Howlround Theater Commons Home Page

Black Theatre

The rich tradition and current state of Black Theatre is explored in this content, including discussions analyzing contemporary work and pieces honoring trailblazers. Consider starting with the Daughters of Lorraine podcast, the Journal series on the state of Black theatre, or the Journal series on Black women in the performing arts.

The Latest

#DeafWoke with Raven Sutton
Video
#DeafWoke with Raven Sutton
A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow
Tuesday 27 July 2021
United States
Creating a Platform for BIPOC, Deaf, and Hard-of-Hearing Artists
Podcast
Creating a Platform for BIPOC, Deaf, and Hard-of-Hearing Artists
With Michelle Banks of Visionaries of the Creative Arts
by Yura Sapi
21 July 2021
Literature
Video
Literature
Black female literary characters, over the centuries and in present time, are often marginalized. We will discuss how we can reshape and center our stories as women of color
Thursday 29 July 2021
United States
event poster for through a black woman's lens literature.
Literature
red background with white text red pill.
Red Pill
Video

Literature

Black female literary characters, over the centuries and in present time, are often marginalized. We will discuss how we can reshape and center our stories as women of color

Thursday 29 July 2021
United States

Tonya Pinkins presented Through A Black Woman’s Lens—Literature livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 29 July 2021 at 2 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

#DeafWoke with Raven Sutton
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with Raven Sutton

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Tuesday 27 July 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Raven Sutton livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 27 July at 5 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 7 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 8 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

Creating a Platform for BIPOC, Deaf, and Hard-of-Hearing Artists
Podcast

Creating a Platform for BIPOC, Deaf, and Hard-of-Hearing Artists

With Michelle Banks of Visionaries of the Creative Arts

21 July 2021

Yura Sapi sits down with Black, Deaf artist Michelle Banks to talk about Visionaries of the Creative Arts, an organization Michelle co-founded, dedicated to responding to the critical needs of d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing artists who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, in Washington, DC.

A woman holding a syringe and examining it.
Transcending Theatre: My Time with Robbie McCauley
Essay

Transcending Theatre: My Time with Robbie McCauley

20 July 2021

Tara Brooke Watkins reflects on the legacy of Robbie McCauley, who challenged the status quo of theatre systems, from the classroom to the rehearsal room to productions.

event poster for deafwoke with april jackson woodard
#DeafWoke with April Jackson-Woodard
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with April Jackson-Woodard

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Tuesday 13 April 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with April Jackson-Woodard livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 13 July at 5 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 7 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 8 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

event poster for deaf woke with June Alsobrook.
#DeafWoke with June Alsobrook
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with June Alsobrook

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Thursday 8 July 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with June Alsobrook livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 8 July at 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

Creating a Platform for Black-Palestinian Solidarity
Essay

Creating a Platform for Black-Palestinian Solidarity

6 July 2021

Jen Marlowe shares how her documentary play There Is A Field became a framework for exploring Black-Palestinian solidarity.

A headshot of Maurice Parent against a galaxy background. The Building Our Own Tables logo is left of Parent.
Co-Productions and Rethinking Leadership
Podcast

Co-Productions and Rethinking Leadership

With Maurice Parent of the Front Porch Arts Collective

30 June 2021

In this episode of Building Our Own Tables, Yura Sapi talks about leadership in theatre with Black actor and educator Maurice Parent, a co-producer of the Collective.

event poster for deaf woke with dorothea tolliver.
#DeafWoke with Dorothea Tolliver
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with Dorothea Tolliver

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Thursday 24 June 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Dorothea Tolliver livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 25 June at 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

event poster
Business and Access
red background with white text red pill.
Red Pill
Video

Business and Access

A discussion on Black Women as entrepreneurs and the disparities in access to funding—Tonya Pinkins

Thursday 24 June 2021
United States

Tonya Pinkins presented Through A Black Woman’s Lens—Business and Access livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 24 June 2021 at 2 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

The silhouettes of a Black woman and a Black man in an embrace against a pink-purple ombre background.
Confessions of a Black Intimacy Director: Black Love and Human Rights
Essay

Confessions of a Black Intimacy Director: Black Love and Human Rights

7 June 2021

Dr. Ayshia Mackie-Stephenson believes that when it comes to intimacy directing, choreography can celebrate Black love as an act of racial and sexual justice.

event poster for this episode of the stories women carry.
Arts Education and the Focus on Africa for the Future
Tebere Arts Foundation
NBO musical theatre initiative logo.
Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative
Video

Arts Education and the Focus on Africa for the Future

The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent

Monday 24 May 2021
Kenya

Tebere Arts Foundation presented the conversation Arts Education and the Focus on Africa for the Future with The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 24 May 2021 at 10 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 8 p.m. EAT (Nairobi, UTC +3).

#DeafWoke with Noah David James III
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with Noah David James III

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Thursday 20 May 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Noah David James III livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 20 May at 5 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 7 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 8 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

the four panelists.
Through A Black Woman’s Lens
orange circle with T C G text
TCG
Video

Through A Black Woman’s Lens

A Look at the Disparities in Hollywood & Theater for Black Women—Tonya Pinkins

Thursday 20 May 2021
United States

Theatre Communications Group presented Through A Black Woman’s Lens—A Look at the Disparities in Hollywood & Theater for Black Women—Tonya Pinkins livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 20 May 2021 at 2 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

event poster with artist headshot and text event details.
African Diaspora: Shaping the Future of African American Performance
Tebere Arts Foundation
NBO musical theatre initiative logo.
Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative
Video

African Diaspora: Shaping the Future of African American Performance

The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent

Monday 17 May 2021
Kenya

Tebere Arts Foundation presented the conversation African Diaspora: Shaping the Future of African American Performance with The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 17 May 2021 at 10 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 8 p.m. EAT (Nairobi, UTC +3).

event poster for episode ten of the stories women carry.
Connecting Africa to the World: Creative Platforms for Africans on the Continent and Beyond
Tebere Arts Foundation
NBO musical theatre initiative logo.
Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative
Video

Connecting Africa to the World: Creative Platforms for Africans on the Continent and Beyond

The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent

Monday 10 May 2021
Kenya

Tebere Arts Foundation presented the conversation Connecting Africa to the World: Creative Platforms for Africans on the Continent and Beyond with The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 10 May 2021 at 10 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 8 p.m. EAT (Nairobi, UTC +3).

headshots of francis phiri, antoine hunter, and event info.
#DeafWoke with Francis Phiri
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with Francis Phiri

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Thursday 6 May 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Francis Phiri livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 6 May at 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

An illustration of two Black people with different hairstyles and outfits, surrounded by clouds and suns, against an orange and blue background.
Speculating Black Queer Futures
Essay

Speculating Black Queer Futures

27 April 2021

JD Stokely and Nkenna Akunna speculate about what a Black queer future looks like, speaking to sleep and rest, spirit, cyclical time, and more.

deaf woke flyer.
#DeafWoke with Alexandria Wailes
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with Alexandria Wailes

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Thursday 22 April 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Alexandria Wailes livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 22 April at 4 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 6 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 7 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5). Guest to be announced.

event poster for deaf woke with artist headshots and text.
#DeafWoke with Christopher Smith
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with Christopher Smith

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Tuesday 13 April 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Christopher Smith livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 13 April at 4 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 6 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 7 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5).

Image of an adult and child standing on a stage with recording equipment.
Why Are There No Great Kids of Color in the Performing Arts?
Essay

Why Are There No Great Kids of Color in the Performing Arts?

A Black Artist and Arts Educator’s Exploration on Challenges for Kids of Color in Arts Spaces

12 April 2021

Ilasiea Gray looks at the many challenges kids of color face in the performing arts, including access and exposure, the lack of educators of color, and more.

a black rectangle with the text: Antoine hunter presents: #DeafWoke
#DeafWoke with Armani Lawrence
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with Armani Lawrence

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Thursday 8 April 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Armani Lawrence livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 8 April at 4 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 6 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 7 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5).

Kamilah Forbes portrait.
Imagining a Way Forward
Essay

Imagining a Way Forward

Discussions on Theatre and Race

30 March 2021

Kamilah Forbes, artistic director of the Apollo Theater, speaks with Wes Jackson and P. Carl about the American theatre being a very slow-moving ship, genre-crossing for artists and organizations, systemic racism in the field, and more.

text "the jazz equation" over sheet music.
The Jazz Equation
Ambiance Theatre Company
Video

The Jazz Equation

A young and gifted math teacher receives a special request to teach a teenage prodigy

Saturday 27 March 2021
United States

Ambiance Theatre Company presented a performance of The Jazz Equation livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network howlround.tv on Saturday 27 March 2021 at 5:30 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 7:30 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 8:30 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

portraits of artists with yellow event detail text.
#DeafWoke with CJ Jones
dancers performing against white background
Urban Jazz Dance Company
Video

#DeafWoke with CJ Jones

A virtual consciousness-raising online talk show, led by Black and Native American Deaf host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Thursday 18 March 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with CJ Jones livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 18 March at 4:05 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 6:05 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 7:05 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5). Guest to be announced.