Black Theatre. Then. Now. Next. Celebrating the 2026 LA Black Creators Summit.
What a weekend! On July 10–11, SBT hosted our second annual LA Black Creators Summit at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, in partnership with Ebony Repertory Theatre. Artists, students, cultural leaders, and community members came together for two days of conversation, performance, discovery, and celebration, honoring the legacy of Black theatre while imagining and investing in its future.
We opened with a cocktail reception, making space to reconnect, meet new collaborators, and enjoy being in community. The evening continued with an extraordinary keynote community conversation with Stephen McKinley Henderson, moderated by SBT Founder and Executive Director Sophina Brown. Honoring the 30th anniversary of August Wilson’s The Ground on Which I Stand, the conversation grounded the weekend in the history, responsibility, and possibilities of Black theatre.
Saturday brought a full day of programming, including a presentation of findings from SBT’s inaugural State of Black Theatre in L.A. Report, led by Dr. Gregory A. King and Sophina Brown. The research offered a shared foundation for understanding our local ecosystem and discussing the resources, infrastructure, and sustained investment our theatre communities need.
Our Producing Power and Possibility industry conversation brought together Anthony Hemingway, Courtney A. Kemp, Charles Murray, Tani Marole, and Aleshea Harris, connecting perspectives across theatre, television, and film. It was an opportunity to explore how Black stories reach audiences and how we can create more possibilities for the artists bringing them to life.
Performance and new work were central to the day. Chris Webb presented The End of Black Excellence, directed by Tyrone Davis. June Carryl shared a first look at The Good Minister From Harare, followed by a community conversation with Dominique Morisseau about championing new Black work. Together, these offerings invited us to consider what it takes to nurture distinctive voices and support the future of Black storytelling.
The weekend culminated in the Legacy Rising Monologue Competition Finals, hosted by Ryan Michelle Bathé. Our eight remarkable finalists took the stage before family, friends, and the greater community, performing work by Alice Childress, Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, and Philip Hayes Dean. After months of preparation, coaching, and ensemble building, seeing these young artists bring their voices to this material was a deeply meaningful close to the Summit. Special thanks to our incredible judges, Tracie Thoms, Matthew Law, and Barry Shabaka Henley.
We left full of gratitude for every artist, speaker, student, partner, volunteer, and community member who helped make this gathering possible. Thank you for showing up, sharing your gifts, and helping us build a stronger future for Black theatre in Los Angeles!