National Black Theatre (NBT) is a Tony Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated institution founded in 1968 by Dr. Barbara Ann Teer. Dr. Teer was an award-winning performer, director, and visionary entrepreneur who founded NBT out of the impetus of the Black Arts Movement, a heightening of Black consciousness she championed alongside peers such as Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, James Baldwin, and others. NBT is the nation’s first revenue-generating Black arts complex, the longest-running Black theatre in New York City, and one of the oldest theatres consistently operated by a woman of color in the country. NBT serves as a beacon of authentic storytelling within the African American cultural landscape and has been included in the permanent collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

NBT’s core mission is to be a home for professional and transformative theatrical production – one that enhances the African American cultural identity by telling authentic stories of the Black experience. Under the leadership of CEO Sade Lythcott and Executive Artistic Director Jonathan McCrory, NBT accomplishes its mission through several programs and initiatives focused on developing Black artists, incubating new works, advocating for our communities, and engaging diverse audiences. NBT creates and supports work that generates dialogue around the intersectional complexities of the Black experience. Through this work, NBT tackles themes of race, culture, socio-economic issues, people with varying abilities, and gender identities. NBT has invested in 300+ original works by Black artists and garnered numerous accolades, including NYTimes Critics Picks and Obie Awards. Today, NBT is a beacon of authentic storytelling within the African American cultural landscape and serves as a hub for a multi-cultural, multi-generational community, attracting nearly 100,000 visitors annually.

Jerome Foundation supports National Black Theatre’s I AM SOUL Playwrights Residency program. Launched in 2012, this 18-month-long residency provides two to three selected Black playwrights per year with a commission, office space, and administrative and development support to create a brand-new play. NBT provides each playwright a stipend for creating the new work and additional support throughout the development process, including a dramaturgical allowance, rehearsal space, two 29-hour developmental readings, access to a resource library, and supplies/materials to help them document their journey. At the culmination of each residency, NBT fully funds a professionally staged public presentation process, including a dedicated director, designers, and a performance ensemble. The residency is the only program in the United States dedicated to Black playwrights whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and excellence in the theatrical field.