred by overwhelming odds — we will continue to be a conduit for freedom, a lens to focus the issues of our time, and a light to illuminate any darkness.

Dr. Indira Etwaroo | CEO & Artistic Director | Harlem Stage

Wren T. Brown’s THE FAMILY BUSINESS shares intimate stories and many never-before-seen images from his family’s four generations and more than 100-year artistic odyssey, shedding light on the significance and importance of the Black artist in American culture. The book features a foreword by

multiple Grammy Award®-winner Wynton Marsalis and an afterword by Tony Award®-winner Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton).

“Writing and producing THE FAMILY BUSINESS stands as one of my most fulfilling achievements. My deep love for my ancestors and history is woven into this work, which reflects over 100 years of my family’s contributions to America’s cultural landscape. This book is a tribute to my family’s theatrical odyssey, and to those known and unknown performers who also sacrificed and paved the way for the countless artists who follow in their footsteps.” – Wren T. Brown Books will be available for purchase after tonight’s discussion.

BIOS Wren T. Brown author of “The Family Business – Four Generations of One Black Family’s Artistic Odyssey” is an actor, producer, director, and a fourth generation Angeleno. At 17, after performing Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “An Ante-Bellum Sermon” and landing a national commercial, Wren decided to formally enter the family business.

A versatile actor with a deep melodious voice, Wren has appeared on screen “Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story,” “Beyond the Lights,” “Waiting to Exhale,” “Heart and Souls,” “Under Siege 2: Dark Territory,” “Edmond,” and “Hollywood Shuffle.” Some of Brown’s television appearances include: “Whoopi,” “Flipper: The New Adventures.”

“Bless This House,” “Half & Half,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Orville,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” “Touched by an Angel,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Transparent,” “Dear White People,” “ “Being Mary Jane,” “The Simpsons,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Frasier,” “Seinfeld,” and “A Different World.” Wren’s voice can be heard narrating: The History Channel’s “U.S.S. Constellation: Battling For Freedom,” the “E! True Hollywood Story on the life of Diana Ross and “Bronzeville,” a 1940s- era Chicago podcast.Some of his stage appearances include: “As You Like It,” “On Borrowed Time,” “Burning Hope,” and “The Gospel at Colonus.”He has directed “Fences,” “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” “Blues In the Night,” “Ain’t Misbehavin”, and “The World Goes Round.” Wren is the founder and producing artistic director of Ebony Repertory Theatre, Los Angeles’ only African American professional theatre company.

Leslie Odom, Jr. is a multifaceted Tony and Grammy Award-winning, three-time Emmy and two-time Academy Award-nominated vocalist, songwriter, actor, and New York Times bestselling author. With a career that spans all performance genres, Odom has received recognition for his excellence and achievements in Broadway, television, film, and music. Most recently, Odom made his long-awaited return to Broadway starring in, and co-producing, the new Broadway production of the classic American comedy Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch by the legendary Ossie Davis, which opened in September 2023 to widespread critical acclaim. Additionally, he stars in the highly anticipated sequel to the original iconic film The Exorcist for Blumhouse and Universal Pictures out October 6, 2023. Odom recently starred in Rian Johnson’s 2022 Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which broke records for Netflix and is currently streaming worldwide. In 2020, he starred as legendary singer Sam Cooke in the award-winning Amazon film adaptation of One Night in Miami…, directed by Regina King. His critically acclaimed and highly lauded portrayal of the soul icon and musical performance of original song “Speak Now” earned him multiple awards and nominations. He also starred in The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to David Chase’s award-winning HBO series The Sopranos, released in October 2021. Well known for his breakout role as ‘Aaron Burr’ in the smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton, Odom hosted “The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!” on CBS in September 2021 (2022 Emmy nomination). Additional film and television credits include Apple TV+’s Central Park (2020 Emmy nomination), Hamilton on Disney+ (2021 Emmy nomination), Abbott Elementary, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Love in the Time of Corona, Harriet, and many more. Co-written with Nicolette Robinson, Odom’s first children’s book, I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know, was published by Feiwel & Friends on March 28, 2023. The book debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at #7 in its first week. Odom is a BMG recording artist and has released five full-length albums. Released in November 2023, Odom’s fifth full-length album and his first of all-new original music since 2019, When A Crooner Dies, features a collection of 10 newly penned, original tracks that mark his most personal body of music to date.

Land Acknowledgement The Harlem Stage Gatehouse sits on land that was stewarded by the Lenape Tribes and was violently overtaken, leading to the death and displacement of countless original inhabitants and stewards of this land. The colonial initiative of the United States of America not only invaded the land stewarded by Indigenous tribes, it also enslaved and exploited millions of Africans stolen from their land to build a free labor force under barbaric conditions that included the separation of families, brutal beatings, rape, and lynching. Harlem Stage seeks to partner with all communities, artists, and institutions of the Global Majority in the struggle for true equity and freedom.

Harlem Stage encourages all people to see this acknowledgment as a call to action to join our efforts and our mission to ignite the artistic freedom of performing artists of the Global Majority who are poised to build new artistic works, new ideas, and a new world in which ALL people can flourish.

Our Commitment to the Planet Harlem Stage’s values are rooted in ensuring a sustainable planet. Because we see climate change as one of the most pressing issues of our time – an issue that disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities across the globe - we will continue to honor environmental initiatives both in our operations and programming. Our efforts in using less paper, transitioning to LEDs in our tech and operational spaces, and leaning into digital communications, we have reduced our carbon footprint by 2.5 tons this 2024 – 2025 season alone. Finally, we are proud to work with artists, such as Bebe Miller, who will explore the dynamic and thriving ecology of forests, as necessary to a sustainable planet, as part of our Spring 2025 E-Moves Festival.

HARLEM STAGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ronald K. Alexander Angela Glover Blackwell Jenna Bond Jamila Ponton Bragg Jamie Cannon – Vice President JoAnn K. Chase Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes Dr. Indira Etwaroo Courtney F. Lee Mitchell – President Channing Martin Larry McRae Rebecca Robertson LaChanze Sapp-Gooding Mark Thomas – Treasurer Tamara Tunie Heather Wagoner Blair Washington Michael Young – Secretary

HARLEM STAGE LEADERSHIP Dr. Indira Etwaroo, CEO & Artistic Director Deirdre May, Chief Content Communications Officer Margaret Hunt, Development Lead Jelani Buckner, Innovation Business Management Director

HARLEM STAGE TEAM Acey Anderson, Facilities and Maintenance Associate Lamont Askins, Operations Manager Katie Burk, Graphic Design Devin Cameron, Light and Projections Designer Bethany Cintron, Community, Education, and Social Initiatives Manager Franny Ruth Daleo-Clark, Content Communications & Development Intern Denzel Fields, Programming and Administrative Associate Julianna Friedman, Associate Director of Individual and Foundational Giving Deniz Kofteci, Social Media & Website Shanté Skyers, Director of Development Karlvy Smith, Strategic Planning Senior Manager Timmy Torinus, Production Intern Saúl Ulerio, Technical Director

HARLEM STAGE USHERS Julian Norales Steven Sterling Linda De La Rosa Trinity Bell Joshua Screen Andy Garcia

HARLEM STAGE TECHNICAL CREW Clarence Taylor, Shop Steward David Barrett Orlando Alvarado Julio Collado

VENDORS Das, IT Lutz & Carr/Chris Bellando, Accountants Aon/Albert G. Ruben Company (NY)/Claudia Kaufman, Insurance Dwight Johnson Design, Gala G&A Partners, Human Resources Madison Consulting Group, Matt Lawrence Manchester Benefits, Greg Martin Squire Media & Management, Public Relations Marc Millman, Photography Hollis King, Photography Ncheng, LLP Walker International Communications Group

HARLEM STAGE FAMILY OF SUPPORTERS Endowment

Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Public

National Endowment for the Arts—Chair, Maria Rosario Jackson,PhD New York State Council on the Arts—Chair, Katherine Nicholls The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs— Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner Laurie Cumbo The New York City Council—Councilmember Shaun Abreu and Councilmember Yusef Salaam Manhattan Borough President– Mark Levine Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone

Foundations

Altman Foundation Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc. Bloomberg Philanthropies Columbia Community Service Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts The Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust Ford Foundation Harkness Foundation for Dance The Hearst Foundations Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Jewish Communal Fund The Diana King Memorial Fund Presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation Lambent Foundation/Tides Foundation Lucille Lortel Foundation MacMillan Family Foundation

(Foundations continued)

Mellon Foundation Mertz Gilmore Foundation Metzger-Price Fund Miranda Family Fund The Pierre and Tana Matisse Charitable Foundation Pilot House Rockefeller Brothers Fund Ruth Foundation for the Arts The Scherman Foundation, Inc. SHS Foundation The Shubert Foundation The Thompson Family Foundation The Leonard and Robert Weintraub Family Foundation

Corporations

BET Networks Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids JoAnn Chase Company Consolidated Edison Company The Interpublic Group of Companies Manhattan Beer Distributors SESAC West Harlem Development Corporation

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT Randy Adams Lisa Arrindell Bernard Aronson L. Kelly Atkinson Jr. Roland Augustine Neal Baer Catherine Baker-Pitts Stephany and Simon Bergson Robert D. Bielecki Foundation Angela Glover Blackwell* Patricia Blanchet Richard Buery Mary Schmidt Campbell Gayle Capozzalo Geoffrey Canada William and Patrice Cannon Jamie Cannon* JoAnn Chase* Barry Cohen Paul and Caroline Cronson Hugh Dancy* and Claire Danes* Indira Etwaroo, PhD* Joni Evans and Susan Bird Laura Flanders and Elizabeth Streb Alex Gansa Stuart and Karen Gelwarg

Laura Greer Sharon Hall Ruth and Stephen Hendel Leon Henderson Kinshasha Holman Conwill William Holtzman Winnie Holzman Debra James John Josephson and Carolina Zapf Simon Kahn Jenette Kahn Michael Kantrow Michael Kenny James King Steven Kirkpatrick Daniel Klaus Brad Learmonth and Jon Gilman Courtney F. Lee-Mitchell* Kenny Leon Paul Levitz and Jeanette Cusimano Jim Lewis Loida Lewis Jeanine Liburd Karen Lipkind Carey Lovelace Richard Massey Gay McDougall Sherman and Chris Meloni

John Metzner Kelly Myers Lynn Nottage Estelle Parsons Richard D. Parsons Marguerite Pitts Will Pitts Stan Ponte Maxine and John Potts Adam Richman Dee Dee Ricks Golda Rosheuvel Terri Prettyman Bowles Rebecca Robertson* Gretchen and Jamie Rubin Judy Rubin Ted Snowdon and Duffy Violante Beth and Jason Spector Mark Thomas* Teri & Lloyd Trotter Tamara Tunie Reginald Van Lee Blair Washington* Carrie Mae Weems Fran and Barry Weissler Greg Williamson Carol Wood Moore Michael Young*

*Board Members The above list reflects gifts received between July 1, 2024 and January 23, 2025. 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 Individual and Foundational Giving, Julianna Friedman at jfriedman@harlemstage.org

MAJOR GIFTS Altman Foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies Ford Foundation The Hearst Foundations Howard Gilman Foundation Jewish Communal Fund The Diana King Memorial Fund Presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation Lambent Foundation/Tides Foundation Mellon Foundation Pilot House The Thompson Family Foundation The Leonard and Robert Weintraub Family Foundation

The above list reflects gifts of $100,000 and above. Donations under $99,999 are greatly appreciated but not classified as a Major Gift at Harlem Stage. If your name has been omitted or misprinted, please accept our apologies and contact, Associate Director of Individual and Foundational Giving, Julianna Friedman at jfriedman@harlemstage.org

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