First Annual UMD Black Theatre Symposium Set for Tonight

Performers, playwrights, designers and scholars from across the Washington region will converge at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center for a day-long dialogue intended to challenge assumptions about race and the future of Black theatre tonight, March 1, 2014. Hosted by the University of Maryland School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS) and the African Continuum Theatre Company, the First Annual Black Theatre Symposium will explore the topic through panel discussions, workshops and performances and is open to anyone interested in Black theatre.

The Symposium is organized by Scot Reese, professor of theatre performance in TDPS and Thembi Duncan, Artistic Director of the African Continuum Theatre Company. The event will culminate with a series of short performances by the participating universities to showcase each school's Black theatre experience.

Provocative questions about Black theatre in our culture, its dominant voices and its role in the 21st century will be explored. Topics range from musical theatre to business and branding. Among the local higher learning institutions participating in the program are George Washington University, Howard University, The American University, Georgetown University and Montgomery College. A complete list of the Symposium's sessions can be found here.

"This is one of the first times in my memory the community of Black theatre artists in DC has truly united its creative talent in a single space," said Reese. "The Symposium is our chance to examine the gamut of Black theatre in this region and define its direction."