Fostering and nurturing diverse voices in the arts in a meaningful way is still difficult to come by so when I see initiatives that does just that in a grand manner, I take notice. One particular initiative is from artEquity as they have invited over 100 Black playwrights from across the US to come together on Juneteenth in Los Angeles.

Hosted by Aleshea Harris and Dominique Morisseau, the Black Playwrights Gathering promises to create a space for storytellers to connect and be inspired. Keep reading after the jump for more info!

Black playwrights from across the US will come together on Juneteenth, June 19, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA. Hosted by Aleshea Harris and Dominique Morisseau, the Black Playwrights Gathering promises to create a space for storytellers to connect and be inspired. This event, presented by artEquity in collaboration with WACO Theater Center, is supported in part by American Conservatory Theater; Black Realities; Center Theatre Group; Dramatists Guild Foundation; New York Theatre Workshop; and the Venturous Theater Fund, a fund of Tides Foundation.

The inspiration for the convening grew out of the second season of artEquity’s Talking Back Series filmed in Fall 2022. Harris and Morisseau, joined by Josh Wilder and A. Zell Williams, noted the need for more opportunities to connect outside of professional spaces. Morisseau expressed a desire to create a closer community of Black playwrights saying, “We know of each other, but we don’t really know each other.”

Morisseau recently expounded on that sentiment: “I’ve seen other groups of writers gather in the name of an organization or committee of some kind (Hollywood TV writers, literary writers) and yet playwrights, who are in a collaborative sport, are often siloed and disconnected from each other. I want to connect to other Black writers and hope we can foster long-term support networks with one another.”

From the initial idea sparked during episode 1 of Talking Back 2, Harris, Morisseau, and a small planning committee set out to create a space uniquely designed for and by Black playwrights. Over 100 Black playwrights were sent invitations to attend.

“This gathering is a tremendous opportunity for Black playwrights to be in a communal space of celebration,” says Harris. “We don’t often get to kick back, break bread, and breathe together. This will be a wholly unique experience.”

The Black Playwrights Gathering is needed because “we share a common calling and have to navigate similar challenges as Black playwrights,” continues Harris. “We exist in a culture that devalues Black people and artists. We should have moments of respite together, moments that focus on the joy of being Black creatives.”

Morisseau adds, “I feel I have always needed it [a Black Playwrights Gathering], and have experienced us gathering in sporadic pockets. I’m now hoping we can gather more intentionally and consistently. Theatre is currently programming us less and the ability to survive the impact of limited resources lies in our efforts to build community with one another.”

Holding the convening on Juneteenth felt right to the planning committee. “At a time when communities are fractured and the genius of storytelling is needed more than ever, bringing together Black playwrights from across the country gives us hope,” says Carmen Morgan, artEquity Founder and Executive Director. “What better day than Juneteenth to celebrate Black playwrights, whose legacy and future examines what is most human, urgent, funny, and sacred amongst us, and doing so in community.”

Morisseau hopes that the attending playwrights will feel “a sense of relief and have the ability to breathe deeper and easier knowing they are in good company with one another, and that none of us is alone in this ecosystem of play-making.”

Harris believes that the Black Playwrights Gathering will be a success if the playwrights leave with a sense of “affirmation and that they are valued and seen, with new friendships in hand, having had delicious food and countless reasons to laugh and refuel as they journey onward in their humanity and artistry.” 

Questions regarding the Black Playwrights Gathering should be emailed to Patricia Garza, Program Producer, at Programs@artEquity.org. 

If you would like to support the Black Playwrights Gathering, please click here or contact Michael Robertson, Deputy Director, at mrobertson@artequity.org.