Creative Ways to Celebrate Black History Month in Theatre

Happy Black History Month, theatremakers! Since the theatre industry is (dare we say it) one of the most inclusive industries around, we must use Black History Month to educate others, unite our community, and amplify Black voices.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to produce more inclusive and diverse works, February is the perfect time to hop on that goal. After all, theatre is the ideal avenue to spotlight Black creatives, bolster their ideas, and tell diverse stories.

Looking for creative ways to celebrate this month in your theatre? On The Stage offers a few ideas on how to get started.

Creative Ways to Celebrate Black History Month in Theatre

Feature Plays by Black Playwrights

Perhaps one of the most prominent and important ways to celebrate Black History Month is by producing or seeing plays, musicals, and other works by Black playwrights and creatives. Performing or viewing these works during Black History Month is great, but if you need more rehearsal time or can’t find a show near you, remember: it’s never a bad time to strive for greater inclusion and diversity in your theatre and life!

Whether you want to perform historical plays or more recent experimental works, we offer a few suggestions:

Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry
This was the first Broadway show created by a Black woman, Lorraine Hansberry. The story follows a Black family, Walter and Ruth Younger, their son Travis, Walter's mother Lena, and younger sister Beneatha, as they attempt to move into the middle class during the 1950s in Chicago’s south side.

Pass Over and Breach
Antoinette Nwandu
Two modern pieces by rising star Antoinette Nwandu, both Pass Over and Breach explore race in modern-day America through the eyes of a young Black girl.

In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue
Tarell Alvin McCraney
This suggestion may seem familiar – the autobiographical play inspired the Oscar-winning film Moonlight. The story explores the life of a young Black man who is struggling with his sexuality, his race, living in poverty, and the idea of masculinity.

Pipeline
Dominique Morisseau
This powerful play dives into the issue of the “school-to-prison” pipeline that most often targets people of color. The themes explored include class, race, parenting, and the education crisis in America.

The Wiz
Charlie Smalls
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is an iconic retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of contemporary Black culture.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Katori Hall
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, a jukebox musical, features the music of Tina Turner and tells the story of her life from humble beginnings to her transformation into a true musical sensation.

Host a Special Performance or Reading

Hosting a special performance centered around Black voices and Black History Month is a great idea – whether you choose one of the above works, produce a brand new piece, or perform a reading.

There are a variety of ways to go about this one, but a couple of suggestions that will work with a lower budget and shorter time frame include:

• Producing a one-night performance of a show created by a Black playwright and donating the proceeds to a local group or nonprofit that fights for racial equity.
• Inviting Black creators to come and read their original works at your theatre. Sell tickets and give the money back to them and/or to an appropriate nonprofit.

Remember that marketing here is key. Blast the event on your social media pages and advertise the events in print materials, community calendars, and the like. The more people attend your event, the more capital you’ll be able to donate to a great cause.

Collaborate with Local Black Artists and Creatives

Take a look at your business sponsors and community partners. Do you have any working relationships with Black business owners or creatives? If not, it’s time to start working on those collaborations.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Reach out to Black-owned businesses to see how you can create a mutually beneficial community partnership or business sponsorship.
• Collaborate with Black creatives to better craft a diverse theatrical season, and truly listen to their ideas on how to amplify Black voices.
• Team up with Black artists and creatives for dynamic social media campaigns. This will highlight Black creators near you and lend itself to higher engagement for both parties.
• Do your own research on how to be a better ally. Remember, POC creatives do not owe you a lesson on allyship!

Organize Community Events and Workshops

If you have the time, means, and educational background, consider hosting workshops or community events during Black History Month.

Even if the content of your workshop doesn’t center around Black History Month, you can utilize works by Black creatives during the event, or donate some of the proceeds to a nonprofit that advocates for POC creatives.

Fundraisers can also be a great idea to assist Black creatives in your area and increase your theatre’s community awareness. Pick a cause you’re passionate about for the fundraiser, and get local Black-owned businesses and nonprofits to join in. Win-win!

Incorporate Educational Elements

No matter what kind of theatre you’re running – whether it’s a community theatre, educational theatre, or professional non-equity theatre, there are always opportunities for teaching moments during Black History Month.

A few ways to incorporate educational elements into your day-to-day during Black History Month include:

• Having students or actors perform works created by Black playwrights during class or rehearsals.
• Encouraging students and actors to do research into their characters, especially if the source material is historical.
• Amplifying Black voices on your social media pages. A great and easy way to do so would be to spotlight one Black creator per week on your socials, with a short bio, interesting video content, or other dynamic material.
• Adding information to your show program about resources that support Black creatives.
• Make sure to include information about Black creatives/playwrights and their legacies on your show site or program if you are performing a work by a Black creator.

Celebrate Black Theatre Legends

Whether you want to spotlight Black theatre legends on your social media pages, show website, your teaching curriculum, or just in conversation with your actors and team, February is an excellent time to do so. Here are just a few of the many Black titans of the theatre:

Ira Frederick Aldridge
1807-1867
Ira Frederick Aldridge began his theatre career in the African Grove Theatre in New York and later moved to Europe, where he rose to stardom after starring in Shakespeare’s Othello. His fame continued to a fever pitch as he portrayed a variety of Shakespearean leads. Even better, he used his platform to advocate for an end to slavery.

Garland Anderson
1886-1939
Garland Anderson was the first Black man known to have a full-length drama produced on Broadway. A self-educated man, Anderson wrote about his own experiences to comment on the fragility and illusion of the American dream.

Lorraine Hansberry
1930-1965
Author of Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry was the first African-American female author to have a play performed on Broadway. Although her life was cut short due to pancreatic cancer, Hansberry spent ample time advocating for civil rights in America before her death in 1965.

Geoffrey Holder
1930-2014
Geoffrey Holder made history in 1975 when he won the Best Director and Best Costume Design Tony Awards for The Wiz; he was the first Black man to win either category. A multi-hyphenate talent, Holder was also a dancer, actor, and painter.

Diahann Carroll
1935-2019
Diahann Carroll was the first Black actress to win a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in No Strings. Later in life, Carroll founded the Celebrity Action Council. This volunteer group served the women's outreach of the Los Angeles Mission, working with women in rehabilitation from problems with alcohol, drugs, or prostitution.

August Wilson
1945-2005
Known as "theater's poet of Black America,” August Wilson was best known for his renowned series of 10 plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle. These works showcased the experiences, struggles, joys, and heritage of the Black community in America during the 20th century.

George C. Wolfe
Born 1954
Playwright and director George C. Wolfe won three Tony Awards for Direction, including Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk, and Elaine Stritch At Liberty.

Commit to Year-Round Representation

The true marker of inclusivity is not just participating in diversity efforts one month out of the year. Make it an actual resolution to commit to year-round representation in 2025. And remember, representation can look like a million different things, including:

• Casting more diverse actors in your productions
• Hiring more POC on the back end of your theatre
• Producing works by POC creators
• Producing works that touch on critical social issues – not just works that get name-recognition
• Working more diligently to attract people of all races and beliefs to your theatre – as actors, employees, or patrons

How On The Stage Can Help

Whether you’re looking to diversify your theatre, sell more tickets, find works from new creators, hone in on your marketing, or elevate your patron’s experience, On The Stage can help.

Our all-in-one theatre software platform empowers directors, producers, box office managers, and patrons across educational theatre, community theatre, dance and professional arts programs of all sizes, performing arts centers, immersive experiences, and everything in between, all free!

Thousands of performing arts organizations trust OTS to empower them with the technology needed to control their own operational and financial destiny – so they can focus on making great art. If you’re ready to take the leap, book a personalized demo today. Happy Black History Month!