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
ABOUT TRUTH BE TOLD
Harlem Stage’s Educating Endlessly Program expands access to transformative arts education for young people across New York City and the nation, creating spaces where students engage with professional artists, develop their own creative voice, and explore the role of the arts in economic development and shaping civic life.
The Harlem Stage Truth Be Told Story Lab is part of this program.
In an era when injustice continues to cast its long shadow, our most vulnerable communities, voices of color, women, the poor, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community are often politicized, policed, and silenced. The Harlem Stage Truth Be Told Story Lab offers middle school, high school and college students a space to write themselves into existence, transforming lived experience into powerful expressions of identity, resistance, agency, and truth.
Now in its second year, Truth Be Told returns as an immersive four-week afterschool residency in partnership with the Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing and Visual Arts. The program invites students to claim authorship of their stories, while illuminating the intersections of culture, memory, and imagination. Workshops, informed by the NYC DOE Blueprints for Teaching and Learning in the Arts, foster an environment where students explore the histories shaping their lives, confront narratives rooted in hate and bias, and reimagine what belonging and justice can look like for themselves and their communities.
“ Truth Be Told reflects Harlem Stage’s belief that young people are not only the artists of tomorrow, but the storytellers of today,” stated Bethany Cintron, Associate Director of the education and Community Outreach Program at Harlem Stage. “Through our Educating Endlessly Program, we provide students with the tools, mentorship, and creative space to transform their experiences into powerful stories that challenge injustice, celebrate identity, and amplify voices too often unheard.”
Throughout the residency, students develop original written works that culminate in a collaborative public performance at Harlem Stage. The Harlem Stage Truth Be Told Story Lab embodies Harlem Stage’s commitment to cultivate the next generation of writers and artists and to celebrate the power of storytelling to set untold stories free.
This program is made possible in part through support from the Cultural AfterSchool Adventures (CASA) program, a New York City Council initiative administered by the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA).
11th Grade, Visual Arts Major
11th Grade, Visual Arts Major
David Gonzalez
Leanna Smith
Juvanique Henriquez 12th Grade, Dance Major, Truth Be Told Inaugural Member
Evalisse Lopez 11th Grade, Theater Major
Audriana Lund 11th Grade, Dance Major
Ashly Marte-Mora 11th Grade, Theater Major
Zialeeh Aviles 11th Grade, Vocal Major
ARTISTIC TEAM
Indira Etwaroo Director | CEO & Artistic Director at Harlem Stage
Dr. Indira Etwaroo, an award-winning producer, director, scholar, and arts and culture executive who has worked across the world to create and build multiplatform spaces and original content that represent the diversity of the globe and lead towards institutional thrivability and equity, while lifting up the voices of underrepresented communities. Her most recent tenure was as the Inaugural Director of the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple in California, driving innovation and collaboration across the company.
Dr. Etwaroo led the efforts for the strategic design and fundraising for the first-ever national strategic initiative for Black theaters, The Black Seed, which pushed $10.5 Million dollars into the Black Theater field from 2021-2023. She also served as the Inaugural Executive for the Chadwick Boseman Foundation. Dr. Etwaroo led the Off-Broadway Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn, awarded the Presidential Medal of the Arts for the artistic social justice work in 2020-2021 under her executive leadership. She led the theater through radical growth as its Executive Artistic Director: more than doubling the audience, increasing revenue by 212%, and producing groundbreaking content that won the AUDELCO Award for Best Play of the Year four years in a row under her tenure. She also led efforts to create the first Black Lives Matter mural in NY and the keepsake book in 2020 in response to the disproportionate killings and injustices of Black people in the U.S. and across the world.
Dr. Etwaroo was a major force for content innovation and inclusion in the public media field, as the Founding Executive Producer and Director of The Greene Space in NYC where she conceptualized the first-of-its kind multiplatform space in the nation, presenting content on air on WNYC and digitally via live video streaming with a multi-camera mix in 2009 in front of a live studio audience; and as the Founding Executive Producer of NPR Presents, the global live events platform to bring live, on-air and online content to audiences across the world. Indira’s work at BAM developed educational and humanities’ content that leveraged BAM’s adven- turous MainStage work. Dr. Etwaroo has been a professor of graduate studies at Temple University and at NYU, designing and teaching the course Leading Performing Arts Institutions in the 21st Century. She is a proud Board Member of The New Press.
Arden Altino
Musical
Sound Score
Born in Brooklyn, and raised in Jamaica Queens, New York, Arden Altino is a Grammy Award winning Musician Keyboardist and Composer. Altino’s Haitian roots and close-knit family influenced his career path and was instrumental in developing him into the artist that he is today. Arden Altino has traveled worldwide touring with artists such as, Grammy Winner Wyclef Jean, Melissa Etheridge, Akon, and many more A-list Celebrities. As a (Musician) Music Producer, Mr. Altino has also worked with the likes of Justin Bieber, Busta Rhymes; Multi Platinum Award Winning Artists Alicia Keys, Mary J Blige Diddy and many more. Arden aka Ar-Keyz is the owner of “Altino Music Inc”. He is currently working with famous Music Producer Jerry Wonda & Platinum Sound Recordings Studio and also has the pleasure to currently work with The Great Director Indira Etwaroo with Harlem Stage Family.
Bethany Cintron
Teaching Artist | Education and Community Outreach Manager at Harlem Stage As the Associate Director of Community, Education, and Social Initiatives at Harlem Stage, Bethany works closely with CEO & Artistic Director Dr. Indira Etwaroo to expand and strengthen arts education opportunities for young people across West Harlem and New York City. In her role, she implements programs that connect students with professional artists, immersive performances, and creative learning experiences that center culture, identity, and civic engagement. With a strong background in arts education and community partnership, Bethany is dedicated to amplifying youth voices and supporting pathways for the next generation of artists and cultural leaders.
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
Courtney Lee-Mitchell | President
Mark Thomas | Vice President
Larry McRae | Treasurer and Chair of Finance & Audit Committee
Michael Young | Secretary
Ronald K. Alexander
Angela Glover Blackwell, Chair of Development Committee
Jamila Ponton Bragg
Hugh Dancy & Claire Danes
Dr. Indira Etwaroo
Channing Martin
Tamara Tunie
Heather Wagoner
Blair Washington, Chair of Nomination & Governance Committee
Alisha Johnson Wilder & Todd Wilder
In Memoriam
JoAnn Chase, Former Board President (2019-2021) and Board Member (2016 - 2026)
LEADERSHIP ADVISORY CIRCLE
Denise Young, Inaugural Chair
Gabrielle Armand
Karen Brooks-Hopkins
Shirleena Celestine
Kenny Leon
Wendell Pierce
Voza Rivers
HARLEM STAGE TEAM
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dr. Indira Etwaroo, CEO & Artistic Director
Deirdre May, Chief Impact Officer
Asili Johnson, Administrative Impact Associate
CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
COMMUNICATIONS TEAM
George T. Gary III, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Katie Burk, Graphic Designer
Nina Flowers, Public Relations
Deniz Kofteci, Digital Media Manager
Hollis King, Photography
Jordan Morales, Marketing & Programming Associate
Walker International Communications Group
DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Karlvy Smith, Development Lead
Julianna Friedman, Associate Director of Development
Margaret Hunt, Development Consultant
Dwight Johnson Design, Gala Consultant
FACILITIES, OPERATIONS & IT TEAM
Acey Anderson, Director of Facilities
Lamont Askins, Senior Manager of Operations & IT
ACONA Real Estate Advisors
Das, IT
FINANCE TEAM
Martha Samuel, Director of Finance
Lutz & Carr/Chris Bellando, Accountants
Aon/Albert G. Ruben Company (NY)/Laurie Rojas, Insurance
G&A Partners, Human Resources
Madison Consulting Group, Matt Lawrence
PEOPLE & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Shawna Bean, Director of People & Public Affairs
CoMadre Communications
PROGRAMMING & PRODUCTION TEAM
Devin Cameron, Light & Projections Designer
Bethany Cintron, Associate Director, Community, Education, & Social Initiatives
Local One: Clarence Taylor (Shop Steward) and David Barrett
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
