National Black Theatre Presents SWEET

Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre (NBT) kicks off its 48th season with "The Alchemy of Black Joy," an exhibition of original works by renowned photographer Peter Cooper on Wednesday, September 7, and the world premiere of Harrison David Rivers' play "Sweet" on Wednesday, October 19. The events and productions reflect the theater company's theme this season: "In Pursuit of Black Joy."

"Often the Western gaze obfuscates Black culture's complexity in articulating joy, leaning toward digestible tropes that often emphasize or limit our expression to stereotypes. Today in particular with the inundating images and news of the slaying of young Black people, NBT feels it imperative to dedicate our full season to the creative investigation, expression and pursuit of joy-on our own terms, in our own words," said Sade Lythcott, CEO of NBT. "The intention here is to reclaim our stories and introduce a counternarrative that authentically celebrates who we are as people and hopefully helps to bring about a healing that we are all very much in need of today."

The season begins on Wednesday, September 7, with NBT's classic dramaturgical lobby exhibition, "The Alchemy of Black Joy," which will feature an affecting exhibition of Peter Cooper's photographic work and will also include an interactive art installation created by Lythcott and excerpts of poetry by Marc Bamuthi Joseph. Cooper, who coins himself a global citizen, will feature 16 of his original works that capture the different shades, textures and representations of joy found in the Black community. The exhibition of Cooper's work will continue until October 14.

The pursuit of Black joy will continue with Rivers' play "Sweet," running from Wednesday, October 19, through Sunday, November 20. Directed by Raelle Myrick-Hodges, who is making her New York City directorial debut, the play follows the tumultuous lives of three Midwesterners during the late '60s. Retha and Nina Baker have always been close-folding laundry together, chasing fireflies together and enduring the summer heat together. But when their mother dies unexpectedly and their neighbor, George returns home from college, the sisters' relationship begins to fray and long-held desires threaten to tear them apart. Set on the outskirts of an all-black town in rural Kansas, "Sweet" is a coming of age story about the sacrifices we make to hold on to the ones we love.

This season will also include two workshop productions by NBT's playwrights in residence: Dennis A Allen II's "Manhood" in February 2017 and Nambi E. Kelley's "Blood" in March 2017. Additional information about the workshop productions will be released later this year. The season will conclude with another world premiere production yet to be announced.

"In a time when the Black body is continuously under assault, NBT creates a healing space, reminding us all of the awesome power we each have as members of a community," Lythcott said.

Available now are NBT's Season Passes, offering great discounts for theater lovers! A VIP Season Pass ($149) includes two tickets to every NBT production this year ("Sweet," "Manhood," "Blood" and the spring world premiere production (TBA), two tickets to every Keep Soul Alive Monday Reading Series showcase and access to other events throughout the season. A Regular Season Pass ($99) includes one ticket to every NBT production this year (excluding any Opening Night show), one ticket to every Keep Soul Alive Monday Reading Series and access to other events throughout the season.

Tickets for "Sweet" are also now on sale. Previews run 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19 through October 21, with the ticket price at $20. The production officially opens on October 22 with an Opening Night Gala that includes a 7 p.m. show followed by a reception. Performances will run from Sunday, October 23 to Sunday, November 20 on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m.; Sunday performances will be at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $35.00 general admission with the following exceptions: All seats during the final week are $40 and an Opening Night Gala ticket (Saturday, October 22) is $50. A discounted ticket price of $25 is available for groups of 10 or more, senior citizens, students, active military members and veterans. Tickets can be purchased online at www.nationalblacktheatre.org, by calling NBT directly at (212) 722-3800 or at NBT's Box Office, open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. National Black Theatre is located at 2031 Fifth Avenue between 125th and 126th Streets in Harlem. (Take the 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 subway to 125th Street.)

Follow NBT on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NationalBlackTheatre) and Twitter/Instagram (@NatBlackTheatre).

Dennis A. Allen II, writer of "Manhood"

Dennis A. Allen II was born and raised in Hempstead, New York. He takes his mantra from Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist": "To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation." Allen's play "The Mud Is Thicker in Mississippi," directed by his frequent collaborator Christopher Burris, was a winner at the 35th annual Off Off Broadway Samuel French Festival in 2010. He is a recipient of Atlantic Theater Company's inaugural 2014-2015 Launch Commission. He's received the Himan Brown Creative Writing Award two years running, and has developed and produced plays with the New Black Fest, Lark Play Development Center, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Fire This Time Festival, Working Theater, New York Madness, Bowery Poetry Club (Sticky), JACK, Naked Expedition Project, 48 Hours in Harlem and the National Black Theatre In 2013, he received his MFA from Mac Wellman and Erin Courtney's Brooklyn College playwriting program. March 2016 marked the world premiere of his play "When We Wake Up Dead," produced by Brooklyn College. It would be safe to say that he is fulfilling his obligation.

Peter Cooper, photographer, 'The Alchemy of Black Joy'

Peter Cooper is driven by curiosity. He gained adoration for a camera while devoting half a year to studying and traveling through 12 countries. With creativity and passion, melding the tangible and intangible, it is an immense honor for him to interpret life visually. Peter has been documenting Harlem, in particular, since 2011, on his own and in collaboration with other artists and arts organizations such as National Black Theatre, Art In Flux, ImageNation, Harlem Community News, Harlem Biennale, and Hi-ARTS. He has refined his video dexterity by working intensely with Dash Media PR, Tribeca Film Festival 2015, and most recently, Salon.com.

Peter received a B.A. in Communications and the Arts from Pace University. He has also completed courses in documentary filmmaking at Maysles Cinema and multi-media storytelling at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

His mantra is Dream, Create, Repeat. http://iampetercooper.weebly.com

Raelle Myrick Hodges, director of "Sweet"

Born in North Carolina, raised in Washington, D.C. and educated internationally, Raelle Myrick-Hodges is a graduate of Ealing College (London) and the University of Southern California. Artistically mentored by George C. Wolfe and Joseph Haj, she is an original co-founder of Azuka Theater in Philadelphia. This year, she directed "Two Trains Running" at the Arden Theater Company (Philadelphia) and "Fences" at California Shakespeare Theater. Her work as a performance art creator/curator has been seen at the de Young Museum, Red Poppy Art House, Theater Monnot (Beirut, Lebanon) and Ami Galerie (Paris). As a producer/curator, she has worked with both regional artists and high-profile internationally known ensembles and performers in music, dance and theater, including artists such as Denis O'Hare, the Rude Mechanicals, Sam Green, Double Edge Theatre, Arturo Sandoval and Joey Arias, among others. She will collaborate in workshop with Urban Bush Women this fall and is slated to presents works for Pacde University and PlayMakers Repertory Company. She is currently creating a new work with Elephant Room entitled, "#BLKGRLSINGALONG" to premiere January 2018.

Nambi Kelley has penned plays for Steppenwolf, Goodman Theatre and Court Theatre/American Blues Theater in Chicago, Lincoln Center and the National Black Theatre in New York and internationally with LATT Children's Theatre/Unibooks Publishing Company (South Korea) Teatri Sbagliati (Italy) and The Finger Players (Singapore) where she also performed in the coadapted production in Singapore of "The Book of Living and Dying." Most recently, Kelley was named playwright in residence at the National Black Theatre in New York, was a finalist for the Francesca Primus Prize and the Kevin Spacey Foundation Award and is working on an adaptation of Toni Morrison's "Jazz" to be produced by Center Stage in their 2016-17 season. Her adaptation of "Native Son" will be published by Sam French, 2016, and is also on the Kilroys List 2015, in the top seven percent of new plays by female and transgender authors nominated by literary managers, directors and other artists polled across the country. Other writing credits include: La MaMa Playwrights Symposium Playwright-In-Residence, Spoleto, Italy, under the tutelage of Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, Ragdale artist in residence, HealthWorks Theatre Colonel Stanley R. McNeil Playwright in Residence, Chicago Dramatists Playwright Emeritus, Danny Glover's Robey Theatre Co. Playwriting Lab (formerly The Blacksmyths At The Mark Taper Forum), and MPAACT Playwright Emeritus, Chicago. Kelley has a BFA from the Theatre School at DePaul University, and holds an MFA in interdisciplinary arts from Goddard College in Vermont. www.nambikelley.com

Harrison David Rivers is a playwright whose plays have been performed and developed at The Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Lincoln Center, LAByrinth Theater Company, the Drama League, the Movement Theatre Company, Diversionary Theater (San Diego), About Face (Chicago), TheatreLAB (Richmond, Va.), Theater Latte Da (Minneapolis) and the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. Awards include the McKnight Fellowship for Playwrights, the Jerome Many Voices Fellowship, New Dramatists Van Lier Fellowship, New York Theatre Workshop's Emerging Artist of Color Fellowship, Aurora Theatre's Global Age Project Prize, New York Stage and Film's Founders Award and a GLAAD Media Award for best Off-Off Broadway play. Harrison is an alumnus of The Public Theater's Emerging Writers' Group, Interstate 73, NAMT, the Lincoln Center Directors' Lab and he was the 2016 Playwright-in-Residence at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. He is an NYTW Usual Suspect and a Core Writer at the Playwrights' Center. Rivers received his Bachelors of Arts degree from Kenyon College and his Masters of Fine Arts from the Columbia School of the Arts.

Founded by visionary Dr. Barbara Ann Teer in 1968, National Black Theatre (NBT) is a nationally recognized cultural and educational institution. Dr. Teer pioneered "the healing art of black theatre as an instrument for wholeness in urban communities where entrepreneurial artists of African descent live and work." In 1983, Dr. Teer expanded the vision of NBT by purchasing a 64,000-square-foot building on 125th Street and Fifth Avenue (renamed "National Black Theatre Way" by local law in 1994). This was the first revenue-generating Black arts complex in the country, an innovative arrangement through which for-profit businesses who shared NBT's spiritual and aesthetic values rented retail space to subsidize the arts. Out of her vision, NBT houses the largest collection of Nigerian new sacred art in the Western hemisphere and is considered the authentic representation of a model whose time has come. NBT is partially supported by grants from the City Council of New York, City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs, Ford Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts and private donations.

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