IN HONOR OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT to Host For the Culture Events Series
Free programming includes talkbacks with Michael Holman and salons hosted by Daniel J. Watts.
New York Theatre Workshop has announced a series of free companion events to run alongside performances of IN HONOR OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, the solo show created and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith. The lineup, organized under the banner For the Culture, includes post-show talkbacks, a guided walking tour of downtown neighborhoods tied to Jean-Michel Basquiat's life, a party called Basquiat Night featuring music from Marc Anthony Thompson, an outdoor Monologue Jam, and Saturday Salons hosted by Daniel J. Watts. A preshow gathering billed as ForeWords: Generational Arts, presented in partnership with Art on the Ave and the LISA Project, will take place at a nearby venue and feature artists, curators, and cultural thinkers discussing Basquiat's legacy. Scheduled talkbacks include a conversation between Smith and Michael Holman, who knew Basquiat, as well as a session focused on the production's artistic process and a panel discussion with guests to be announced.
Special Event: Basquiat Walking Tour
SEPT 13
In partnership with Walk on The Wild Side Tours NYC, the tour explores the downtown neighborhoods that shaped Jean-Michel Basquiat's artistic journey. This guided walking tour examines the creative communities, cultural influences, and lasting legacy of one of New York City's most influential artists.
Special Event: Basquiat Night
SEPT 17
8:30–10PM @ NYTW (79 E 4th St)
From Boomers to Gen Z, the event celebrates Basquiat's timeless influence in a high energy gathering of artists and cultural workers. Blending music, storytelling, and connection, this multigenerational party features Marc Anthony Thompson as DJ spinning across eras, turning the room into a living archive of sound, style, and shared legacy.
Special Event: Saturday Salons
SEPT 12, 19, 26 and OCT 3
8–9pm @ NYTW (79 E 4th St)
Following Saturday evening performances of In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat, multi-hyphenate Tony Award nominee Daniel J. Watts (Lights Out! Nat King Cole, The Refuge Plays) will host a continued celebration of Basquiat's life and legacy. With music, spoken-word and his singular practice of painting with his feet while he dances, Daniel and his special guests will bring the party to 4th Street.
Special Event: Monologue Jam Open Salon
SEPT 24
5:30-6:30 outside on E 4th Street
In partnership with FABnyc, as part of Open Arts LES, the event turns The East 4th Street Open Street into a living canvas where poets, singers, and actors gather to celebrate the immigrant and artistic voices in celebration of Jean-Michel Basquiat's work.
Talkbacks & More
SEPT 10 - AfterWords: Roger Guenveur Smith & Michael Holman
Post-Show @ NYTW (79 E 4th St)
Immediately following the performance, the event features an exclusive, intimate conversation featuring Roger Guenveur Smith and Michael Holman, two defining voices who knew Jean-Michel Basquiat during pivotal eras of his life.
SEPT 16 - AfterWords: Artistic Process
Post-Show @ NYTW (79 E 4th St)
Audiences can engage directly with the creative team as they share insider stories from rehearsals, answer questions, and explore the themes of In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
SEPT 23 - ForeWords: Generational Arts
5:30-6:30pm @ Arts on the Ave (98 E 4th St)
In partnership with Art on the Ave and the LISA Project, the preshow gathering invites audiences into Basquiat's world through conversation and reflection before the performance. Featuring artists, curators, and cultural thinkers, the program offers a brief but impactful framing of Basquiat's legacy today.
SEPT 24 - AfterWords
Post-show @ NYTW (79 E 4th St)
A panel discussion about the production and its themes will feature special guests to be announced later.
About the Production
On the heels of the acclaimed sold-out run during Under the Radar, Obie Award-winning actor, playwright and director Roger Guenveur Smith performs an intimate one-man show honoring his friend and collaborator Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Roger Guenveur Smith met in Los Angeles, where Jean-Michel was painting in a Venice studio and Roger was rapping as 'Hollywatts' on the fertile 1980s club scene. Smith's politically charged soliloquies found their way onto Basquiat's canvas, and Smith eventually created 'Smiley,' the Basquiat-inspired artist/arsonist for Spike Lee's classic Do the Right Thing.
In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat features live sound design by Marc Anthony Thompson.
The engagement runs September 9 through October 4.
The events accompany the run of IN HONOR OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT at New York Theatre Workshop, following additional details and programming previously announced for the production.
