The Billie Holiday Theatre announced details for its 2024-25 season.
Marking the theater’s first full season under the leadership of Executive Director Shadawn Smith, this year’s programming will feature an exciting and expanded lineup to include a new music series, community focused events, dance presentations, special editions of core programs and theatrical productions, according to a press release.
With a commitment to telling Black stories remaining at the core of its DNA, The Billie will continue to center the exploration of the Black Theater canon this season with the inaugural Black Narrative theater series featuring a mix of solo performances, one-act plays, readings and works-in-progress. Set to become a bi-annual celebration of Black theater, the new series will launch this fall with three days of performances, readings and conversations that give voice to the African American experience.
“I am so excited to present this new season to our audiences. Following the culmination of the institution’s 50th anniversary last year, we wanted to create world class programming for this season that would illustrate what’s in store for The Billie as we look toward the future as well as reinforce the theater’s legacy and role as the artistic anchor of this community,” said Smith. “From the launch of the new music series in honor of our namesake to the new theater series celebrating Black voices and stories to our continued partnership with renowned choreographer Ronald K. Brown and his Evidence Dance Company to our townhall event to encourage our community to exercise their right to vote, we remain dedicated to ensuring that The Billie continues to be the home for creating and nurturing Black narratives in the 21st century and beyond!”
Events under the series will include: Award-winning actor, singer and writer Daniel Koa Beaty’s critically acclaimed one-person show Love Warrior, produced by the New Heritage Theatre Group; a collaboration with The Fire This Time Festival for a special edition featuring playwright alumni to present six 10-minute plays focused on social and political issues impacting the Black community such as gentrification, Black Lives Matter and the concept of Black love and joy; and a staged reading of works by celebrated playwrights Amiri Baraka (Dutchman) and Aishah Rahman (The Lady and The Tramp), directed by Dominique Rider, to be presented in partnership with CLASSIX, a collective of five theater artists conceived and founded by director Awoye Timpo to explore the Black performance history and dramatic work by Black writers.
Extending its reach beyond theater to its musical roots and in homage to its namesake the institution’s fall lineup will also see the premiere of the BILLIE & BEYOND music series showcasing next generation female vocalists and instrumentalists who are firing up the stage with a mix of jazz, R&B, gospel and more. The first performance under the series will present one of the most exciting and unique emerging artists in jazz: violinist Kersten Stevens. The six-time winner of the iconic Showtime at the Apollo will perform selections from her much acclaimed new album QUEEN RISING, as well as a variety of jazz inspired numbers and traditional and original worships songs.
As part of their longstanding partnership with The Billie, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, the renowned dance company founded by the internationally acclaimed choreographer, will move toward the celebration of their 40th anniversary season with a weekend of dance at The Billie. The weekend will include their annual concert featuring some of the company’s signature pieces such as Walking Out of Dark and Torch, as well as a community dance workshop.
The Billie’s season will kick off in September with a special town hall discussion, The Billie Community Conversation: Power of the Black Vote, along with a voter registration drive to be held on National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 17. Voter education and registration materials to be provided by NYC Votes and National Voter Registration Day. To close out its Fall/Winter 2024 programming, the theater will present The Billie’s Holiday Experience: Remembering Home, spotlighting the Caribbean immigrant communities of Bed-Stuy.
Additionally, The Billie’s multidisciplinary arts instruction program, the Youth Arts Academy (YAA), will return for a new semester on Sept. 23 with registration open now. YAA offers a wide range of classes, including West African dance, ballet, modern dance, Hip-Hop, drama and drumming including the Sabar, Steel Pan, and Djembe, taught by a world-class faculty for students ages 3 to 18 years old.
