2024 SEASON
MAIN STAGE SHOWS
BLUE EYED SOUL SUNG BY BROWN EYED PEOPLE
SEPT 21 TO NOV 10, 2024
Written & Directed by Jackie Taylor
How many times have you heard a soulful song and just assumed that the singer was Black only to find out – they were not? Music is the common denominator that unites us all. Blue Eyed Soul Sung by Brown Eyed People will honor and celebrate the music that proves – We are all one.
A GAMBLE ON HUFF: THE STORY OF
GAMBLE & HUFF
DEC 21, 2024 TO JAN 26, 2025
Written & Directed by Daryl D. Brooks
Founded by songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Philadelphia International Records was a powerhouse in churning out soul hits by some of the biggest stars in the soul music industry. Groups like the Ojays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, McFadden and Whitehead became a staple at PIR as well as a bunch of solo artists like Pattie Labelle, Teddy Pendergrass, and Billy Paul. Join us as we tell the story of this dynamic duo from their humble beginnings to their biggest triumphs.
FEATURED
EVENTS
BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER'S
FRIDAYS ON THE GREEN
6:30 PM
FRIDAYS: JULY 5, 12, 19 & 26 2024
4450 N CLARK ST | CHICAGO, IL
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Experience the beauty of music and culture at the Black Ensemble Theater's Intercultural Music Festival. This weekly event takes place every Friday and features amazing performances from talented musicians. Best of all, it's free and open to the public. Join us and be immersed in a celebration of diversity, community, and music.
BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS INITIATIVE (BPI)
BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL
AUGUST 5 - 10, 2024
BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER
4450 N CLARK ST CHICAGO, IL
Chicago has a rich and fertile community of African American Playwrights. There was a need for an organization that focused specifically on these artists as it related to their unique cultural heritage. The BPI is a vehicle that brings us together as a community to share resources and nourish our skills. It is the purpose of the BPI to develop scripts for the Black Ensemble Theater. It is also the purpose of BPI to increase local and national exposure for our membership.
JACKIE TAYLOR'S
SOUL OF
A POWERFUL WOMAN
JUNE 9, 2024
BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER
4450 N CLARK ST CHICAGO, IL
BET is proud to present SOUL OF a powerful woman, a groundbreaking theatrical production that highlights the strength and resilience of women. Featuring stories about women from all walks of life who have made a significant impact on society, this performance is a tribute to their legacies. Join us for a night of inspiration and empowerment as we celebrate the strength of women.
BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER'S
25TH ANNUAL LEGACY GALA
OCTOBER 17, 2024
BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER
4450 N CLARK ST CHICAGO, IL
We all have greatness that lives within us. Our Legacy Gala honors and recognizes that greatness. We hope you will come and celebrate as we recognize the greatness achieved by the Black EnsembleTheater while reflecting and honoring the greatness that lives inside of you! Come on – let’s celebrate us together at the fundraising party of the year – where we all are the honorees!
FREE TO
BE
The proposed Free to BE Village includes new construction of an artfully-designed three-story Media and Technology Center (MTC), four-story Performing Arts Education Center (PAEC), and a five-story Affordable Artists’ Apartments (AAA) with a single-story retail podium structure uniting the three buildings at the ground level and extending to the south end of the site. The podium structure includes 14,000 square feet of street-level retail/restaurant space featuring, among other retail uses, a 3,700 square feet restaurant and a literary café with open-air, covered seating at the southeast corner of Clark and Sunnyside. Podium roof will create a terrace at second level providing outdoor green space for resident artists, MTC & PAEC users, and the local community.
Free to BE will break ground in 2026!
