Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Dominique Morisseau, Vivian Reed, Black Theatre United & More to be Honored by Project1VOICE

Project1VOICE, a New York-based organization dedicated to supporting theatre and the performing arts by people of African descent, has announced the esteemed recipients for their upcoming Project1VOICE Honors.

The Lifetime Achievement Award honorees will include Vivian Reed, two-time Tony-nominated veteran of five Broadway shows; Sheila Kay Davis, founder of New Professional Theatre; Thelma Pollard, makeup supervisor extraordinaire; Harlem's cultural minister, Kojo Ade; along with lighting designer and theater historian, Kathy A. Perkins.

The Regional Theatre Award will be presented to Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in San Francisco, California.

The Transformative Trailblazing Award recipients are the seven Black playwrights who ushered in Broadway's triumphant return last fall: Alice Childress, Douglas Lyons, Dominique Morisseau, Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu, Lynn Nottage, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Keenan Scott II.

Black Theatre United, ChiChi Anyanwu, Nina Marie Ward and the Black Women on Broadway will all be honored with Project1VOICE's Outstanding Service in the Arts Award.

HOW TO WATCH

Project1VOICE Honors will be live streamed on project1voice.org and the Project1VOICE YouTube channel at 7 pm EST on Sunday, June 19. This will be the first day of Project1VOICE's free two-day Juneteenth event, celebrating Black artistic endeavors in the fine and performing arts. On day two-Monday, June 20-a virtual staged reading of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated, From the Mississippi Delta will be presented. The play is produced by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois.

This year Project1VOICE urges arts and culture lovers and supporters to find ways to engage with, and support Black creative organizations in their community. For a listing of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), along with Black theaters, Black dance companies, Black museums please visit Project1VOICE.org.

Erich McMillan-McCall, Founder and Director of Project1VOICE, has dedicated the past 10-plus years to uplifting other Black creatives and providing education on the contributions of Black artists throughout the history of the United States and beyond. With Project1VOICE's virtual performance platform, programming and initiatives, Mr. McMillan-McCall hopes to continue this necessary work and draw additional support.

"I believe that the key to continuing our robust and rich history of Black theatre in this country will depend on four areas of action: Sustain, Endow, Access and Thrive, McMillan-McCall explains "This is how we will endure and exceed. These two days are intended to connect us to our varied and robust past, present and future. During these two days we will commemorate the 'emancipation' of our collective and individual voices, paving the way for the better future that is always ours to claim."

As a recipient of a generous gift from The Black Seed/Mellon Foundation, Project1VOICE will use the funds as intended; to plant the seeds of growth for Black creatives and arts professionals by honoring Black theatre artists, actively engaging and hiring Black people and specifically Black women for the organization's initiatives, and using their platform to encourage support for Black creatives and performing arts organizations.

For additional information visit Project1VOICE.org.