TruthBeTold Playbill Single Pages

TRUTH BE TOLD Harlem Stage Story Lab

Thu, Mar 19, 2026

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).

STORYTELLERS

Leanna Smith 11th Grade, Visual Arts Major

David Gonzalez 11th Grade, Visual Arts Major

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 Zenzele Daniels, Programming & Production Manager Denzel Fields, Senior Manager Programming & Partnerships Jorge Rosario, Costume Designer & Wardrobe Supervisor 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

harlemstage.org