About Harlem Stage Truth Be Told: Story Lab
In an era when injustice continues to cast its long shadow, Truth Be Told: Harlem Stage Story Lab offers a sanctuary for high school students to write themselves into existence—transforming their lived experiences into profound expressions of power, resistance, and truth. This writing residency is more than a creative exercise; it is a call to action, an invitation to shape narratives that have too often been silenced or erased. Truth Be Told is a writing residency that creates space for students to explore the delicate interplay of identity, history, and personal story, to confront the complexities of identity and belonging through the written and spoken word.
Over three weeks, students have crafted original stories inspired by their real experiences in America and aspirations for a future where all people can flourish. With guidance from renowned teaching artists, participants have gained skills in writing, storytelling, stage presence, and collaboration.
Grade 10
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School
MELANIE CASTROVIEJO
Throughout my childhood, I was told that my parents will always know what’s best for me. But as I grow, I realize that “what’s best for me” isn’t exactly me at all. I would want to pursue my true passion, but my mom would say being a doctor is the better option. I may want to be with this specific person, but I’m way too afraid of what my family would think. It could even be a simple disagreement, but of course, I’m always wrong and they’re always right. And even though I don’t agree, I would still nod my head and smile like it was the best idea I’ve ever heard.
But why is that? Why do we risk wasting our one life reaching for something that doesn’t remotely pique our interest? You should be able to follow your dreams, not theirs. As long as you hold fast to your beliefs and values, then the only expectations you should live up to are your own. So if you feel like something isn’t right, you have the power to change it.
Grade 9
Wadleigh Secondary School For The Performing & Visual Arts
Um, hello…
Hello?
Younger self,
I see you. I hear you. I got you.
In the dim lights of every room, you appear. On a blank piece of paper, I write you in blue shapes. Bathe you. Made you. Embrace you. Guide you like a butterfly sprouting from its cocoon.
I thought I would say hello, Inner Child. I will say you are stronger than you think.
In a blink of an eye, You don’t know it yet, but You will know things like Heartbreak from family, friends, and even relationships Can change your way of thinking about life itself. The times I stepped into my room…Sleepless nights. Mentally, physically drained. Trying to meet up to society’s standards. It’s like riding a bike with no pedals. From not being understood by people who are around me,
Not having the words to speak my truth.
Now
I said now, you will, baby girl. You are creation itself. You will be seen outside of the scars.
In the spaces that feel negative. You didn’t deserve the sorrow that others gave you. The blames in the dark that had a bad effect on you— But didn’t break you. What really defines you.
One of many steps: healing my inner child.
Hello…
Older self?
I understand the peace that resides in our eyes. Our upcoming.
I got you. I see you. I hear you.
Grade 10
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School
Imagine a world where everyone can achieve success and have no worries.
I wonder what that world looks like…
How people would react to a world like that.
I think of various ways of making that dream a reality.
Do I go outside of Washington D.C. and protest?
Do I go on the news and try to make the world be aware of my goal?
Do you think that is possible!?
What would the United States be!?
Would it equal world peace?
It’s like when a baby takes its first steps into this world, It will never be forgotten.
It leaves a warm feeling that ends up developing into words.
Then you don’t even realize, now you’re in elementary school, getting marks.
Feeling happy and unbothered, you enter a new scene in life:
Middle school.
It throws adversity at you, but you never give up, Taking you one step closer to your big goal of getting to graduate, Which makes you become a man.
But parental pressure starts to overwhelm you. The need to maintain a standard is too much, Which makes you feel lost.
But you need to hold onto that belief of HOPE.
Horizons come in many different shapes and can carry various meanings.
They are not limited in scope.
“Valleys represent a journey through life’s challenges and hardships.”
Grade 11
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School
Breaking free means pushing yourself out of the bubble you and cultural norms created and limited yourself to. It could be as simple as a cocoon changing into a butterfly. The cocoon symbolizes resistance, self-doubt, insecurities, worry, and anxiety. So that when the time comes, you break free and hatch into a butterfly—becoming admirable, dauntless, victorious, extraordinary, and nurturing. Once you let go of what’s holding you back and take a grasp of your independence, you realize you shouldn’t just reach your goals, but you should surpass them. Push yourself to excel and thrive off of independence and adventures. Allowing yourself to become independent lets you discover a new perspective of life. You’re no longer a caterpillar because you left your garden and came back as a new being. So, like a butterfly, when people leave environments that restrict them, they often grow into a new person with a new perspective.
BRIELLE YOUMAN
Grade 9
Wadleigh Secondary School For The Performing & Visual Arts
Dear Nugget, Friend. We lose and gain some in life. The feeling of being without one is something I don’t want you to experience. But you will. This experience won’t corrupt you in any kind of way, but it will cause you some challenges.
Nugget, I had a best friend, but we had to go our separate ways. The word “best friend” is someone who finishes your sentences for you. They light up your day even when it’s upside down. When I got to my new school, I met someone quite like us. You would be so excited to meet her—until we broke off. We hung out daily, tried new foods. She even helped me step out of my comfort zone.
When she left, Nugget, we experienced loneliness like never before. Nugget, don’t be alarmed, because I found hope. I found my freedom with a person I could talk with—a person who has made me feel safe, warm, comforted, and surrounded by a trusting energy when I’m around them. They make me feel new in everything I do when I’m with them.
The way we hurt, Nugget, wasn’t our fault. We grow and learn every day as we get older. My best friend helped us start fresh in how I carry and represent myself.
In ten years, you will realize how strong and enduring you are, and I can’t wait until you meet this person, Nugget.
Grade 12
Wadleigh Secondary School For
The Performing & Visual Arts
Hey you, don’t look at me with those precious, confused, and disturbed eyes that you carry on that angelic face of yours.
Yes, you, little Aisha. I’m talking to you.
To you. Yes, I’m you, the 12-years-later version of you. I just want to let you know that I come with good intentions.
You are loved dearly by Mami and your sisters. These scary experiences will all be over soon. You are not a weak girl. Trust me, you are so strong for enduring what you don’t even know yet.
Because I care about you, I want to warn you. Soon you will see your father’s true colors — just months after your 6th birthday. He will stop being gentle toward you, Mami, and your sisters, and instead become hostile and aggressive.
Your perspective on him will completely change in an instant. You will no longer see him as a protector, but as a threat. A monster. Eventually, you won’t even consider him a father. Just someone you used to know, creeping around in your sweet life.
You will start blaming yourself for things that were never yours to carry.
You will feel the guilt of wishing you had told someone sooner about what Dad was doing to our family behind closed doors.
Little Aisha, don’t carry that blame anymore. It’s not your fault. It’s not you. It’s him. You shouldn’t have been in that situation. No child should.
Your tears, your anger, your fear — they are all normal. Any 6-year-old would feel that way. You don’t deserve a life like that.
You deserve better. You always have. You will cry and hide. You will feel the pressure to keep going, for yourself, for Mami, for your sisters. You’ll feel like you’re their only hope and savior.
But don’t worry too much. Mami and your sisters will always be with you, no matter what. And you can always escape to your safe places — your coloring book, your toys, that very special playground. Even now, you still turn to your brush to paint away the bad thoughts. You haven’t been to that playground in a while, but you still go outside when things get hard. I want you to know that you’re smart and resilient.
You always defend Mami and your dear sisters. That shows how courageous you are.
You are you. That will never change.
So look into my eyes with those pretty, curious eyes, and promise me this: You will remain the toughest girl you already are. You will always stand your ground and make your voice heard. I promise you that this time, you will not be alone. I’ll be right here, and we will face this together.
Don’t worry, my dear Aisha.
Soon, you, Mami, and your sisters will be in a much better place.
And this time, the tears you cry will be tears of joy —not hopelessness.
MOHAMED RAHIMEE
Grade 11
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School
I’ve experienced so much, and I will continue to experience so much more.
I’ll climb the mountain, reaching for the peak. My legs believe in where they’ll go, while my mind feigns ignorance.
I reach a peak, realizing I must climb another. The cycle repeats as I believe in a horizon, for I know I am but nothing without one.
I climb my hardest peak, through the coldest winter and the steepest slope.
I realize my horizon is behind me.
IZZY RODRIGUES
Grade 12
Wadleigh Secondary School For
The Performing & Visual Arts
Dear Love, I’m in love with you. I love receiving you and giving you, sharing you with others. You have a strong effect on people. You’re arguably one of the most powerful emotions a human or animal can experience. You can battle hate and negativity and win. You’re what this world needs, especially nowadays.
But as much as I love you, you can also be incredibly painful, Love. You drive people to do, say, and feel things even when they don’t want to. My best friend, Jayson, although I always referred to him as my brother, was an amazing person. He was caring, kind, and he always had my back. I love him so much. He was an important part of me. So the day he was shot dead by these despicable boys, all I could feel was my heart being torn apart, piece by piece. Now I will forever feel the lingering pain of losing my brother.
You still make me hold some kind of love for my father, even though I despise the narcissistic, ignorant, selfish empty shell of a man, as well as the father he is today. You drive me to love and love hard, and now I’m dealing with the pain of someone I love loving another. Out of my love-driven desperation, I keep texting him, thinking about him, crying about him, and I can’t seem to let go because I so desperately want to love him.
But despite all that, I still love you. Yes, you’ve hurt me, Love, but it’s okay. Because out of love, I will keep striving to make my brother Jayson proud, because he believed in me. My love for him motivates me. And yes, I will keep holding love for my father, because if I didn’t, that would mean letting hate win. And yes, I will keep loving and loving hard, even if it causes my heart to break time and time again, because I will find my one. The one that truly loves me and everything that I am.
You see, Love, I will constantly win over hate and heartbreak because the positivity of you will drive me to. So I will keep loving even if it’s painful. Because without you, Love, who knows how far gone this world would be. How far gone I would be. You are so deeply rooted in my very soul from the day I was born.
So I guess what I really want to say is thank you. Thank you for allowing me to see, Love.
AVRIL “ASH” GARCIA
Grade 9
Wadleigh Secondary School For The Performing & Visual Arts
Verse 1:
Loud barking at the doorway, There we stand Me and you.
We’re oceans apart, it’s my fault. We are broken Me and you.
Chorus:
I really wanted to take it, The death of our sisterhood. At first, I didn’t feel it hit, But you’re a constant in her neighborhood. Oh—woah.
Take my heart, Squeeze it apart.
I know, I know, I know You love her so Take what you need To keep loving me.
Verse 2:
Your words are dull, Yet they cut sharp. Drifted apart. Your gentle hands that once held me Won’t so much as graze me. We’ve drifted apart.
Oh.
Chorus (reprise):
I can’t take it
The death of our sisterhood. I won’t make it. We’re meant to be flesh and blood. Rip my heart, Tear it apart.
I know, I know, I know what’s true You’re what’s special to me, And she’s what’s special to you.
Grade 10
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School
TRISTAN HAMILTON
I start to sing…
Have we forgotten the music we made together in the schoolyard?
Hands clapping, feet stomping
Back then, there was no limit to our words, Just the bright rainbows of our song.
I start to sing, but then the record skips; Warped by rules that don’t exist.
If I sing into the silence you wish could replace my voice,
Will it still be there: the black or white choice?
Dostoevsky and Kafka, I shall not read, A curious mind I shall not breed. Chopin and Beethoven, I shall not learn Forbidden sheet music, found and burnt.
Songs sung in a chapel, proud and free, Paintings on the wall these angels don’t look like me.
I start to sing and the stylus moves; I think Ms. Simone would surely approve. If I sing and you try to eclipse my voice, I will refuse to make the black or white choice. Baldwin and Shakespeare, I’ll read at the same time, And wait for your judges to read me my crimes.
Jazz and classics on the same piano
The keys will ask, “Black or white woe?”
For how long will you find me unholy?
Hear this today I want to sing only.
SIMON
Grade 9
Wadleigh Secondary School For
The Performing & Visual Arts
OMANI
I love you…even when I say I don’t. I try to convince myself it’s just an obsession, but the truth is, I felt deeply attached to you. I used to admire the best parts of you—especially when you were happy with me. I loved seeing you smile. I liked making you laugh. I enjoyed our random conversations. I get soft around you. There’s a pull I can’t explain.
I know we argue more than we should, and I hate how often it happens. It hurts. You make me feel like everything is my fault, so I try to avoid doing anything that might upset you…even if it means not sharing how I feel. I talk to my friends instead, but you don’t want me to. You don’t even want me to mention it. You want me to be yours completely, as if no one else should matter. Yet you have your friends…
I listen. I follow. I jump when you say jump. But then I pause and wonder: why? Why do I keep giving so much while receiving so little? You make me question everything. My thoughts, my emotions, my worth. Still, there are moments when you’re sweet. The smallest words from you feel like a lifeline. I know I can be emotional, even difficult. You say I change for no reason, but there are reasons, you just don’t see them.
I loved you. That’s hard to admit because no one else has made me feel quite like this. I believed in you. I tried to support you. But now I’m asking myself how much longer.
I think it’s time. Time to let go. Not just of you, but of the version of myself that clung to what we had. Because you’re no longer good for me…just like you say I’m no longer good for you.
So this is goodbye.
JUVANIQUE HENRIQUEZ
Grade 9
Wadleigh Secondary School For
The Performing & Visual Arts
Who knew how different your life would be now?
Growing up changed everything. You used to be this playful, loving, joyful kid who lit up every room—and that part of you is still there. But somewhere along the way, you made some choices, even though you struggled to understand them.
You thought you’d always stay in your beautiful home in the Bahamas forever. The heat, the quiet feeling that nothing would ever change. But no, we moved to New York. You weren’t just moving to a new city, you were stepping into a new life that didn’t feel like yours.
Leaving wasn’t easy. It’s a day I’ll never forget. When I moved, everything felt so different and unfamiliar, the streets, the way people talked, the food. The weather wasn’t the only thing that was cold.
Maybe one day, I’ll return, not just to the Bahamas, but to that bubbly, talkative, outgoing version of me. Despite everything that has ever happened in your life, you grew up to be a beautiful, mature young lady with so much going for herself. Your heart is still just as big, regardless of all the pain.
ALBERYS ANTIGUA
Grade 9
Wadleigh Secondary School For
The Performing & Visual Arts
My love, my dear love, you hurt me, but I still love you. I want you to know that I try to forget that feeling, but you make it hard. You confuse my heart, and I wonder if you feel the same. Before I met you, I didn’t feel this way for anyone. Never. But you came into my life, and suddenly I felt butterflies in my stomach. I wonder why.
Why you? Why do you make me feel this way?
¿Por qué tú?
Out of all the people—you, with your curly hair and your smile.
¿Por qué tú?
I feel safe when I’m with you, but also weak. I don’t know if you feel the same, but I do. Every crazy thing you do is like a shot of espresso por la mañana. You do so many things that make me happy when I’m sad, calm when I’m mad, and full when I’m empty. For that, I thank you.
But I have to let you go. For my health, for yours. We need to take different paths. Even though we remain friends, I need to heal this pain.
Adiós, mi amor.
ABDEL BAMOGO
Grade 10
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School
Every setback can lead to triumph.
As I set out on my golden path, I think to myself…
Where am I going?
What is my purpose?
Who am I?
Will I reach that so-called pinnacle of perfection that doesn’t exist?
Will I meet my parents’ expectations, their dreams, and goals born from sacrifice?
I hope so.
I am living testimony to my destiny and their dreams.
I’ve been cherished.
We’ve been opposed.
We’ve been challenged.
I’ve been told I will succeed
But yet I fall and fail.
So what becomes success?
Success is an illusion, a mirage of perfection, Built on achievements that often feel like illusions.
“La haine se transforme en dalle, la dalle se transforme en réussite
J’casse sans peine mais des fois, j’ai mal, un peu gêné, y a tout l’monde qui me félicite” — Ninho
The sadness, guilt, and gratitude I carry from my parents’ struggles and my environment only fuel my hunger to succeed.
I am on my golden path to becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
This hunger teaches me:
Every setback can be turned into triumph.
A caterpillar turns into a butterfly.
A cub turns into a lion.
A girl turns into a queen.
A boy turns into a king.
As humans, we need challenges to grow. We need enzymes, substrates, and other biological catalysts to spark chemical reactions.
Enzymes are our teachers and mentors.
Biological catalysts are our family, friends, and bonds. Chemical reactions are our dreams transforming into reality.
And systems are our success.
We all live different lives and stories, so no one should be prohibited from sharing their own.
I am on my golden path.
Grade 9
Wadleigh Secondary School For
The Performing & Visual Arts
Dear Ella, I miss the days when it was just you, Cata, and me, greeting each other in the morning, hanging out, talking about life while slurping ramen. Listening to the birds in the trees and feeling the breeze. I felt at peace.
Then came those people you called your friends, the ones who made you cry and feel guilty for all the selfish things they wanted from you. At first, I didn’t really acknowledge it, but the stories you told me started to pile up, and I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Yet on the days I wasn’t there for you, you did nothing about what they were doing. You just said, “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” That made me so angry. You were NOT fine, and you deserved so much better than that.
Every time you greeted them with a smile, all I felt was anger. Not at you, but at how you were taking it. There came a breaking point for me; I had to get away from all of that. So I left you.
Sure, it was fun hanging out with others, but no one was as caring as you. No one gave me the hope and peace that you did. I wanted that back so badly that I tried so hard to get into your school. And then, I did. I did it! My hard work paid off.
Now I’m looking forward to next year, when we’ll have more time to work on ourselves and create new memories.
Ella, you are exactly what I need in my community, in my heart.
ADELINA GARCIA
Grade 9
Wadleigh Secondary School For The Performing & Visual Arts
Dear old lover, Our early days were the happiest I ever was. Or so I thought. Then things changed. You started acting irrationally and aggressively. You got upset when I didn’t do as you said, and you left me alone, desperately trying to cling to any little bit of love you left behind.
When you came back, I was happy, of course. But I knew it wasn’t going to last—by the way you acted with her, the way you claimed to love me, the way you were around me. Yet, when I had a bit of hope, you left again. But this time, I wasn’t sad…I was relieved.
My mental health went down a rabbit hole when you were around. I picked myself up, made new friends, and found someone who actually cares and loves me in ways I’ve never felt before. He’s sweet, unlike you, and understands me.
I’m happy you say we’re cool, and I guess we are. But you’re not my concern anymore. I love you so much, but now I’m moving on fully. I’m letting you go.
Goodbye, my lost love.
—Love, Lina
A. Philip Randolph Campus High School
I change for you, like Barbie changes careers. I work, I try, I’ve bled myself dry. Hurt, hearts, and empty promises But still, I have faith we can change.
Maybe it’s the fear of the same old issues, Or maybe it’s the fear of you. But maybe one day we’ll start anew.
Maybe one day we’ll open a new chapter, Or maybe the fear will stay.
Maybe the fear will swallow us whole, But someday, I have faith we’ll change. Become new people and try again Like snakes shedding skin, Starting fresh, becoming new.
I expect you to brush my hair, hold me close, To do my makeup, dress me up
But instead, you burn me with your words, Hurt my heart, and still…
I have hope you’ll become my expectation, Instead of betraying the hope I have in you.
LISA RODRIGUEZ
Grade 9
Wadleigh Secondary School For
The Performing & Visual Arts
Do you see this room? This small, crowded bedroom? It cannot fit you and your brothers. It cannot contain you. I am you…ten years into your future.
In two years, when you’re seven, you won’t live here anymore—in this cold, crowded, yet lonely shelter. You will move to a real place, a warm apartment in Harlem, surrounded by family.
But I’m not here to tell you about that. I’m here to share my truth. Our truth. The truth about who you are and what you will do.
In our future, we are artists, capable of telling thousands of words through pictures and symbols. Happiness, grief, silence.
Silence. The one we know best.
Silent as our parents argued in the car while our father drove down the highway. Silent as we drew, while our elementary school friends played a short distance away. Silent as we sat in our bedroom, watching hours pass, believing that we were the problem.
You will face hardship, but never let go of the crayons in your hand. We are going to achieve amazing things. We will become artists capable of expressing that loneliness better than we can now.
More importantly, we will express our truth. OUR TRUTH.
We will make people proud. We just have to set our mind to it.
And we have.
Teaching Artists
LISA ARRINDELL
Lisa Arrindell is an actor, writer, educator, and director from Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts and The Juilliard School. Her most recent credits include Albany Road, starring Lynn Whitfield, now available on Amazon Prime, Watson on CBS, and Favorite Son Christmas on BET. She is best known for her role as Vanessa in Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion and for her performance in the Law & Order episode titled “Disabled.” Lisa serves as the resident acting coach on the hit Starz television series P-Valley
Beyond her acting career, Lisa is passionate about health and wholeness, inspiring and educating aspiring performing artists. She teaches theater students who are deeply curious about pursuing a career in the performing arts and is on staff at The Freeman Studio and The Billie Holiday Theatre’s Youth Arts Academy in New York City. Most importantly, she is the joyful mother of two stunning, loving, highly creative, and intelligent human beings.
MICHAEL CHENEVERT
Michael Chenevert is a seasoned actor, playwright, and educator whose work spans film, television, and theater. A member of SAG-AFTRA, AEA, and the Dramatists Guild, Michael has performed in acclaimed series like Terror Lake Drive, Godfather of Harlem, Law & Order: SVU, Boardwalk Empire, The Equalizer, and New Amsterdam. His film credits include lead roles in Mourning Meal, Soul Mates, and The Tombs.
On stage, Michael has captivated audiences in A Raisin in the Sun, Flying West, The Rembrandt, Clyde’s, Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing, and his original one-man show An Adam Experiment, based on the life of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. He has performed at top regional theaters including Arkansas Repertory Theatre, TheaterWorks Hartford, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and the Billie Holiday Theatre.
Michael holds a BFA from the University of Detroit Mercy and trained at The Lir Academy at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, as well as Susan Batson Studio and the Barrow Group in New York.
In addition to acting, Michael teaches high school students and performing artists how to write and perform their own stories, helping emerging voices discover their power through performance.
Photos of students by Hollis King
Harlem Stage Supporters
Thanks to the dedication and generosity of our Harlem Stage supporters, we are able to set untold stories free from across the globe and tell these stories to communities around the corner and around the world. We especially want to thank:
The Supporters of Harlem Stage’s 2024 –2025 Season, including:
The Diana King Memorial Fund Presented by the Charles and Lucille King Family, Ford Foundation, Lambent Foundation/Tides Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Thompson Family Foundation, Jewish Communal Fund, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Altman Foundation, Leonard and Robert Weintraub Family Fund, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Samuels Foundation, Hearst Foundations, Jerome Foundation, West Harlem Development Corporation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, MacMillan Family Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Francena T Harrison Foundation Trust, Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts, Con Edison, Miranda Family Fund, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Columbia Community Service, Lucille Lortel Foundation, TDF TAP Plus, and Metzger-Price Fund, Inc.
Additional support is provided, in part, by public funds from the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, Mark Levine; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and Commissioner Laurie Cumbo; City Councilmembers Shaun Abreu (District 7) and Yusef Salaam (District 9); New York State Council on the Arts and Executive Director, Erika Mallin with the support of the Office of the New York State Governor, Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Harlem Stage established the endowment in 1999 with a leadership gift from the visionary family foundation, The Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund and its MLDauray Arts Initiative. The endowment continues to serve as a critical support for Harlem Stage, providing the financial support to sustain and grow the Frances Davis Arts Education Program, Educating Endlessly, which has reached hundreds of thousands of students and life-long learners over Harlem Stage’s 42-year history.
HARLEM STAGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ronald K. Alexander
JoAnn K. Chase
Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes
Dr. Indira Etwaroo
Angela Glover Blackwell
Alisha Johnson Wilder and Todd Wilder
LaChanze
Courtney F. Lee Mitchell – President
Channing Martin
Larry McRae
Jamila Ponton Bragg
Rebecca Robertson
Mark Thomas – Vice President
Tamara Tunie
Heather Wagoner
Blair Washington
Michael Young – Secretary
HARLEM STAGE TEAM
Dr. Indira Etwaroo, CEO & Artistic Director
CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
COMMUNICATIONS TEAM
Deirdre May, Chief Content
Communications Officer
Theodora Kuslan, Senior Director of Marketing
Katie Burk, Graphic Designer
Deniz Kofteci, Digital Media Manager
Hollis King, Photography
Nina Flowers, Public Relations
Squire Media & Management, Public Relations
Walker International Communications Group
PROGRAMMING & PRODUCTION TEAM
Miriam Sierra, Director of Programming & Production
Saúl Ulerio, Technical Director
Bethany Cintron, Community, Education, & Social Initiatives Manager
Devin Cameron, Light & Projections Designer
Denzel Fields, Programming & Administrative Associate
Zenzele Daniels, Institutional Volunteer
DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Karlvy Smith, Director of Institutional Development
Julianna Friedman, Associate Director of Institutional Development
Danielle Reydon, Development Associate
Margaret Hunt, Development Consultant
Dwight Johnson Design, Gala Consultant
OPERATIONS & FINANCE TEAM
Jelani Buckner, Innovations Business Management Director
Martha Samuel, Director of Finance
Acey Anderson, Facilities & Maintenance Manager
Lamont Askins, Operations Manager
Jordan Morales, Facilities & Maintenance Associate
Das, IT
Lutz & Carr/Chris Bellando, Accountants
Aon/Albert G. Ruben Company (NY)/Claudia
Kaufman, Insurance
G&A Partners, Human Resources
Madison Consulting Group, Matt Lawrence
Ncheng, LLP