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Black Theatre Coalition announces partnership with Black Broadway Men

T. Oliver Reid (Photo: courtesy of DKC/O&M)

Black Theatre Coalition (BTC) has announced a partnership with the fraternal organization Black Broadway Men (BBM), in support of its 2023 playwriting initiative.

BTC's ongoing fellowship program, which launched in January of 2022, currently supports 20 fellows, eight apprentices and six regional fellowships. The regional fellowship program is made possible in cooperation with John Gore Organization (parent company of Broadway News) and Broadway Across America.

As part of the partnership, many BTC fellows and apprentices will participate in an upcoming reading of the play "The Final Verses of The Prophet and Wiz," penned by BBM Award recipient Cris Eli Black. The fellows and apprentices will serve in roles including producer, general manager and company manager.

BBM's playwriting initiative provides male-identifying Black playwrights between the ages of 18 and 35 with the opportunity to rehearse and mount a 29-hour reading sponsored by the nonprofit. A full cast and creative team are provided.

BTC was cofounded by T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams and Reginald "Reggie" Van Lee. Led by executive director Olivia Jones and program director Nik Whitcomb, the organization aims to increase employment opportunities for Black theater professionals.

BBM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the healing and unity among Black men within the Broadway and theater communities.

"We are so proud to be participating with BBM on this playwriting initiative," Reid said in a statement. "We know that the changes we need to see in our industry cannot be made by one person nor organization alone and we are thrilled to have found an intersection in the work of these two organizations and even more proud that Cris was a past BTC-BAA fellow."

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the relationship between BTC's program and JGO/BAA. This has been corrected.