Our mission matters... to ignite the artistic freedom of performing artists of the Global Majority (85% of the global population) who are poised 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
Uptown Nights is a mecca for bold works and ideas with thought leaders, musicians, and spoken word artists.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9
World Premiere of “Hear Us”
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10
An Evening with Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11
An Evening with James Brandon Lewis
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12
An Evening with Liza Jessie Peterson + Hannah Lemmons
UPTOWN NIGHTS FESTIVAL
AN EVENING WITH DENISE YOUNG AND THE WORLD PREMIERE OF “HEAR US”
Wed, Oct 9 at 7pm ET | Harlem Stage
Running Time: 90 mins
Harlem Stage CEO & Artistic Director, Dr. Indira Etwaroo sits down with Denise Young to share Young’s heartfelt story of one of the first and few women of color to reach the C-suite in Silicon Valley. Young’s acclaimed work “When We Are Seen,” inspired this season’s theme.
This event marks the premiere of multidisciplinary artist Hollis King’s photographic exhibit Tadj (“Crown” in Swahili) where regality meets eclecticism to illuminate Black dignity and humanity.
The evening concludes with the World Premiere of “Hear Us,” with haunting melodies and driving rhythms, inspired by the work of Sonia Sanchez and created by a performing artist collective of award-winning artists, Arden “Keyz” Altino (Grammy Platinum Awarded Musician and Producer); Mumu Fresh (Grammy-nominated singer, MC, songwriter, and activist); Justina Miles (deaf artist and performer with Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show); James “Biscuit” Rouse (award-winning drummer and musical director for renowned artists, such as Lauryn Hill, Vivian Green, and Syleena Johnson); Divinity Roxx (Grammy-nominated musician, recording artist, composer and music director for Beyoncé); and Carl Hancock Rux (award-winning poet, playwright, novelist, essayist and recording artist).
After more than a two-decade career at Apple in a series of executive roles, including the company’s first Black Chief of Human Resources and first VP of Inclusion and Diversity, Denise Young then served for three years as executive-in-residence at Cornell Tech in New York City. Denise has been named a “Most Powerful Woman” by Black Enterprise , an Ebony “Power 100,” and one of the “100 Most Influential in Silicon Valley” by Business Insider, and she has been featured in Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women” issue. She currently advises organizations on culture, leadership, and inclusive environments. A practicing performing and recording artist, Denise is an advocate for artists, for living a creative life, and for the unleashing of all that can happen when we see and are seen.
Dr. Indira Etwaroo, award-winning producer, director, scholar, and arts executive, creates artistic incubators of the future for multiplatform global stories. Etwaroo is the newly-appointed CEO & Artistic Director of Harlem Stage, the internationally influential NY institution that ignites the artistic freedom of artists of the Global Majority. She previously served as the Inaugural Director of the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple in California, driving the venue’s strategy for global launches, events at Apple Park, and original multiplatform content rooted in Apple’s values. Etwaroo led the OffBroadway Billie Holiday Theatre, as its Executive Artistic Director, awarded the Presidential Medal of the Arts during her leadership tenure. Etwaroo was Founding Executive Producer of The Greene Space in NYC and NPR Presents, the first-of-its kind initiatives in the nation to bring live, on-air, and online content to audiences globally. Of note, she Executive Produced the American Broadcast Premiere of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and the first-ever recordings and broadcasts of August Wilson’s entire American Century Cycle. Etwaroo led the efforts for the first-ever national strategy for Black theaters, The Black Seed, raising $10.5 million and served as the Executive Advisor to the Chadwick Boseman Foundation. As a Fulbright Scholar, Indira has been a professor at Temple University and NYU.
Photograph by ADRIANO SCONGAMILLO
Hollis King is the former Vice President and Creative Director at the Verve Music Group, the largest jazz record label in the world. He was responsible for art direction of all CD packaging, logos, advertising, point-of-purchase and signage. King worked at several design studios before entering the music industry. King has received numerous achievement awards and citations from Communication Arts, How, Print, AIGA, Graphis and the Society of Illustrators, as well as five Grammy nominations. King worked on Zora Neale Hurston “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, Set Design for “Afropop Series” Public Television, Creative Direction and Set Design for August Wilson “American Century Cycle” at the Greene Space NPR. Recent work includes Etienne Charles “San Juan Hill” at David Geffen Hall. New books include “Imprinted Illustrating Race” Norman Rockwell Museum. “Our Open Caskets to the World” Billie Holiday coffee table book.
Currently, Hollis runs his own creative company, sits on an executive board in New York, Creative Direction at The Billie Holiday Theater and regularly lectures about creative, and photography, at Advertising agencies, the School of Visual Arts, FIT, Pratt Institute, Art Directors Club, Society of Illustrators, Stella Adler Acting Studio.
Divinity Roxx is a Grammy-nominated recording artist, composer, and musician, with five solo albums (Ain’t No Other Way – 2003, The Roxx Boxx Experience – 2012, ImPossible – 2016, Ready Set Go! – 2021, World Wide Playdate – 2024). In addition to her own work, she is well known for touring and performing with Beyoncé Knowles (2006–2011) as her bassist and Musical Director. Her career as a bass-player skyrocketed after attending a bass camp led by the legendary 5-time Grammy award-winning bass virtuoso, Victor Wooten where she was invited to join him on tour. Divinity has appeared on countless television shows including SNL, Good Morning America, and more, with personal highlights including a special performance at The White House Easter Egg Roll 2023. Her 2021 Family Music Album release, Ready Set Go! received a Grammy nomination and Scholastic Inc. published two songs from the album as full-color picture books. She composed the theme song for the PBS Kids show, ‘Lyla in the Loop’. Her original compositions can be heard in YTA theatre, (The Boy Who Kissed the Sky, Into the Burrow: A Peter Rabbit Story), as well as television shows like ‘Jersey Shore’, ‘The Bold Type’ and others. Divinity is currently performing worldwide, composing music for theatre and television, writing multiple projects, and developing her solo stage play, ‘Starchild,’ which premiered at Crossroads Theatre in 2023. Divinity is serving her second term on the Board of Governors with the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy, where she is co-chair of the Advocacy Committee.
Arden Altino is a Grammy Platinum Awarded Musician and Producer. Arden’s immense talent lies in his combined years of training as a pianist. His understanding of music and its emotional connection allows him to infect his audience with a raw, yet polished listening experience that is true to the R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop, Roots, Classical, Jazz, Latin, Kompa and Zouk genres.
Known in the industry as “Keyz” and on his Roland keyboards, Altino produced a slew of records for a wide range of artists such as “Hold On” for Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blow Fish, and “Raindrops” for Juelz Santana’s debut album in 2003. During the same year, Altino’s talent received much attention overseas; traveling between Europe and the United States, he collaborated with Parisian top artists such as Passi and Jocelyne Labylle on several records while adding to his roster of artists, Kelly Rowland, Natasha Beddingfield, Estelle, and MORE.
James “Biscuit” Rouse, a native of Philadelphia, is a highly sought-after drummer with a remarkable track record. Not only has he showcased his drumming prowess, but he has also served as the musical director for renowned artists such as Miss Lauryn Hill, Vivian Green, and Syleena Johnson. Biscuit’s musical journey has encompassed a diverse range of genres, from collaborating on House music projects with producer Kenny “Dope” Gonzales to touring alongside notable figures such as Living Colour, Ashanti, Kelis, Nile Rodgers, Vernon Reid, and the Screaming Headless Torsos.
Biscuit has also proven himself as a skilled producer and songwriter, collaborating with a multitude of exceptional artists. Noteworthy among these collaborations is his work with the award-winning Haitian producer and film scorer Jerry Wonda (of Fugees fame). Biscuit’s collaboration with the rising artist “The Violin Diva” resulted in the production of the enchanting track “Bethlehem,” featured in the 2022 film “Miracle Before Christmas.” Biscuit is now preparing to release his debut album “buddy and biscuit”, scheduled for worldwide release Sept 27, 2024 on German funk/jazz label Leopard, part of Broken Silence Distribution.
Mumu Fresh (also known as Maimouna Youssef ) is a GRAMMY-Nominated, Indigenous Music award winning, 3x WAMMIE award winning, Washington Award Winning, Musical Ambassador for the US State Department, elected Co-Chair of the Social Action Committee for the GRAMMY DC Chapter of The Recording Academy & an Ambassador of The Black Music Collective.
Youssef has toured internationally as a critically acclaimed Afro-Indigenous singer, Emcee, songwriter, activist, workshop facilitator and audio engineer who’s been called a “quadruple threat” by The Roots’ Black Thought and “groundbreaking” by Oscar-winning artist, Common. In 2021, Youssef partnered with AFROPUNK x Netflix to illuminate and celebrate Black women muses and was the voice behind the ACLU Systematic Equality campaign. In 2020, she was asked to lend her soulful voice to the ESPYs tribute to Black Lives because WE Matter. Some of her other standout moments in 2020 include her contribution to Salaam Remi’s album Black On Purpose, along with their single “EMOGs” which surpassed 2 million streams on spotify alone upon release in 2020. She hit the ground running in 2021 with her viral feature on Tobe Nwigwe’s song “Tundah Fiyah” from their album Cincoriginals which immediately surpassed one (1) million views on instagram on release day and released her album The Vintage Babies II: Queen of Culture that was produced by DJ Dummy.
Maimouna “Mumu Fresh” Youssef has a very diverse and expansive musical background ranging from Jazz, Gospel, Spirituals, traditional African & traditional Indigenous music, to Hip Hop, Soul, rock and experimental acapella fusion. Youssef has a passion for activism and community service. She has donated much of her time and platform to increased awareness & education around race and gender inequity, environmental justice and independence for artists. Behind the scenes, Youssef has served as a mentor for several GRAMMY U affiliated young aspiring artists. In 2020, she founded an online music education platform called “Muniversity Studies” to teach aspiring artists everything they need to know to succeed independently with purpose.
Youssef is back with her new album The Healing and will embark on a national tour to promote.
Carl Hancock Rux is an American poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, recording artist, actor, theater director, radio journalist, as well as a frequent collaborator in the fields of film, modern dance, and contemporary art. He is the author of several books including the Village Voice Literary Prize-winning collection of poetry, Pagan Operetta, the novel, Asphalt, and the Obie Award-winning play, Talk. His music has been released internationally on several labels including Sony/550, Thirsty Ear, and Giant Step. Mr. Rux is also co-Artistic Director of Mabou Mines and Associate Artistic Director/Curator In Residence at Harlem Stage. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Doris Duke Award for New Works, the Doris Duke Charitable Fund, the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Prize, the Bessie Award and the Alpert Award in the Arts, and a 2019 Global Change Maker award by WeMakeChange.Org. Mr. Rux’s archives are housed at the Billy Rose Theater Division of the New York Public Library, the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution as well as the Film and Video/Theater and Dance Library of the California Institute of the Arts. READ MORE
is a Deaf performer, who went viral during her performance at Super Bowl LVII. She is the first person to perform the ASL rendition of The Black National Anthem at the Super Bowl and the first Deaf woman to perform ASL for the Halftime Show with Rihanna. Miles has shared her story across prominent media outlets such as ELLE, CBS This Morning, The View, and British where she graced the May 2023 cover. She has performed at numerous musical and cultural events, such as CNN’s Juneteenth Concert, Broccoli City Fest, Dreamville Festival and has been featured in global campaigns for Pandora Diamonds, Amazon and Target. Miles was also a Deaflympics track athlete, representing Team USA and taking home a silver medal at the 2021 Summer Deaflympics. Miles’ mission is to show the world more authentic representations of Deaf people. Follow her on Instagram @_jtay_ and TikTok @phillyqt12.
UPTOWN NIGHTS FESTIVAL
AN EVENING WITH SUNNY JAIN’S WILD WILD EAST
Thu, Oct 10 at 7pm ET I Harlem Stage
Running Time: 90 mins
Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings) encompasses myriad facets of Jain’s identity both as a first-generation South Asian–American and as a global musician, from his own family’s immigration story to his eclectic musical upbringing. In recasting the immigrant—steeped in the courage to leave a familiar homeland for a new beginning—as the modern-day cowboy and cowgirl, Jain sources musical inspiration from the scores of Bollywood classics and Spaghetti Westerns, Punjabi folk traditions, jazz improvisation, and rollicking psychedelic styles. Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East is rooted in the contemporary global soundscape, singing in a new voice, “I am large, I contain multitudes.” In 2022, the band embarked on a milestone tour to Pakistan headlining Music Mela in Islamabad, the Lahore Jazz Festival and performing with master Sufi dhol drummers Nasir Sain Wajdani and Sain Tanveer. Just months prior, the group performed on the National Mall in Washington D.C. for the renowned Smithsonian Folklife Festival. 2024 started out with the band’s very own NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
The career of Sunny Jain is a celebration of cultural diaspora: deep-rooted tradition that ripples outward, changing – and being changed by – the cultures that it touches. He is a composer, drummer, dhol player and thought leader. In 2022, Jain joined Planet Drum for their first show in 15 years, playing alongside drumming legends Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, and Giovanni Hidalgo. He is currently an artist in residence at Wesleyan University, working on his first music theatrical show.
In 2021, Jain released Phoenix Rise, a collaborative effort featuring over 50 artists such as Arooj Aftab, Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas), Endea Owens (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and Joe Russo (jam band darling). Accompanying the full digital album is a 72-page physical book that combines music, art, photography and planet-based recipes, all in the name of social justice. As executive producer and music producer, Jain partnered with Center for Constitutional Rights to fundraise and advocate for the work they do.
Called the “Hendrix of dhol” by Manchester Salon (UK), Jain is most known for founding the pioneering band Red Baraat, a frenzied fusion of bhangra, hip-hop, jazz, rock, and sheer, unbridled energy that NPR has called “the best party band in years.” The band has performed across the globe including stops at the White House (Obama), London Olympics, TED, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD festivals (Australia, New Zealand, Spain, UK) and Padma Lakshmi’s Blossom Ball. Jain was also the drummer for the acclaimed Sufi rock band Junoon for several years, recording the single “Open Your Eyes” with Peter Gabriel, performing at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in 2007, Srinagar University in Kashmir in 2009, and the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2009.
Jain is in development of his first music theatrical piece called Love Force - supported by National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, and MAP Fund. His entry to theater began in 2018, after serving as musical director to the OBIE award- winning London-based play, The Jungle, and then becoming music producer to Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding, The Musical in 2023.
Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East
Sunny Jain – drumset, dhol
Ben Parag – vocals
Alison Shearer – alto saxophone, flute
Ryan Dugre – guitar
Almog Sharvit – bass
Special guests
Ishita Mili – dance
Milena Casado – trumpet
Kenny Bentley – sousaphone
Afterparty
DJ Raat ki Rani (Roshni Samlal)
UPTOWN NIGHTS FESTIVAL
AN EVENING WITH JAMES BRANDON LEWIS
Fri, Oct 11 at 7pm ET | Harlem Stage
Running Time: 90 mins
Combining church roots with jazz’s expansive possibilities, James Brandon Lewis is a saxophonist whose music bridges ancient and modern influences. Uptown Nights presents Lewis with his trio, Chad Taylor and Josh Werner, performing songs from his prior release “Eye of I”. The trio will also premiere works from their upcoming album “Apple Cores”.
James Brandon Lewis’ melodic identity encompasses ancient and future, inside and outside, density and openness, church and street. He’s a master of the short infectious motif, and like Sonny Rollins, devotes long expanses of his improvisation to the stretching and refracting and mutating of short phrases. The son of a minister, Lewis grew up playing in church and hearing the titans of jazz at home, and then as he got older, encountering Buffalo artists like the free-jazz saxophonist Charles Gayle and the groove-minded saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. After moving to New York, Lewis pursued music in many different lanes, playing regularly with bassists William Parker and Jamaaladeen Tacuma from Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time band, as well as trombone player Craig Harris and many others. In 2024, Lewis was named by Downbeat Magazine as the Rising Star Composer and the Rising Star Jazz Artist. In 2023, he received the German Jazz Prize for Best International Jazz Group for his Quartet. In 2021, he had a career breakthrough with his tenth album, The Jesup Wagon. Inspired by the mobile agricultural education efforts of inventor George Washington Carver, the song cycle was hailed by critics for its dreamlike mosaic of gospel, folk-blues and catcalling brass bands. It was named Album of the Year at Jazz Times and Downbeat and a bunch of international jazz magazines,and it established Lewis as one of the provocative musical voices of his generation. Lewis’ music is heard in many different configurations, trio, quartet, and quintet with his award-winning Red Lily Quintet. In addition, Lewis can be found guesting on several albums including the most recent album where he is guest with the rock band The Messthestics. Along the way, Lewis drew the attention of many improvising artists, most notably the saxophonist and jazz deity Sonny Rollins, who doesn’t offer effusive praise very often. Moved by Lewis’ deep, spirit-seeking sound, Rollins said “When I listen to you, I listen to Buddha, I listen to Confucius...I listen to the deeper meaning of life. You are keeping the world in balance.”
Josh Werner is an accomplished bassist, producer, and painter whose work spans genres and mediums. He studied under renowned jazz bassist Richard Davis, shaping a unique style that blends deep groove with melodic minimalism. His solo album, produced by legendary bassist and producer Bill Laswell, highlights his innovative approach to bass-driven compositions. Werner has toured and recorded extensively, notably collaborating with reggae icon Lee “Scratch” Perry, contributing to Perry’s Grammy-nominated album Repentance and performing worldwide.
A versatile musician, Werner’s bass playing has been featured in an array of projects including Ghostface Killah, Tunde Adebimpe, Cocorosie, Popcaan, and Cibo Matto. Beyond music, he is also an accomplished painter, using visual art as another channel for his creative expression. Werner’s multidisciplinary approach continues to push artistic boundaries across both sound and image.
Chad Taylor (b. March 19, 1973) One of the most prolific drummers/percussionists of his generation, Taylor has recorded and performed with some of modern improvised music’s most influential musicians such as the late Pharoah Sanders, Eric Revis, Fred Anderson, James Brandon Lewis, Jaimie Branch, Dave Liebman, Peter Brotzmann, Nicole Mitchell, Matana Roberts, Ken Vandermark, Marc Ribot, Jeff Parker, amongst many others. Taylor has defined his voice as unique, rawly refined, unending in creativity, and historically relevant in the world of modern creative music. His partnership with Rob Mazurek in the Chicago/ London / Sao Paulo Underground Duo/ Trio/ Quartet/ Orchestra, has placed him in an individualistic stylistic mode of playing that is distinct and undoubtedly original. He has also contributed to folk/rock/pop groups such as Stereolab, Sam Prekop, Yo La Tengo, Iron and Wine, Kurt Vile and Glen Hansard. In 2024, Taylor was appointed the William S. Dietrich II Chair in Jazz Studies and Artistic Director of Jazz Studies.
UPTOWN NIGHTS FESTIVAL
AN EVENING WITH LIZA JESSIE PETERSON + HANNAH LEMMONS AKA LEMMONS
Sat, Oct 12 at 7pm ET I Harlem Stage
Running Time: 90 mins
Sistering is High-Church storytelling featuring Liza Jessie Peterson’s unorthodox,speak-truth-to-power/liberation-by-any-means-necessary, unapologetically Black and bold, voice. An evening of poetry, theater, music, and film, Peterson tells of navigating frequent bouts of faltering faith through connection to angels, divine guidance, bursts of miracles, and a lil’ mojo. Representing the angelic realm, singer/songwriter Hannah Lemmons creates a musical landscape evoking the call and response between flesh and spirit.
Liza is an artivist; an actress, playwright, poet, author and youth advocate who has worked steadfast with incarcerated populations for more than two decades. Her critically acclaimed one woman show, The Peculiar Patriot, had successful runs at the National Black Theater (NY), Arts Emerson (Boston), Woolly Mammoth (Washington, DC) and Detroit Public Theater. The play was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, Elliot Norton and a recipient of a Lilly Award. It is available on Audible. Liza performed The Peculiar Patriot in 35 prisons across the country and a documentary, Angola Do You Hear Us; Voices from a Plantation Prison, features her historic performance of The Peculiar Patriot at Louisiana State Penitentiary (aka Angola) which is streaming on Paramount Plus and Amazon Prime, and was shortlist for an Academy Award. The Peculiar Patriot is currently in development for a feature film.
Her memoir, ALL DAY; A Year of Love and Survival Teaching Incarcerated Kids at Rikers Island (Hachette publishing) was commissioned by The Old Globe Theater to adapt the book into a stage play, and she has developed a TV pilot based on the book. Liza was featured in Ava DuVernay’s Emmy award winning documentary, The 13th, and was a consultant on Bill Moyers documentary Rikers (PBS).
Also known for her exceptional poetic skills, Liza began her poetry career at the Nuyorican Poets Café and appeared on two episodes of HBO’s Def Poetry.
Liza appeared in Showtime’s mini-series, Everything’s Gonna Be All White, by Sacha Jenkins. She can be seen in A Luv Tale (BETplus), Love the Hard Way (co-starring with Pam Grier and Adrien Brody) Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, and K. Shalini’s A Drop of Life.
Liza wrote and starred in two short films, MERLINA and Black Love Manifesto, both won several festival awards.
For more info on her projects, including MERLINA and Black Love Manifesto, visit her website at www.lizajessiep.com
Angola Do You Hear Us: Voices from a Plantation Prison is streaming on Paramount Plus and Amazon Prime.
Hannah Lemmons, also known as LEMMONS, is a singer/songwriter from Denver, Colorado. She has worked with Esperanza Spalding, Yosvany Terry, Don Braden, and Craig Derry. She is a recipient of the 2021 Emerging Visionary Grant from SheaMoisture x GOOD MIRRORS, and was featured in Raveena’s artist spotlight series in 2021. Most recently, she opened for acclaimed vocalist Amber Riley and was featured in Citizen Magazine Issue 002, covered by Kendrick Lamar. Her debut EP, Like The Fruit, released on October 15, 2022 and is available on all platforms.
LEMMONS hopes her music will empower people who imagine worlds — those who seek to create impossibilities.
Her musical inspirations include Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and Norah Jones. Her style is characterized by ethereal, layered vocals and bouncy production with an alternative beat, reminiscent of the likes of Moses Sumney, Lianne La Havas, and Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Hannah is also a Harlem Stage 2023 Waterworks Emerging Artist.
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
Angela Glover Blackwell
Jenna Bond
Jamila Ponton Bragg
Jamie Cannon, Vice President
JoAnn K. Chase
Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes
Dr. Indira Etwaroo
Jenette Kahn
Courtney F. Lee-Mitchell, President
Channing Martin
Rebecca Robertson
Mark Thomas, Treasurer
Tamara Tunie
Blair Washington
Michael Young, Secretary
HARLEM STAGE STAFF
Acey Anderson – Maintenance Associate
Lamont Askins – Operations Manager
Bethany Cintron – Programming Associate
Jeff Davolt – Associate Production Manager
Julianna Friedman – Development Manager
Adrienne Gomez – Box Office Manager
Dr. Indira Etwaroo – CEO & Artistic Director
Deirdre May – Senior Director of Communications
Sarah McCaffery – Programming Manager
Terri Montrel – Programming Associate
Eric Oberstein – Managing Director
Andre Padayhag – Marketing Manager & Graphic Design
Amanda K. Ringger – Director of Production
Carl Hancock Rux – Associate Artistic Director
Shanté Skyers – Director of Development
Karlvy Smith – Strategic Planning Manager
CONSULTANTS
Das, IT
Lutz & Carr/Chris Bellando, Accountants
Katie Burk, Graphic Design
Aon/Albert G. Ruben Company (NY)/Claudia Kaufman, Insurance
Margaret Hunt, Development
Dwight Johnson, Gala Consultant
Deniz Kofteci, Social Media & Website
Madison Consulting Group, Matt Lawrence
Manchester Benefits, Greg Martin
Jess Medenbach, Digital Video Services
Squire Media & Management, Public Relations
Marc Millman, Photography
Ncheng, LLP
Donna Walker-Kuhne, Community Engagement
HARLEM STAGE FAMILY OF SUPPORTERS
Endowment
Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation
Leonard and Sophie Davis Estate
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Public Support
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
Foundation Support
Altman Foundation
The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc.
The Black Seed Fund
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Columbia Community Service
Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts
Davis/Dauray Family Fund
Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation
Francena T. Harrison Foundation
The Ford Foundation
The Harkness Foundation for Dance
The Hearst Foundations
The Howard Gilman Foundation
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
(Foundation Support continued)
Mellon Foundation
Mertz Gilmore Foundation
Metzger-Price Fund
Miranda Family Fund
Pierre and Tana Matisse Charitable Foundation
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Scherman Foundation, Inc.
SHS Foundation
The Shubert Foundation, Inc.
The Thompson Family Foundation, Inc.
The Leonard and Robert Weintraub Family Fund
Corporate Support
ABC7
BET Networks
Berklee NYC
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids
Citi
City Winery
Consolidated Edison Company
The Estée Lauder Companies
Hell’s Kitchen The Musical
The Interpublic Group of Companies
JoAnn Chase Company
Leuchtturm1917
LCM/247
Manhattan Beer Distributors
Penguin Random House
The Public Theater
Pure Green
SESAC
Uncle Nearest
United Talent Agency
West Harlem Development Corporation
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT
Randy Adams
Laura Aden
Charlene Adhiambo
Benjamin Angeloni
Jamison Antoine
Ngozi Anyanwu
Deborah Archer
Bernard Aronson
Lisa Arrindell
L. Kelly Atkinson Jr.
Roland Augustine
Arno Austin
Neal Baer
Catherine Baker-Pitts
Clare Baren
Betsie Becker
Stefany & Simon Bergson
Stephanie Berry
Jacqueline Beverly
Nilanjana Bhattacharjya
Robert D. Bielecki
Susan Bird
Richard Bizier
Daniel Black
Angela Glover Blackwell*
Patricia Blanchet
David Bogen
Bill Bragin
Andrea Brecker
Enrique Brown
Ronald K. Brown
Ben Brown
Richard Buery
Khephra Burns
Terry Burrell
Todd Steven Burroughs
Angela Butler
Arcell Cabuag
Megan Callari
Mary Schmidt Campbell
Jamie Cannon*
Patrice & William Cannon
Joe Capotorto
Gayle Capozzalo Heil
Hillary Carlip
Amy Cassello
Denis Cavanagh
JoAnn Chase*
Nancy Clipper
Michelle Coffey
Honeychild Coleman
Sharon Combs
Anita Contini
Stephanie Cook
Erica Corbin
Barry Cohen
Caroline Cronson
Pat Cruz
Joan Daidone
Sandra Daley
Hugh Dancy* & Claire Danes*
Milly Hawk Daniel
Zenzele Daniels
G. Jean Davis
Dolores Day Gilliard
Paul F. Dean Jr.
Anne Delaney
Janet Dewart Bell
Vijay Dharmapuri
Ingrid Doyle
Abigail Ehrlich
Michelle Elliott
John Ellis
Lauren Elmore
Cristina Enriquez-Bocobo
Dr. Indira Etwaroo*
Sehra Eusufzai
Joni Evans
Courtney Lee-Mitchell*
Susan Feder
Tovah Feldshuh & Andrew Levy
Tanya Fernando
Laura Flanders
Joy A. Flynt
Donald G. Fornoff
Neil Fox
Ian Friedman
Vivian & Paul Friedman
Viola Fulton
Neil Gaiman
Alex Gansa
Edward L. Geffner
Stuart Gelwarg
Dolores Day Gilliard
Lyn Godley
Arlene Gooding
Indira Goodwine-Josias
Todd Gordon
Porsha Grant
Elaine L. Greene
Steve Greer
Laura Greer
Michael Greif
Agnes Gund
Sharon Hall
Yvonne Hall
Eugene & Nora Hamond
Jody Harrow
John Haworth
Patrick Heaphy
Ruth & Stephen Hendel
Leon Henderson
Robert Hill
Navasha Hill
Hallie Hobson
Kinshasha Holman Conwill
William Holtzman
Winnie Holzman
Debra James
Ginger Johnson
Melissa Jones
Edward L. Jones
John Josephson & Carolina Zapf
Jenette Kahn* & Al Williams
Jeanette Kastenberg
Michael Kenny
James King
Steven Kirkpatrick
Laurie Klatscher
Daniel Klaus
Tim Knowling
Juan Lara
Brad Learmonth & Jon
Gilman
Kenneth Lee
Kenny Leon
Karen & Danny Lerner
Paul Levitz & Jeanette Cusimano
Loida N. Lewis
Jim & Beth Lewis and Family
Yang Li
Jeanine Liburd
Todd London
Mino Lora
Carey Lovelace
Contstance Maitland
Channing Martin*
Lucinda Martinez
Richard Massey
Gay McDougall
Kevin McNeal
Sherman & Chris Meloni
Linda Meresman
John Metzner
Elizabeth Minnich & Si Kahn
Bonnie J. Monte
Colin Montgomery
Justin Garrett Moore
Carol Wood Moore
Alexis Moore
Iona Morris Jackson
Matthew Morrison
Michael Mosley
Kelly Myers
Lynn Nottage
David O’Brien
Cynthia Oliver
Courtney O’Malley
Dan Osheyack
Gina Paige
Estelle Parsons
Richard D. Parsons
Marguerite Pitts
Will Pitts
Lisa G. Podulka
Stan Ponte
Jamila Ponton Bragg* & Alvin Bragg
John & Maxine Potts
Michelle Potts
Terri Prettyman Bowles
Ben Reese
Adaa Reyes
Diana Richardson
Adam Richman
Dee Dee Ricks
Rebecca Robertson* & Byron Knief
Verdery Roosevelt
Golda Rosheuvel
Gretchen Rubin
Judy Rubin
Tyhessia Salgado Perez
Kathryn Shattuck
Robinregina Shaw
Michelle Shay
Stefanie Siegel
Barbara Simino
Catherine Slade
Kenneth Small
Fran Smith
Ted Snowdon & Duffy Violante
Cleveland Solomon
Michael Sommerfield
Jason & Beth Spector
Devon Sprunk
Kenneth Stallings
Grace Stanislaus
Elizabeth Streb
Carol Strom
Hiroko Takada
Mark Thomas*
Michelle Thornhill
Teri & Lloyd Trotter
Tamara Tunie*
Melissa Vander Plaats
Reginald Van Lee
Deborah Velazquez
Blair Washington*
Jason Watt
Erica Webber
Theis Weckesser
Carrie Mae Weems
Fran & Barry Weissler
Charles Whelan
Cherl Williams
Naina Williams
Greg Williamson
Michael Young*
*Board Members
The above list reflects gifts received between July 1, 2023 and September 19, 2024. If your name has been omitted or misprinted, please accept our apologies and contact Development Manager, Julianna Friedman at jfriedman@harlemstage.org
