Charles Weldon News

In 'Grandma's Quilt' by Karen A. Brown, an elderly poor, unpretentious Black woman in rural Arkansas is sewing a quilt as the final act of her life. Each scrap of material is a prism into a chapter of her family's past. As she reflects on each period, she transforms into younger versions of herself to lead us through the history that she intends to pass on to her granddaughter. One actress portrays the old woman at six points in her life as well as the granddaughter. Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. will present the play's New York premiere March 11 to 21 at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place. Two performers will share the unusual acting challenge of playing what is essentially seven characters: author Karen A. Brown from March 11 to 14 and actress Deidre Monique Benton from March 18 to 21. Director is Anthony Jay Hamilton.

Actor/Director Charles Weldon, who was Artistic Director of The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) since 2005, died December 7 at Mt. Sinai Hospital, NYC. He was 78.

The 2019 MFA Playwriting students at Brooklyn College - Tanya Everett, Eri Nox, Arika Larson and Cherry Lou Sy - will be presenting readings of their full-length plays. All shows will be at The Tank on Wednesdays and Fridays at 3 pm.

From May 16 to 27, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. will present the world premiere production of 'Hercules Didn't Wade in the Water' by Michael A Jones.  The play is winner of the troupe's 2017 Emerging Playwrights Competition.  Called a 'drama with comedy,' it is a story of displacement of Black families and the forces that lead to it in modern America.  Performances are at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place.

From May 16 to 27, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. will present the world premiere production of 'Hercules Didn't Wade in the Water' by Michael A Jones. The play is winner of the troupe's 2017 Emerging Playwrights Competition. Called a 'drama with comedy,' it is a story of displacement of Black families and the forces that lead to it in modern America. Performances are at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place.

From May 16 to 27, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. will present the world premiere production of 'Hercules Didn't Wade in the Water' by Michael A Jones.  The play is winner of the troupe's 2017 Emerging Playwrights Competition.  Called a 'drama with comedy,' it is a story of displacement of Black families and the forces that lead to it in modern America.  Performances are at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place.

To reach an expanded audience, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. (NEC) will re-mount its 2017 revival of 'A Soldier's Play' by Charles Fuller, directed by Charles Weldon, from February 14 to March 4, 2018 at Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street. The piece is historically NEC's most famous and successful play. It was produced last fall at Theatre 80 St. Marks as the culminating event of NEC's landmark 50th season, playing to full houses and glowing notices. The cast of that revival will return intact for the Gene Frankel Theatre run.

To reach an expanded audience, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. (NEC) will re-mount its 2017 revival of 'A Soldier's Play' by Charles Fuller, directed by Charles Weldon, from February 14 to March 4, 2018 at Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street. The piece is historically NEC's most famous and successful play. It was produced last fall at Theatre 80 St. Marks as the culminating event of NEC's landmark 50th season, playing to full houses and glowing notices. The cast of that revival will return intact for the Gene Frankel Theatre run.

New York's most exciting theatre companies will be taking to the stage this February to celebrate Black History Month. See full listings below!

For its 50th season, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. (NEC) has been presenting a retrospective of some of the troupe's signature works. The culminating event of this landmark season will be NEC's most famous and successful production, 'A Soldier's Play' by Charles Fuller, which NEC first presented in 1981 at Theatre Four.

For its 50th season, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. (NEC) has been presenting a retrospective of some of the troupe's signature works. The culminating event of this landmark season will be NEC's most famous and successful production, 'A Soldier's Play' by Charles Fuller, which NEC first presented in 1981 at Theatre Four.

Join Classix as they expand their collective knowledge of the classical canon with an exceptional group directors and actors for this unique series-curated by Awoye Timpo as "an exhibition of rarely seen Black classic plays,' in collaboration with The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center.

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, located at The Graduate Center, CUNY, will present readings of rarely seen plays by Black playwrights on Monday, May 22 and Tuesday, May 23. The readings are free and open to the public on a first come, first served basis.

The 50th season of The Negro Ensemble Company, a year-long retrospective of some of the troupe's signature works, continues May 24 to June 10 at Theatre 80 St. Marks with 'Daughters of the Mock' by Judi Ann Mason.

This Spring, The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. continues the celebration of its 50th Anniversary season, in which it is remounting classic plays of the company's past.

Primary Stages has announced the launch of OFF CENTER: THE OFF-BROADWAY ORAL HISTORY PROJECT.

The Off-Broadway Oral History Project was created to fill a gap in theater history by establishing a video archive featuring the innovative artists who transformed Off- and Off-Off-Broadway in the years after World War II.

Today, November 16 at 4:30 PM, a Sidewalk Signing and Honors Ceremony will be held onstage at Theater 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place.

On Wednesday, November 16 at 4:30 PM, a Sidewalk Signing and Honors Ceremony will be held onstage at Theater 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Marks Place. 

To launch its 50th anniversary season, The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) will revisit its very first production, 'Day of Absence' (1966) by Douglas Turner Ward, with an eight-performance run December 4-11 at Theatre 80 St. Marks, 80 St. Mark's Place. The season will include three more productions at Theatre 80 St. Marks and one at La MaMa.