Billie Holiday Theatre Reveals 2026-27 Season Featuring Lynn Nottage, Lillias White & More

The Billie Holiday Theatre has announced its 2026-27 season, “A Revolutionary Love,” featuring a lineup of theater, music, dance, film, visual arts, community and education programming in Central Brooklyn.

The season will explore Black love in its communal, familial, romantic and other forms, drawing its theme from bell hooks' words, “The moment we choose to love, we begin to move toward freedom.”

Programming will begin in September with The Billie Community Conversation: From Brooklyn to Broadway, featuring Marcus Paul James, Adriane Lenox, Lillias White and Lynn Nottage. Other highlights include the return of the BILLIE & BEYOND music series, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE Dance Company, the Bed-Stuy Film Festival and the “Black Narrative” theater series.

“This season reflects everything The Billie Holiday Theatre has long stood for—bold artistic expression, meaningful community engagement, and creating opportunities for artists and audiences to come together,” said Executive Director Shadawn Smith. “As we continue to move our legacy forward with new ideas and voices, we're proud to present a season that celebrates the breadth of Black creativity and love across disciplines and generations.”

THE BILLIE COMMUNITY CONVERSATION: FROM BROOKLYN TO BROADWAY

September 14, 2026 at 6 p.m.

The Billie will launch its season in celebration of National Black Theatre Day with a special edition of its community conversation series, presented in collaboration with Marcia Pendelton of Walk Tall Girl Productions.

From Brooklyn to Broadway will explore the borough's connection to Broadway and the artists and creatives shaped by Brooklyn.

The panel will feature Marcus Paul James, Tony Award winners Adriane Lenox and Lillias White and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage. The event is free.

SKYLIGHT OPEN

September 17 and October 30, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

The Billie's monthly Skylight Open series will continue with Brooklyn-based artists working across music, spoken word and dance. Both events are free.

MY SECRET GARDEN

October–December 2026

The Billie's lobby gallery will host My Secret Garden, a new solo exhibition featuring work by artist Aleathea Sapp-Jimenez. Admission is free.

BILLIE & BEYOND

October 9 and December 4, 2026 at 8 p.m.

The BILLIE & BEYOND music series will return with four performances planned throughout the season.

The October 9 season opener will feature Bahamas-born singer-songwriter Kamilah, with singer, songwriter and actress Juanialys Corsino as the opening act. DJ NYLA will provide music throughout the evening, with Shanelle Gabriel returning as host.

Programming for the December installment will be announced at a later date. Additional performances are scheduled for February 12 and April 9, 2027.

BEDSTUY FILM FESTIVAL

October 16–18, 2026

The fifth annual BedStuy Film Festival will take place at The Billie with three days of independent cinema, including short films, documentaries and feature-length works.

Founded in 2017 by Nickie Robinson, the festival highlights local storytellers alongside emerging and established filmmakers.

DANCE AT THE BILLIE – Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE DANCE COMPANY

November 20 at 7 p.m. and November 21 at 5 p.m.

Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE Dance Company will return to The Billie for its annual performances, continuing the company's longstanding relationship with the theater as its artistic home.

The program will feature a curated evening of excerpts from Brown's repertory performed by EVIDENCE dancers.

BLACK NARRATIVE / CARIBBEAN THEATRE FESTIVAL – CARIBBEAN CALLING: ROOTS & RESURGENCE

December 11–13, 2026

The Billie's biennial “Black Narrative” theater series will return with the Caribbean Theatre Festival, Caribbean Calling: Roots & Resurgence.

Curated by Heather Alicia Simms and Patrice Johnson Chevannes, the multi-day program will bring together plays and playwrights from across the Caribbean while spotlighting emerging voices.

The festival will begin December 11 with a free full-length reading of Beyond the Land of Cockpit Country by Christin Eve Cato, directed by Karl O'Brian and presented in collaboration with Bratta Productions.

On December 12, an evening of staged readings and live performance will unite established and emerging Caribbean playwrights in two sections, “Roots” and “Resurgence.” Additional programming will continue December 13.

Frank Silvera WRITER'S WORKSHOP VIRTUAL READING SERIES

January–June 2027

The Billie and the Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop will reunite for The Billie Loves to Laugh: A Series of Comedic Play Readings.

The monthly virtual series will feature new plays performed by professional actors followed by structured critique, with the program culminating in an in-person showcase at The Billie Holiday Theatre.

SPRING AND SUMMER 2027 PROGRAMMING

Additional programming announced for 2027 includes BILLIE & BEYOND on February 12 and April 9; the Youth Arts Academy Pre-Professional Program's Garment of Destiny concert on April 24; the ChoreoQuest Community Showcase on May 14 and 15; DanceAfrica Community Day on May 22; and participation in DanceAfrica's 50th Anniversary at BAM from May 27–31.

The season will continue with Rooted Theater Company in June, SummerFest from June through August, the Youth Arts Academy's Celebration of Dreams Concert on July 3 and The Billie's Black Arts Initiative in July and August.

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