The Billie Holiday Theatre Announces New Season With Launch Of The Inugural New Windows Festival

The Billie Holiday Theatre Artistic and Executive Director Dr. Indira Etwaroo announced the line-up today for The Billie Holiday Theatre's Fall 2019 Season and 2019 - 2020 Season Highlights at their newly-renovated home at Restoration Plaza on 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216. This historic landmark theater - theater home to the largest community of African Americans in the nation: Central Brooklyn - encompassing a 199-seat theater, state-of-the-art studio spaces, a gallery space, and outdoor plazas, has been home to world-class storytelling for 47 years. Forged in the sociocultural and aesthetic kiln of the Civil Rights and Black Arts Movements, The Billie Holiday Theatre continues to celebrate the diversity, intersectionality, and complexity of the African diaspora from around the corner and around the world with an almost-five decade, keenly honed consciousness for social justice through narrative.

"This is a season that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit, which remains at the core of the African American experience during this 400th commemorative year of the beginning of slavery in America. We enter this season with a profound knowledge that the African American story is the very foundation of the American story," stated Artistic and Executive Director Dr. Indira Etwaroo. "We strive to stretch and innovate on Black narratives in the 21st century from 20th anniversary works by internationally renowned choreographer Ron Brown that are still profoundly resonant, to playwright James Sheldon's world premiere Reparations, helmed by the incomparable Michele Shay, presenting our audience the first produced playwright of non-African descent in our theater's history, to eclectic local musical talent in our daring Skylight Open, to new play readings by our resident company, Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop."

This Fall 2019, The Billie launches the New Windows Festival, as a platform for deeply necessary cross-cultural and inter-racial dialogues around race, social justice, and equity, developed by an historic Black-led cultural institution to explore our shared humanity, while providing our audiences an opportunity to witness provocative, groundbreaking, and radical work in their own theater home in Central Brooklyn...all in a spirit of excellence and inclusion. The 2019 New Windows Festival includes the World Premiere of James Sheldon's Reparations, an exhibit by internationally renowned artist Luba Lukova "Designing Justice," and a reading of a new play by David Davila.

Our Education Division launches the 21st year of our Youth Arts Academy, which has been a haven of beauty, safety, and free expression for hundreds of youth annually, cultivating global citizens to become powerful contributors to their communities. YAA offers a wide range of classes, including West African Dance, Ballet, Modern Dance, Hip-Hop, Drama, and Drumming encompassing the Sabar, Steel Pan, and Djembe taught by a world-class faculty for students ages 3 - 18 years old. Registration ONLINE at http://TheBillieHoliday.org and IN PERSON at 718-636-6995. The Billie Holiday Theatre, in partnership with The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, also engages over 75 young theater artists annually, ages 18 - early 30s, from across the world at The Billie Holiday Theatre. With founding faculty Stephen McKinley Henderson, Ruben Santiago Hudson, Phylicia Rashad, Sonia Sanchez, and Michele Shay, The Billie and Stella Adler Studio have joined arms to address voids that are still missing in many mainstream college and university theater programs and training programs: a curriculum and theater canon, a peer group, performance experiences, and administration and faculty that fully reflect the exquisite diversity of students of African descent. BAI has focused on socio-cultural, historical, and political eras that have informed the creative expression of Black people on American soil, mainly the Black Arts Movement. Registration at https://blackartsinstitute.org/.

The 47-year partnership between The Billie Holiday Theatre and its founder, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, continues to provide a vital and viable platform for the sustainability of world-class art in the heart of Bed-Stuy.

Patrons who join the Friends of The Billie program as a donor, starting with a gift of $50, gain access to VIP tickets and events, and advance notice of events throughout the year. To find out how you can support The Billie by joining the Friends of The Billie program at http://thebillieholiday.org/support/ or call 718-636-0918.

Tickets for the 2019 - 2020 season are available ONLINE at TheBillieHoliday.org/show-and-events; IN PERSON at The Billie Holiday Theater Box Office at Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street from Wed - Fri, 4 - 7pm and Sat 1 - 4pm; and BY PHONE at (718) 636-0918.

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