Keen Company Unveils Lineup For MIXTAPE: VOLUME 3 Curated By Ato Blankson-Wood
The one-night-only event will take place on April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, featuring performances by ANDREA AMBAM, AREWÀ BASIT, STARR BUSBY, and more, celebrating the contributions of Black women and femmes in the arts.
Keen Company has announced the lineup for MIXTAPE: VOLUME 3, curated by Ato Blankson-Wood. The one-night-only performance will take place Monday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at National Sawdust in Brooklyn.
The evening will be a celebration of Black women/femmes and will feature performances and work by Andrea Ambam, Arewà Basit, Starr Busby, Latoya Edwards, Paige Gilbert, Amber Iman, Onyekachi Iniwu, Jenny Jules, Maya Sharpe, Indigo Sparks, and Lark White.
The Mixtape Series is a new Keen Company initiative presenting one-night-only events curated by artists across disciplines. Each installment brings together a range of performance styles selected by its curator, reflecting Keen's focus on intimate, multidisciplinary live theater experiences. The inaugural Mixtape event, curated by Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri, took place December 3, 2025, at The Space at Irondale and featured work by Monica Bill Barnes & Company, Ira Glass, David Cale, Kim Ima, 2nd Best Dance Company, Katherine Paola De La Cruz, and The Bengsons. Mixtape Volume 2: Curated by Adam Gwon, took place March 2, 2026 at National Sawdust and featured Gwon's original music sung by Elizabeth Stanley, Deborah S. Craig, Soara-Joye Ross. Additional performances include excerpts from Rona Siddiqui and Bryce Pinkham's musical Father Time; original choreography and dance by Jennifer Jancuska & The BringAbout; new work by Isaac Oliver, writer of Broadway's Just in Time; and an "11 o'clock number" sermon by Micah Bucey.
Ato is a multidisciplinary performance artist and theater maker. As a writer/composer Ato is developing original works with the support of The Team's Petri Projects and Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor Residency. As an actor, Ato most recently starred in the world premiere of Jeremy O. Harris' Spirit of the People and Camino Real at The Williamstown Theatre Festival after starring in the off-Broadway premiere of Wole Soyinka's The Swamp Dwellers at TFANA. Prior to this, he played Clifford Bradshaw in Cabaret on Broadway opposite Eddie Redmayne. He is best known for his starring role in Harris' critically acclaimed Slave Play, for which he was nominated for a 2021 Tony Award. He also earned nominations for the Drama League Awards for playing 'Gary,' a role he originated for the New York Theatre Workshop production, where his performance earned him a Lortel Nomination. Ato played the titular role of Hamlet in Shakespeare in the Park's production directed by Kenny Leon. Ato also starred opposite Bill Camp and Elizabeth Marvel in Long Day's Journey Into Night for Audible, which reunited him with Slave Play director Robert O'Hara. Ato had his breakout performance in The Public Theatre musical The Total Bent (Drama League and Lucille Lortel Award nomination). Ato has also been seen on Broadway in Hair and Lysistrata Jones. Films include Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit, Spike Lee's BlacKKKlansman, Worth, opposite Michael Keaton, and Peter Hedge's The Same Storm. Television includes "The Good Fight," "She's Gotta Have It," and Ava DuVernay's "When They See Us." Ato is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and the Yale School of Drama.
Founded in 2000, Keen Company is led by Artistic Director Kelly Kerwin and Producing Director Annie Middleton, who began their tenure in July 2025. The company's mission centers on creating intimate theatrical experiences that foster connection and engagement.
The performance will take place at National Sawdust, located at 80 N. 6th Street in Brooklyn at 7:30pm.
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