Full Lineup Announced and Tickets On-Sale for MKE Black Theatre Festival, August 7-25, 2024

MILWAUKEE—Black Arts MKE is thrilled to unveil the full lineup for the 2024 MKE Black Theatre Festival, running from August 7 to 25. Now in its third year, this vibrant celebration of Black theatre is bigger and better, offering a rich array of performances and events designed to uplift and honor Black creatives. Headlining this year’s festival are three powerful productions: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When The Rainbow Is Enuf, The Realness, and Stories About The Old Days.

Kicking off on August 7, the festival marks the beginning of a year-long celebration of Black Arts MKE’s 10th anniversary. This milestone year will culminate in the organization’s first-ever gala on December 6, followed by the annual performance of Black Nativity by Langston Hughes.

Throughout August, the festival will feature both ticketed and free events. The dynamic programming includes full-production plays, a staged reading, an audition masterclass, a youth and family night, auditions, a poetry set, and more. Events will be hosted at various venues across Milwaukee, including Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall, Todd Wehr Theater and Studio 4A at Marcus Center, The Table, Alice’s Garden, Insomniac Studios, and HoneyBee Sage.
FULL SCHEDULE

• August 7, 6:30 p.m. at Alice’s Garden: Youth & Family Night, directed by Ashley S. Jordan.
• August 8-25, 7:30 p.m. at Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange, directed by Linetta Alexander. Tickets are now on sale.
• August 8-25, 7:30 p.m. at Todd Wehr Theater: The Realness, a break beat play by Idris Goodwin, directed by Denzel Taylor; special pre-performance event Meet the Playwright Idris Goodwin, Opening Night on August 8 at 5:00pm. Tickets are now on sale.
• August 12, 5:30 p.m. at Insomniac Studios: Open Audition Masterclass with Lori Woodall—Headshots for Emerging & Professional Actors, an Audition Workshop & Auditions for In The Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks. No RSVP necessary, open to all emerging theater professionals and students.
• August 15-17, 7:30 p.m. at The Table: Stories About the Old Days by Bill Harris, directed by Nic Starr & Sheri Williams Pannell in collaboration with Bronzeville Arts Ensemble. Tickets are now on sale.
• August 19, 5:30 p.m. at Studio 4a Marcus Center: Auditions for Auditions for Black Nativity by Langston Hughes. Sign-up link here.
• August 20, 7:30 p.m. at The Table: A live reading of In The Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks directed by Lori Woodall, pay what you can.
• August 24, 4 p.m. at HoneyBee Sage: Poetry Set with The Jasmine Sims. Free to attend.

MKE Black Theatre Festival is produced by Black Arts MKE, a Black-led performing arts organization that serves predominantly Black communities. Black Arts MKE is committed to increasing the availability and quality of African American arts and culture. This year, Black Arts MKE is celebrating its 10th season of programming. Major supporters and sponsors for the MKE Black Theatre Festival include BMO Harris Bank, National Endowment for the Arts, Northwestern Mutual, Wisconsin Arts Board, and the United Performing Arts Fund.

More information about the MKE Black Theatre Festival can be found here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.