TONGUE& LASH THE THE
DAMIEN SNEED COMPOSER KAREN CHILTON LIBRETTIST DENYCE GRAVES-MONTGOMERY DIRECTOR
JOSEPH PARRISH H ANDREW MORSTEIN H Christian pursell
CHORUS OLANNA GOUDEAU H PATRICE P. EATON H JUSTIN Bel l MODERATOR
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Welcome! And, may I add, congratulations. You are attending one of New York’s and America’s essential meeting houses, music venues and cultural institutions. I know that you will find the Town Hall Presents programming you are attending tonight to be timely and compelling. And each of our productions is an expression of our commitment to bring you significant, unique, eclectic and down right delightful events throughout the calendar year.
Welcome! And, may I add, congratulations. You are attending one of New York’s and America’s essential meeting houses, music venues and cultural institutions. I know that you will find the Town Hall Presents programming you are attending tonight to be timely and compelling. And each of our productions is an expression of our commitment to bring you significant, unique, eclectic and down right delightful events throughout the calendar year.
There is no place like The Town Hall. Founded “to promote good citizenship, social justice and general enlightenment through the education and expression of public opinion,” our hall’s world-class acoustics quickly became a calling card, and for over a century, playing The Town Hall stage continues to be a ‘must’ for musicians and singers from all genres and backgrounds.
There is no place like The Town Hall. Founded “to promote good citizenship, social justice and general enlightenment through the education and expression of public opinion,” our hall’s world-class acoustics quickly became a calling card, and for over a century, playing The Town Hall stage continues to be a ‘must’ for musicians and singers from all genres and backgrounds.
Whether visiting our storied auditorium for the first time, or returning to experience yet another great night live on our stage, you can feel the vitality in the room. The Town Hall is truly contemporary; purpose-built to open its doors to art, ideas and especially to you.
Whether visiting our storied auditorium for the first time, or returning to experience yet another great night live on our stage, you can feel the vitality in the room. The Town Hall is truly contemporary; purpose-built to open its doors to art, ideas and especially to you.
Upon its dedication in 1921, The League for Political Education opened the building you are now sitting in with the watchwords:
Upon its dedication in 1921, The League for Political Education opened the building you are now sitting in with the watchwords:
“It does not matter who you are, what you are, or from where you come, you are welcome.”
“It does not matter who you are, what you are, or from where you come, you are welcome.”
As president of the non-profit organization that preserves our landmarked auditorium and produces the Town Hall Presents events like the one you are attending tonight, I thank you for coming to The Town Hall. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, and our incredible staff of professionals, I echo the sentiment of our founders and assure you that you are always welcome here.
As president of the non-profit organization that preserves our landmarked auditorium and produces the Town Hall Presents events like the one you are attending tonight, I thank you for coming to The Town Hall. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, and our incredible staff of professionals, I echo the sentiment of our founders and assure you that you are always welcome here.
Nevin Steinberg
President
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2025 • 7PM
THE TOWN HALL CELEBRATES
JAMES BALDWIN’s Centennial &
THE 60 th ANNIVERSARY OF THE Historic Baldwin/Buckley debate
TONGUE& LASH THE THE A CHAMBER OPERA
Commissioned by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Composer | Damien Sneed
Librettist | Karen Chilton
Director | Denyce Graves-Montgomery
Conductor | Damien Sneed
CAST OF CHARACTERS
BALDWIN | Joseph Parrish
BUCKLEY | Andrew Morstein
ADJUDICATOR | Christian Pursell
ORCHESTRA OF TOMORROW
VIOLIN 1
Messiah Ahmed , concertmaster
Tiani Butts
VIOLIN 2
Justus Ross
Chiara Fasi
VIOLA
Aundrey Mitchell
Cameren Williams
PIANO
Eric Sedgwick
DOUBLE BASS
Kebra-Seyoun Charles
CHAMBER CHORUS CHORALE LE CHATEAU
Olanna Goudeau | Soprano
Briana Sheriff | Soprano
Chenee Campbell | Alto
Patrice Pates Eaton | Alto
CELLO
Aaron Stokes
Boubacar Diallo
PERCUSSION
Christian McGhee
Scott Still
Alex Alfaro
Justin E. Bell | Tenor
Kaleb Alexander Hopkins | Tenor
Sean Holland II | Baritone
Angelo D. Johnson Jr. | Bass
HOST
Dr. Frank Leon Roberts
CLOSING REMARKS
Trevor Baldwin
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Dustin Z West
COSTUME TEAM
Jason A. Goodwin | Costume Designer
Eliana Yost | Sticher
Dianela Gil | Wardrobe Supervisor
GRAPHICS
The Artistic Team of The Tongue & The Lash acknowledges the Graphic Design of Carol Bobolts
Red Herring Design rhdnyc.com
CREATIVE ADVISORY & PRODUCTION SUPPORT
RTS Advisory, LLC
PR
Gwendolyn Quinn
Gwendolyn Quinn Public Relations
Thanks to Opera America for rehearsal space
ORCHESTRA CONTRACTOR
Damien Sneed
HAIR & WIGS
The Artistic Team of The Tongue & The Lash acknowledges the contribution of Hair & Wig Designer Tom Watson.
VIDEO EDITING
Karen Chilton
Video from the Baldwin-Buckley debate has been edited for the purposes of the opera. The full debate can be seen via AEON VIDEO online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tek9h3a5wQ
SUPERNUMERARY COORDINATION
Gregory Sheppard Artists
SUPERNUMERARIES
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music New York University
PRODUCTION
Artistic Director | Melay Araya
Programming Manager | Gloria Lee
Production Manager | Carl Acampora
Production Facilitator | RTS Advisory, LLC
Production Designer | Greg Emetaz
Prop Master | Olivia Vidato
Surtitles Operator | Cori Ellison
Assistant to Ms. Graves-Montgomery | Megan Miller
Technical Director | Bill Dehling
Sound Engineer | Michael Murphy
Lighting Designer | Matthew Konklin
Projectionist | Raphael Krueger Cortés
A/V Director | Mark Braverman
Video Director | JT Doran
Directing demands every sense, every instinct imagining not just the world of the opera, but how to bring it fully into being: the period, the place, the players, the impact. It is my task to guide and inspire artists to their most powerful, truthful performances, to illuminate both character and narrative while singing.
Opera is music and words, words and music. Which comes first? Which holds more truth? Which moves us more deeply? Perhaps that is an unanswerable question. But in The Tongue & The Las h, where Baldwin and Buckley wielded language as both weapon and shield, Sneed and Chilton have crafted a stunning equilibrium, one that will mesmerize and provoke.
Our Baldwin, Joseph Parrish, and our Buckley, Andrew Morstein, are young, world-class voices whose performances will astound you. This entire cast has been an inspiration to meet, and I know their artistry will move you.
Enjoy tonight.
Denyce Graves-Montgomery, Director
Librettist’s Note | Karen Chilton
When Opera Theatre of Saint Louis commissioned a new work, it was at the height of the pandemic in late 2020. At the time, it seemed inconceivable that creativity was a possibility or that imagination could be stirred. Yet, the sheer brilliance and unrelenting spirit of a literary hero, James Baldwin, and the ferocity of the Cambridge debate itself were too compelling to ignore.
The ideological exchange between these two men was nothing short of grand theater; the subject matter—racial disparity vis-à-vis the ever-elusive ‘American dream’—was indeed fertile ground in which to construct a dramatic work. While I deliberately chose not to disturb the integrity of the actual debate but to write something entirely original, the conceit then became a post-debate conversation informed by the contentious repartee on display that historic night in 1965. A night televised live on the BBC (and later on American TV) that took place amidst the backdrop of a raging civil rights movement in the United States, where weeks later Black activists and righteous allies marched for a third time from Selma to Montgomery, signaling to the American government that the time had truly come for the enactment of the Voting Rights Act. When my collaborative partner, composer/conductor Damien Sneed and I experienced the manifestation of our chamber opera at OTSL in 2021, we bore witness to audiences who leaned in and wanted to keep the conversation going. Thus, Art did what it is meant to do—to provoke and explore, inspire and inform, and perhaps even comfort. Baldwin’s prescient message and Buckley’s resistance to it, urges us, even now, especially now, to reckon with where we are, and how we got here.
Sneed recently joined the esteemed faculty of Howard University and the Juilliard School. His other professional affiliations have included the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music, Berklee School of Music, Michigan State University, the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University, Nyack College, and the City University of New York (CUNY). In 2015, he established the Damien Sneed Foundation Performing Arts Institute. Sneed is the founder and artistic director of Chorale Le Chateau, that has gained a global reputation for vividly interpreting vocal literature, from Renaissance period pieces to art songs to jazz, spirituals, gospel, and avantgarde contemporary music. Sneed is featured in the award-winning PBS documentary Everyone Has a Place starring Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and Sneed’s own Chorale Le Chateau, which captures Sneed’s journey as musical conductor of the historic tour performances of Marsalis’s Abyssinian Mass
He has released several projects on his boutique label, LeChateau Earl Records, established in 2009 to reflect his varied musical interests. Some of Sneed’s commissions as a composer include Empower (2018) by Lyric Opera of Chicago; Marian’s Song (2019) by Houston Grand Opera; “The Earth Sings” (2021) by the ASCAP Kingsford Commission; the film score for Testament (2021) by Alvin Ailey Dance Theater; The Tongue and the Lash (2022) by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL); and Treemonisha (2023) also by OTSL, a reimagined adaptation of Scott Joplin’s opera.
As conductor, he has debuted with the Flint Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Stockton Symphony Orchestra, Gateways Music Festival Chamber Players, Harlem Chamber Players Orchestra, and his own ensemble, Orchestra of Tomorrow. Sneed was a featured as a vocal soloist on a new PBS documentary featuring Marsalis’ All Rise Symphony for Chautauqua’s 150th which premiered on February 11, 2025. He was recently signed to Apple Music Classical & Platoon Records (London). His newest recording project, Our Song, Our Story, featuring Metropolitan Opera singers Jacqueline Echols McCarley and Justin Austin, along with the Griot String Quartet and Sneed on piano, will be released Spring 2025 while his second project with Apple Music, Kaleidoscope, featuring the solo piano music of African American composers, will be released in Winter 2025.”
Denyce Graves-Montgomery
| DIRECTOR
Renowned for her distinctive voice and captivating stage presence, Denyce Graves-Montgomery has established herself as one of the most celebrated mezzo-sopranos of our time. Beyond her storied career as a performer, she has also made a profound impact as an educator and stage director, inspiring the next generation of opera artists and reshaping the field with her creative vision.
As a teacher, Graves-Montgomery serves as a dedicated mentor, guiding young singers to develop not only their vocal artistry but also their interpretive depth and professionalism. Drawing upon her four and a half decades of extensive experience performing on the world’s premier stages, including The Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, and La Scala, she equips performing artists with the tools to navigate the complexities of a modern operatic career. Known for her nurturing yet exacting approach, she is a sought-after faculty member and masterclass clinician at leading conservatories and training programs worldwide.
In her role as a stage director, Graves-Montgomery brings her deep understanding of character and dramatic storytelling to the forefront. Her productions are characterized by their emotional authenticity, innovative staging, and sensitivity to the nuances of both music and text. As a director, she is deeply invested in creating inclusive narratives, ensuring that opera remains relevant and accessible to contemporary audiences.
Rob Hubbard, For the Minnesota Star Tribune said “There’s an old adage in sports that great players don’t necessarily make great coaches. Leading a team is a gift all its own. But after seeing Minnesota Opera’s “Carmen,” staged by Graves, I can assure you that this star mezzo-soprano has that gift.”
In April 2025, Graves’ next big project is the World Premiere of the operatic retelling of the groundbreaking United States Supreme Court case centered around the interracial marriage of Mildred and Richard Loving in a Co-Commission of “Loving v. Virginia”.
As founder and Artistic Director of The Denyce Graves Foundation, Denyce GravesMontgomery continues to leave an indelible mark on the operatic landscape, fostering excellence while championing the transformative power of the art form.
Joseph Parrish, Bass-baritone | BALDWIN
Joseph Parrish was a recipient of the 2024 Sullivan Grant, a member of the Salzburger Festspiele Young Singers Project for the 2024 festival season, and a third prize winner in the Opera Index Voice Competition 2024. Joseph is a member of the Young Concert Artists roster.
As a Young Concert Artist, Joseph’s 2024-2025 season is filled with auspicious New York City debuts: solo recital debut at Kaufmann Music Center’s Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center Rose Theater debut singing the role of Earl Mann’s Cellmate/Edward Vernon/Ensemble in Davenport Richards’/Cote’s opera Blind Injustice, Oratorio Society of New York debut as bass soloist in Händel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Debut as Pilate in Bach’s St. John Passion, and the title role of Christus in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion when he debuts with Musica Sacra at Carnegie Hall.
Joseph is an active recitalist, with performances this season at the Cosmos Club in Washington D.C. the Harriman Jewell series in Kansas City, and the Detroit Chamber Music Festival. He gave his first European recital with the Usedomer Musikfestival and sang in the Young Singers Project Final Concert.
Opera performances have included Potapitsch in Prokofiev’s The Gambler, Masetto in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with the Cincinnati Opera and Salieri in RimskyKorsakov’s Mozart e Salieri, the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Dr. Cajus in Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor and Dulcamara in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at Juilliard.
He holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, and the Juilliard School.
Andrew Morstein, Tenor | BUCKLEY
Andrew Morstein, tenor and recent recipient of the Austrian Musiktheater Prize (2023) will make upcoming debuts this season with Central City Opera, Anchorage Opera, and the Boise Philharmonic; and, internationally with Toscanini Orchestra.
Previous operatic appearances include the Salzburg Festival, Wexford Festival Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Pensacola Opera, to name a few.
He has appeared as a soloist with symphonies such as the ORF Radio Orchestra (Austria), New Jersey Symphony Orchestra under Xian Zhang, RTÈ of Ireland, Amarillo Symphony, and more.
He was a member of Theater an der Wien’s Junges Ensemble from 2020-2022 and currently resides in Chicago.
Christian Pursell, Baritone
| ADJUDICATOR / ENSEMBLE
Christian Pursell is a dynamic, impassioned actor with unmatched stage presence, an enthralling, powerful voice, and a mastery of musical genres from baroque to musical theater, including bel canto and romantic opera.
In May 2025, Mr. Pursell debuts the role of Tom in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s opera This House, at Opera Theatre St. Louis. His 2024-2025 season began with his Metropolitan Opera house debut as Sciarrone in Tosca in September. Mr. Pursell released his first art song album, Ferne, in July 2024; the live lieder recital recording is available on IDAGIO, Apple Music, and Spotify. Last season, he added three important roles to his repertoire: Leporello in Don Giovanni (Cincinnati Opera) Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Virginia Opera), and the role of Noah at Carnegie Hall (debut) in a concert performance of Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath
In January 2024, Pursell won Fourth Prize, and “Best Baritone” at the Tenor Viñas International Vocal Competition in Barcelona, Spain. He won 2nd prize in the 2024 Concorso Lirico Internazionale Tebaldi-Gigli-Corelli competition.
Justin E. Bell, Tenor
| ENSEMBLE
Passionate about bringing the human experience to life through music, Tenor Justin E. Bell is an emerging artist on operatic and concert stages. This summer, Justin makes his Carnegie Hall debut as the tenor soloist in Haydn’s Paukenmesse (Mass in the Time of War), part of Carnegie Hall’s National Concerts season. He will also be performing as Don Curzio/Basilio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at Chautauqua Opera Conservatory.
Bell is invigorated by the collaborative process, and 2024 brought several exciting projects, notably Handel: Made in America at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sojourner with The Dessoff Choirs, and in recital at Manhattan School of Music. As a proud member of the Shared Voices Cohort within The Denyce Graves Foundation, Bell was a featured artist in concert at The Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. He has been privileged to train at The Castleton Music Festival and Aspen Music Festival and School, and is a recent graduate of Manhattan School of Music, where he earned his Master of Music.
Dustin Z West
| ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Dustin is thrilled to be working on The Tongue and The Lash with Denyce Graves-Montgomery having previously collaborated on The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson. He is a New York-based producer and stage manager of opera, theater, and dance.
Recent credits include The Turn of the Screw (Juilliard), Fidelio, Turandot, Grounded (Washington National Opera), Elizabeth Cree, The Sound of Music, Songbird, (Glimmerglass), West Side Story (Teatro Lirico di Cagliari), Heartbeat Opera’s Fidelio (US Tour), The Ghosts of Versailles (Opéra Royal de Versailles), and JoAnne Akalaitis’ Bad News (Skirball). He is Production Stage Manager for The Glimmerglass Festival.
Upcoming: Dialogues des Carmélites (Juilliard), Porgy and Bess (WNO).
Chamber Chorus | Chorale le Chateau
Brianna Sheriff Soprano
Chenee Campbell Alto
Sean Holland II Baritone
Kaleb Alexander Hopkins Tenor
Angelo D. Johnson Jr. Bass
The Tongue & The Lash Student Supernumeraries
THE JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Foujia Abida
Edwin Aguirre
Kristi Andoni
Maria Bailey
Jessica Bottalico
Christopher Cabrejo
Leya Cordero
Sean Correa
Seeta Deochan-McClain
Carolina Diaz
Julius Grau
Brandon Gomez
D’Amber Gonzalez
Isabella Henderson
Anniesha Henry
Latyesha Henry
Allen Jiany
Julissa Jimenez
Eleana Lavorata
Zoe Liu
Catherine-Melodie Macky
Brianna Molina
Karen Moran
Maria Moran Valez
Valentina Rodriguez
Jaelleana Santiago
Jordan Stroman
Bryona Thomas
David Torres
Katrina Walles
Emily Zweig
THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL
Eloise Fox
Sean Tagariello
NEW YORK UNIVERISTY
Massimo Montgomery
Joshua Poulos
Michael Singer
A Return to Civic Discourse
A Return to Civic Discourse features visionaries and thinkers who explore some of the nation’s most complex challenges—and offer thought-provoking ideas that can help solve them. Panel discussions are followed by lively Q&As from the audience in the hall and those viewing the livestream.
The curriculum for tonight’s panel is available for free. Please contact:
Donna Banks, PhD Director of Development dbanks@thetownhall.org
thetownhall.org/events/series/a-return-to-civic-discourse
HOST & MODERATOR: Edwidge Danticat
| Columbia University
Edwidge Danticat is the author of several books, including Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection, Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist, The Farming of Bones, The Dew Breaker, Brother, I’m Dying, Create Dangerously, Claire of the Sea Light, The Art of Death, Everything Inside, a Reese’s Book Club selection and National Book Critics Circle Awards winner. She is also the editor of The Butterfly’s Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States, Best American Essays 2011, Haiti Noir, and Haiti Noir 2. She has written seven books for children and young adults: Anacaona, Behind the Mountains, Eight Days, The Last Mapou, Mama’s Nightingale, Untwine, My Mommy Medicine, and a travel narrative, After the Dance. Her memoir, Brother, I’m Dying, was a 2007 finalist for the National Book Award and a 2008 winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography.
She is a 2009 MacArthur Fellow, a 2018 Ford Foundation “Art of Change” fellow, the winner of the 2018 Neustadt International Prize, the 2019 St. Louis Literary Award, the 2011 Bocas Nonfiction Prize and 2020 Bocas Fiction Prize, the 2020 Vilcek Prize for Literature, a 2020 United States Artists Fellow, a two-time winner of The Story Prize, and the 2023 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. Her essay collection, We’re Alone, was published in September 2024. She teaches at Columbia University.
Dr. Brenda M. Greene
| Medgar Evers College
Dr. Brenda M. Greene is professor of English and founder and executive director emeritus of the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. Professor Greene’s research and scholarship include African American literature, composition, and multicultural literature. She has edited several books that include The African Presence and Influence on the Cultures of the Americas, Resistance and Transformation: Conversations with Black Writers, and Rethinking American Literature and written extensive essays and book reviews in English Studies. For more information, visit www.drbrendamgreene.com
Dr. Frank Leon Roberts
| Amherst College
Dr. Frank Leon Roberts is a writer, activist, scholar, and award-winning political organizer. A veteran racial justice activist, he is the co-founder of the National Black Justice Coalition and former special assistant to the late civil rights attorney Johnnie Cochran. Dr. Roberts is the co-editor, with poet Marvin K. White, of the classic activist anthology If We Have To Take Tomorrow. A professor of English and Black Studies at Amherst College, Dr. Roberts received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from NYU where he was named Alumni of the Year in 2020 during the height of his organizing efforts in the wake of the George Floyd protests. A scholar of African American literature, art, and politics—he is an expert on the life and legacy of writer James Baldwin who is the subject of his forthcoming book, James Baldwin’s Critical Stages. Dr. Roberts sits on the Advisory Board for both the James Baldwin Project (founded by filmmaker Karen Thorsen) and The Baldwin Institute. In addition, he is the Scholarly Research Editor for the forthcoming Baldwin 100 Digital Archive Project, a collaborative partnership between The Kinfolk Tech Foundation and Google, Inc. Dr. Roberts is also the founder and executive director of The Baldwin Hansberry Project, an award-winning nonprofit organization that seeks to preserve and promote Baldwin’s legacy in the Harlem community and beyond. Since its founding, The Baldwin Hansberry Project has received philanthropic support from The Roddenberry Foundation and Kate & Steven Spielberg, among other major sources. His popular Apple podcast Finding James Baldwin tells the story of Baldwin’s early New York City roots. A proud Native Son of New York City, he lives in Harlem and Amherst, Massachusetts.
Trevor Baldwin
Trevor Baldwin was born, raised and currently lives in New York City. His father Wilmer, brother of James Baldwin, taught guitar at Harlem School of the Arts and his mother Helen was a CUNY professor and the Executive Director of Minisink Townhouse and Camp. Surrounded by arts and infused with education as a cultural foundation, Trevor is an offspring of Harlem’s rich heritage.
A graduate of The Fieldston School, Morehouse College and New York Film Academy, Trevor works in public relations. He is also a screenwriter and producer with multiple projects in development. As a writer, he’s contributed to various online publications including Gawker, Blavity, VIBE, Global Grind, NewsOne and the Huffington Post
In 2014, for his uncle’s 90th anniversary, Trevor coordinated the street naming of “James Baldwin Place” on the Harlem block where Uncle Jimmy and all his siblings attended elementary school. The ceremony occurred shortly after the death of his Godmother, Dr. Maya Angelou, who had planned to be the keynote speaker at the event. He later began working with Dr. Angelou’s estate on media-related properties such as the PBS documentary Maya Angelou and Still I Rise.
Trevor played a key role in the Apollo Theater premiere of If Beale Street Could Talk and partnered with other Baldwin celebrations as a family ambassador. Working with the estates of two literary icons has made him a natural purveyor of legacy as their inspirational lives and contributions have become increasingly more relevant in today’s society.
In honor of his uncle’s centennial, Trevor formed a family committee to help usher global celebrations, establish a digital footprint and spearheaded initiatives with corporate and cultural institutions. Partnerships include the New York Public Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, National Museum of African-American History and Culture, Google, The Ford Foundation, Fremantle and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. In conjunction with Penguin Random House, he executive produced the Baldwin 100 Podcast, a series examining the author’s work and personal life in discussion with luminary guests such as Eddie Glaude, Jr., Roxanne Gay and Billy Dee Williams. Future projects include guiding the Baldwin 101 initiative, a call to return to James Baldwin’s core works and share their continued resonance with the world, in 2025.
Trevor recently founded Baldwin United, a family-operated non-profit family Collective Action Fund created to promote their uncle’s legacy through art, literacy and social justice. The organization officially launched at a Lincoln Center celebration on August 2, 2024— Uncle Jimmy’s 100th birthday.
Website: jamesbaldwin.info | Instagram: @jamesbaldwin_100
Rob Croes / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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The Powell Family
Mitzi Pratt
Bruce T. Qua
Garth Reese
Scott Rhodes
David Rimmer
William Risch
Vicki Roosevelt, Rob Jorgensen
Neal Rosenberg & Michael Ottaway
Rachel Rosenberg-Shoch
Theresa Rostkowski
Ronald Rotter
Nancy Rubin
Alexa Sage
Faith Salie
James Sall
Aaron Sanders, Kitty Sanders
NallyAnn Scaturro, Stephanie LeBlanc
Isabel B Schiffer
Emily M Sack & Robert J Schloss
Lawrence Shultz
Maxine Schweitzer
Anastasia Mann, Eldar Shafir
Stefan Sherman
James Siokos
Chelsea Sosnowski
Shannon Spezzano, Morgan Nivison, Brittany Schnepel, Bill Irrek
Nina Sporn, Tim Smith
KT Stallings
Michael Steiner
Triple B’s
Anne Sundberg
Victoria Sweet
Angela Tangredi
Abbe Tiger
Sophia Waitword
Scott Weiner, Beth Siegel
Howard Weiss
Kim A. Weiss
Dan Weissman
Judith Wieber
Christine Williams
Stanley Wine, Lillian Tang
Serena Winters
Agnes Xia-Hu
Adnin Zaman, Layla Abushamat
Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
THE TOWN HALL FOUNDATION
The Town Hall’s mission is to provide affordable world-class entertainment by new and established artists to a diverse audience; to inspire the youth of our community to appreciate and participate in the arts at The Town Hall and in schools through our Education Outreach Program; and to preserve and enhance The Town Hall as a historic landmark venue for the enjoyment and cultural enrichment of generations to come.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PRESIDENT Nevin Steinberg
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Tom Wirtshafter
Marvin Leffler
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Susan Zohn
VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL COUNSEL
Ellen Miller-Wachtel
TRUSTEES
Teniola Adedipe
Anne Frank-Shapiro
Frederick Gabriel
Gita Gupte
John A. Jenkins
Natalie Moreno Wexler
James Shackelford
Madhu Goel Southworth
LIFE TRUSTEES
Phyllis Putter Barasch
Mary Dettling-Wright
Bruce S. Leffler
VICE PRESIDENT
Rita Robbins
TREASURER
Joan Rall
SECRETARY
Timothy Stambaugh
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Kathleen Rosenberg, Chair
Nancy Berman
Sandy Horowitz
Elizabeth Iannizzi
Candace Leeds
Zita Rosenthal
Rhoda Rothkopf
ARTS IN EDUCATION
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Michael Fram, Co-Chair
Dr. Eloise Messineo, Co-Chair
Barbara Murray
Dr. Pola Rosen
George Young
THE TOWN HALL STAFF
INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Matt Goldman
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Melay Araya
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Jeff Mann
DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP, SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ADMINISTRATION
Helen Morris
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Donna Banks, PhD
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Taione Martinez
DIRECTOR OF BOOKING AND EVENTS
Paul Cameron Hardy
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS
Abe Hirsch
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Bill Dehling
SR. DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER
Alex Koveos
PROGRAMMING MANAGER
Gloria Lee
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Brooke Ferris
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Britni Montalbano
BOX OFFICE MANAGER
Angel Rodriguez
CHIEF ENGINEER
Steve Franqui
HOUSE MANAGER
Johnny Lee Green
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Carl Acampora
GRAPHIC DESIGNE R
Leia-lee Doran
PROJECT MANAGER
Ray Rigoglioso
CONSULTANT & COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT LEAD
Jasmine Hammond
MULTIMEDIA CONTENT INTERN
Anika Rahman
WARNING
The photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such photographing or sound recording inside the theatre without the written permission of the management is prohibited by law. Violators may be punished by ejection and violations may render the offender liable for monetary damages.
FIRE NOTICE
The exit indicated by a red light and sign nearest to the seat you occupy is the shortest route to the street. In the event of fire or other emergency please do not run, WALK TO THAT EXIT.
Thoughtless persons annoy patrons and endanger the safety of others by lighting matches or smoking in prohibited areas during the performances and intermissions. This violates a city ordinance and is punishable by law.
-FIRE COMMISSIONER
DIRECTORY OF THEATRE SERVICES
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES : 212.997.1003
Mon-Fri 9:30 am to 5 pm, for rental & membership info
BOX OFFICE : 212.840.2824 Mon-Sat 12 noon to 6pm. 24/7 Recording
TICKETMASTER: 800.982.2787 to charge tickets by phone.online Ticketmaster.com
LOST AND FOUND: 212.997.0113
CELL PHONE POLICY
Cell phones should be silenced prior to the performance as a courtesy to the performers and audience.
LOBBY REFRESHMENT BY Theatre Refreshment Company of NY
