HS_BookSigning_Playbill_R4 by Harlem Stage

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.

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