MISSION
HISTORY
PRESS
VENUE
TEAM
BOARD
The Mission
Our History & Vision
Our North Star…Harlem Stage is the global stage for performing artists of the Global Majority who dare to assert the artistic freedom that gives birth to new works and ideas and, thus… a new world.
In 1983, Harlem Stage, (then named Aaron Davis Hall, Inc.) was founded in part on the principle that artists of color, particularly Black Artists’ voices were censored, not treated equitably, not given the resources, not provided the platforms that were commensurate with their talents. In short, they were denied equal access. Our mission was to provide access, resources, and enable audiences to witness the visionary work of excellence by artists of color that examined and critiqued the world, our world. We have presented and commissioned their work for nearly 40 years and continue that work at the intersection of Art and Social Justice.
Our collective work continues to amplify the voices of the millions who have taken to the streets demanding justice not just this time, but also historically to examine and denounce racism, its terrible legacy, and its recurring deleterious impact. We are proud of our past and are finally seeing a gradual increase in the presentation of these artists in programming offered by institutions across the country and the world. Simultaneously we realize that while we have seeded the field with their representation, we have not been treated equitably, not given the resources that are required to develop and consistently sustain this work, this investment in artistic equity. The development of new work is a costly matter, from artists’ commissions to rehearsal fees to marketing expenses, each new work takes from 1 to 2 years to develop and costs an average of $200,000 to produce.
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Our commitment has been rewarded in work of outstanding quality and insight, art that transforms. Our long history includes: Craig Harris’s Brown Butterfly on the real fight of Cassius Clay to become Muhammad Ali, triumphant in the ring but imprisoned for his refusal to fight in an unjust war; the late Sekou Sundiata’s 51st Dream State, a state of imagined grace founded in the recognition of our common humanity; and later through our WaterWorks initiative – Vijay Iyer and Mike Ladd’s Holding it Down, revealing the impact of another war in which soldiers of color were traumatized in a conflict not of their own making; Carl Hancock Rux’s Makandal, developed as an opera examining the life and history of the first betrayed Haitian revolutionary (which we had to shelve because we could not raise the funds required to bring the project to full staging); the two and a half year citywide celebration of the works of James Baldwin which culminated with Stew’s Notes of a Native Song which included his homage to the innocence of young Trayvon Martin in, Florida; and Meshell Ndegeocello’s, Can I get a Witness? The Gospel of James Baldwin, with its church-infused music and sermons, became a healing ceremony that cautioned and prepared us for the pending “Fire Next Time” following the election of Donald Trump; the community reckoning of Antigone In Ferguson done in collaboration with Theatre of War in recognition of the murder of Michael Brown; our tribute to the revolutionary thinking and music of Sun Ra led by Nona Hendryx in the Temple of Dendur in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And then the COVID-19 curtain fell just as we were prepared to produce the American premiere of A Drop of Midnight by Afro-Swedish hip hop star, Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité – a performance based on his autobiographical novel tracing the journey of his family from Harlem, to Sweden and his return to their roots in South Carolina and the racism that he encountered along the way.
Our calling out for justice has been long and consistent, not from the streets but from the stage, from Harlem Stage.”
HARLEM IS
OUR HOME.
THE WORLD
IS OUR
STAGE.
Accessibility
Making performances easily accessible to all audiences is a pillar of the Harlem Stage mission. We are always striving to improve the experience for all, including those with disabilities, and are working to implement the latest accessibility guidelines.
Our venue is wheelchair accessible, and has an elevator which allows for full access to our public spaces. Tickets for accessible seats are available for purchase over the phone, online, or in-person.
Wheelchair accessible / gender-neutral bathrooms are located on the first floor.
Much of our digital programs and content is closed captioned and we are actively working to acquire assistive listening devices and provide live captioning on all of our digital programming.
If there is anything we can do to make your experience with our programming, our website, or our venue more accessible to you please let us know.
Phone: (212) 281-9240 EXT 19
E-Mail: [email protected]
Mailing Address: 150 Convent Avenue New York, New York 10031
DR. INDIRA ETWAROO
CEO & Artistic Director
CARL HANCOCK RUX
Associate Artistic Director
ERIC OBERSTEIN
Managing Director
DEIRDRE MAY
Senior Director of Communications
AMANDA K. RINGGER
Director of Production
SHANTÉ SKYERS
Director of Development
JULIANNA FRIEDMAN
Development Manager
ANDRE PADAYHAG
Marketing Manager and Graphic Designer
SARAH MCCAFFERY
Programming Manager
JEFF DAVOLT
Assistant Production Manager
KARLVY SMITH
Strategic Planning Manager
TERRI MONTREL
Programming Associate
LAMONT ASKINS
Operations Manager
ADRIENNE GOMEZ
Box Office Manager
BETHANY CINTRON
Programming Associate
ACEY ANDERSON
Maintenance Associate
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Courtney F. Lee-Mitchell
President
Angela Glover Blackwell
Claire Danes
Rebecca Robertson
Jamie Cannon
Vice President
Jenna Bond
Hugh Dancy
LaChanze Sapp-Gooding
Michael Young
Secretary
Jamila Ponton Bragg
Jenette Kahn
Tamara Tunie
Mark Thomas
Treasurer
JoAnn K. Chase
Channing Martin
Blair Washington
RENTALS
Harlem Stage is available Any Day of the Week, Including Weekends for Events & Space rentals
A flexible, designed space provides a 2,990 square foot open performance area, with a full grid for hanging lights and most scenery. This theater has a maximum capacity of 192 (including wheelchair accessible locations) with flexible seating configurations that can be tailored to production needs. The control booth allows for creative usage of lighting and sound. This space is ideal for performances, lectures, cocktail receptions, fundraising events and photo and film shoots.
Additional services included with The Harlem Stage Gatehouse rental are:
- One Private Dressing Room
- Two Group Dressing Rooms (Max 7 people in each)
- One Green Room
- Full Box Office Services
- Coat Check
- Convenient Loading Dock
- Convenient Seasonal Outdoor Café/Lounge
For more information on leasing The Harlem Stage Gatehouse contact [email protected]