The first thing you notice about the Fells Point Corner Theatre is that it’s not located on a corner at all. It occupies a former historic firehouse that’s easy to miss, located halfway down the block of a residential stretch of South Ann Street. Its bright red doors open to a cozy lobby adorned with show posters from its more than four decades of innovative programming.

In 1987, the Fells Point Corner Theatre was born from the merger of two smaller organizations: the Fells Point Theatre, a traditional community-based troupe that opened on South Broadway in 1970, and the Corner Theatre, an avant-garde company dating back to the 1960s that “did a lot of original, and more risqué, experimental work,” says Laura Malkus, who first performed at FPCT as a teenager and is now its president. It brought together the “commitment to local artists” of the former, she says, with the “bravery and ambition” of the latter.

Nearly four decades later, FPCT’s origin story is perhaps emblematic of a movement that’s now energizing the thriving local theater scene.

Founded in 2022, the Baltimore Small Stage Coalition was conceived by Donald Owens, artistic director of Arena Players in West Baltimore and the Coalition’s current president, who saw the nonprofit alliance as a way to foster mutual support, advocacy, and collaboration among the city’s DIY theater scene.

He reached out to several local companies, and the response was understandably enthusiastic. Theater leaders work hard to stretch every dollar of their limited budgets, so the opportunity for shared resources appealed. “Anytime Donald asks me for anything, I say yes, because he’s like the patriarch of theater in Baltimore,” says Malkus, who is now the Coalition’s treasurer.

“In the realm of small arts, it’s reassuring to know we’re not alone in facing challenges, and we can lift each other up to achieve success.”

Before long, the assembled team began their regional outreach, which started in earnest last year. Their first round of collective auditions took place last January and drew representatives from about 20 statewide companies. The auditions made it possible for casting directors to see actors from across the region and be introduced to talent outside of their organization’s existing roster.

“It was a huge love fest,” says Malkus, and also a moment of pride for the group’s founding members, which also includes Rapid Lemon Productions, Vagabond Players, and the Strand Theater Company, among others. “[Everyone] contributed in their own way—Arena Players hosted, I wrote the grant proposal for funding, and the Baltimore Rock Opera Society videotaped all of the auditions to create a database that can be used for future casting.”

Fueled by the success, a second round of auditions followed last summer, and a third is scheduled for January 4-5 at The Voxel. And for local thespians, the response has been appreciative, as well.

“The Coalition has facilitated connections with other theaters and like-minded artists, helping us build a supportive network,” says Audra Mullen, a director, board member with Vagabond Players, and the vice president of the Coalition. “In the realm of small arts, it’s reassuring to know we’re not alone in facing challenges, and we can lift each other up to achieve success.”

For Donald Owens, who has spent more than 50 years with Arena Players, the oldest continuously operating Black theater company in the United States, that’s what it’s all about. He’s seen firsthand how the community shows up for each other, with members attending or participating in each other’s shows.

“The theater community itself becomes a family that keeps the theaters going and helps people come together,” says Owens. “It allows people to try their wings at something. The greatest hope [with the Coalition] is to let everybody know that they’re part of the family.”

Lesley Malin will never forget the moment she met August Wilson. It was 1988, and she was giving the student commencement speech for Washington University in St. Louis, sharing the stage that day with the renowned playwright, who was receiving an honorary degree.

“I had not seen any of his work yet, but he was really lovely to me,” says Malin, pictured right, who was told afterwards that he had complimented her speech. The encounter left an indelible impression on the aspiring thespian, who went on to see a number of his Broadway premieres in the early days of her career, before eventually co-founding Baltimore’s Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, where she now serves as producing executive director.

“Over time, he’s become this towering figure in American theater,” she says. “I admire his work very deeply.”

August Wilson has been dubbed “theater’s poet of Black America,” distinguished for his powerful and poignant portrayal of the African-American experience. In his magnum opus, a 10-part series known collectively as the American Century Cycle, each play captures one decade of the 20th century— like Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in the 1920s or Fences in the 1950s—altogether depicting 100 years of Black life through both fictional and fictionalized characters from Wilson’s native Pittsburgh.

In fact, it had long been a dream of Malin’s to perform this epic collection chronologically in theaters across Baltimore. She started reaching out to other companies, who met her inquiries with enthusiasm.

This past April, the Baltimore August Wilson Celebration presented the first performance of the full American Century Cycle, now running through 2027. It’s a collaboration among several of the city’s theaters, including the Everyman Theatre, Fells Point Corner Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, and ArtsCentric.

“Over time, he’s become this towering figure in American theater.”

It all began at Arena Players, the oldest continuously operating African-American community theater in the United States, which, in a stroke of good luck, was already scheduled to perform Gem of the Ocean, set in the first decade of the 1900s.

“We had a full house every night. It’s a beautiful piece—it’s funny, it’s sad, it can be very painful,” says Donald Owens, artistic director at Arena Players, pictured left. “People appreciated the fact that this was history that was never told.”

Up next is Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, which is set in 1911 against the historical backdrop of the Great Migration, running from September 20 through October 13. It’s the first August Wilson play that the troupe has performed, but “we consider him to be a classic playwright on the level of William Shakespeare,” says Malin. “He is known for writing these arias of self-recognition. In [this work,] we see a man who’s been just so abused and repressed. And he finally bursts out and is able to recognize his song.”

Meanwhile, Arena Players has performed nearly all of Wilson’s works over the years, and Owens appreciates his skill as a storyteller, with narratives that draw in diverse audiences for their universal humanity.

“He’s telling the story of Black culture, but white people also are drawn to the story because he’s a good writer, and it’s good storytelling,” he says. “I think he was a truthful writer. He wrote about things that were very painful, yet he always instilled hope.”

Wilson’s ability to recognize a shared humanity has managed to bolster the local arts community as well.

“Baltimore is a very cultured city, but the cultures have not always worked together,” he says. “Now we see all of these theaters coming together because of August Wilson.”

On a Monday afternoon, it’s difficult to find Donald Owens. With a yellow highlighter and black pen tucked into his shirt pocket, he’s rarely in his office, instead shuffling throughout the Arena Players building, meeting with members of his cast and crew or planning out the theater’s upcoming season schedule. It’s not uncommon for the artistic director to work until close to midnight.

It’s been more than 50 years for Owens, pictured above, but he still remembers the day he first learned about this theater, now located on McCulloh Street in West Baltimore. He was a student at Coppin State College when a professor named Samuel Wilson Jr. took him under his wing. Wilson had heard that the young man was an aspiring thespian and he thought he might like to join his community theater troupe.

“At first, I acted, and then I would direct,” says Owens, looking back over the decades, “and then I would teach.”

It was the 1970s, and after a nomadic first decade, the Arena Players had finally found a permanent home. During this time, the cast and crew grew rapidly, and before long, word of mouth had spread through the city and neighboring counties, with Black spectators flocking to the box office. It was normal to sell out their 300 tickets on any given night.

“The audience was huge then,” says Owens. “They had no place else to go.”

Arena Players will begin its 70th season this September, cementing its status as the nation’s oldest continuously operating Black theater company. But when it debuted in Baltimore in 1953, it was uncertain if it would survive a single season.

Even with free admission, the first few shows were more cast members than ticket-holders. Back then, an ensemble of seven to 12 actors, from local college students to community residents, would be lucky to perform for an audience of four. At the time, this small group of Black actors couldn’t watch—let alone participate in—performances at big-name theater houses, be it on Broadway or in Baltimore.

“Unless you were playing a maid or a butler, there was no need for you in white theaters,” says Owens, referring to the Jim Crow prejudices that kept cultural institutions racially segregated well into the 20th century.

But this was also an era of civil rights resistance. From fine art to photography, the Black community was leading a wave of artistic movements across the country, fighting back by creating their own representation, with community theaters emerging as creative refuges in cities like New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

“Theater has always been a political movement,” says Owens, noting that some of the earliest plays, from Greek tragedies to Shakespeare, dealt with some form of protest.

In Harlem, the pioneering American Negro Theatre opened in 1940, followed by the Black Arts Repertory Theatre and School in 1965 and the New Federal Theatre in 1970. Black community theaters were places where Black thespians could write, perform, and direct works by Black artists, including luminaries like Lorraine Hansberry, Ossie Davis, and James Baldwin.

“Everybody just assumed there were no Black playwrights,” says Owens. “Black playwrights did not begin with August Wilson [in the 1980s]. Black playwrights have been around for centuries.”

Meanwhile, historically Black colleges became another respite for Black theater. In Baltimore, Arena Players got its start on campus at what is now Coppin State University in 1953. Its theater-in-the-round playhouse soon became a hub where aspiring actors and other community members—from lawyers, doctors, and teachers to housewives and retirees—could regularly partake in the theatrical world.

At this time in Baltimore, venues for the Black arts scene were few and far between, despite a large Black population. Pennsylvania Avenue was one of the few hubs, with the Royal Theatre being a premiere venue for iconic musicians like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Further along the avenue, other spots like the Sphinx Club, Club Casino, and Club Tijuana hosted the likes of Billie Holiday and Miles Davis.

And though it took a while to find an audience, the word eventually got out about Arena Players, with coverage of its early seasons appearing increasingly in The Sun. The company’s first production was the one-act Hello Out There! by Armenian-American playwright William Saroyan, and within a few years, their performance of the musical Simply Heavenly brought its author, Langston Hughes, to the front row.

Their repertoire ranged from one-act plays to full-scale productions across a variety of genres, such as comedy, drama, and mystery, which also included famous works by white playwrights, such as Alfred Hitchcock, Arthur Miller, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Tennessee Williams. Similarly, audiences were predominantly Black, but there were white attendees, too, and groups like sororities, fraternities, church congregations, and other social clubs regularly sponsored private viewings. Tickets hovered around $1, and at times they sold out.

Still, the Black theater company was a small operation. Troupe members had to bring in furniture from their own homes to use as props, and while Coppin was their launchpad, throughout that first decade, Arena Players moved between multiple venues. They put on shows at the Great Hall Theater of St. Mary’s Church in Walbrook, at Morgan State University’s Carl J. Murphy Auditorium, and at the YMCA in Madison Park, where crew members would build intricate sets on Friday, just to tear the whole thing down by Sunday night.

“Though the beginning was not easy, the sense of commitment was great, and individuals gave liberally of their time and resources to bring their dreams to reality,” wrote then-artistic director Ed Terry in a 50th anniversary booklet in 2003. “Through the first decade, the names of the Players were well known, and the actors constituted a kind of resident company as they wandered from one venue to another in search of a permanent home.”

They finally moved to their McCulloh Street home in 1969—a curved brick building in the Seton Hill neighborhood between Mt. Vernon and West Baltimore. And what was once a coffin warehouse for a local mortuary became the permanent home of a historic Black theater.

Two silver plaques greet you when you step through the front door of Arena Players. One is dedicated to Irvin Turner, who founded Arena’s “Youtheatre” program in 1974. The other is for Sam Wilson, Owens’ former mentor, who died in 1996. On his, there’s a quote: “I do not believe anyone is supposed to leave this earth having held on to his or her talent. You’ve got to share it. You’ve got to hand it to somebody else.”

Today, Arena Players has 45 cast and crew, with performers ranging in age from toddlers to octogenarians. For about 10 years in the 1980s, ticket sales and grants for the youth theater were what kept Arena Players open and operating—and some of those performers are still with the troupe today.

In her own way, Catherine Orange is an Arena Players lifer. The youth program director was also encouraged by Wilson to join the troupe while a Coppin State student in 1972, but by that time, she already knew the theater well, having visited since childhood with her grandmother. Over the years, she’s had her hand in everything from hair-and-makeup to stage managing, and eventually she got her own children and then grandchildren involved. Her son, Rodney, was the theater’s managing director until his death in 2019. Her grandson, Dana, now a professional performer, got his start at Arena Players when he was just four years old.

“For kids who want to grow and to develop their creativity, this is a great place to start,” says Orange, noting that some young troupe members continued their interest at the Baltimore School for the Arts and Peabody Institute.

In fact, Arena Players has many notable alumni, including those who have worked on Broadway or in the film industry. Actress Tracie Thoms, who starred in Rent and The Devil Wears Prada, got her start on the Arena Players stage. And Tony Award-winning actor, singer, dancer, and director André De Shields has often praised Arena Players for being one of the few places where he could explore the arts as a young boy growing up in Baltimore.

Owens is a D.C. native but started acting at age six. Now at 76, he’s the glue that holds the theater together, responsible for handling everything from the building’s maintenance to the season’s lineup. This past November, three of the four walls in his office were covered in dry-erase calendars marked with the troupe’s performance dates through 2023.

When selecting which plays to perform, Owens tries to prioritize what he calls “entertainment teaching,” rooted in a founding philosophy of bringing underrepresented works with historical significance to the forefront. To that end, the players recently mounted a production of The Face of Emmett Till, the true story chronicling of the life, death, and aftermath of a 14-year-old Black boy who was murdered by two white men for allegedly whistling at a white woman in 1955 Mississippi. In many ways, says Owens, this follows the great tradition of Black performing arts venues.

“Black theaters allowed Black people to perform, they allowed them to write and direct, and they allowed their work to be seen,” he says, with other now-classic Black works such as The Wiz fantasy musical and the tragic for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf having premiered here over the years. “That was really important.”

It meant their stories would be told.

For Arena Players, it’s a legacy that’s made an impact. Alongside actor portraits and framed newspaper clippings, the theater’s walls are decorated with official recognition. In 2018, a signed letter from late Congressman Elijah E. Cummings called the theater a “lasting cultural icon.” In more recent years, they’ve also caught the attention of historians, with Morgan State University currently working with the theater’s archives in hopes of creating a future digital exhibition.

“The Arena Players’ archives demonstrate African-American agency [in] Baltimore during the early civil rights era,” says Morgan State archivist Ida E. Jones. “This community space provided room to nurture positive Black images, cultivate innate talent, and expose Black Baltimore to the mechanics of theater work.”

That sort of preservation project is vital for a nonprofit theater with limited staff and resources. Over the years, they have experienced their fair share of financial ups and downs, and today, they primarily rely on grants and community donations to stay afloat.

“We’re beginning to see some daylight,” says board chair Larry Cook, a West Baltimore native and former state senator who has been involved with the theater for over two decades, with much of his efforts focused on lobbying support from city and state government. “It’s been a task, but we’ve stayed persistent.”

Cook points to the forthcoming renovations to the building, which hasn’t had any major upgrades since the ’70s, with the third floor, currently used as a rehearsal space, being transformed into a black-box theater, in order to have multiple shows taking place at once. Other plans include modernizing the light fixtures and seating to improve the audience’s experience and accessibility.

The Arena Players audience looks different now than when it first started. While still majority Black, the crowd is often representative of a variety of races, reflective of the Baltimore theater scene’s diversification, as mainstream venues like Center Stage and Everyman Theatre cultivate more inclusive casts and repertoires.

This could explain why they’re not seeing nearly as many full houses these days, but the theater continues to put on up to seven shows per season. This year’s first performance will not premiere until September, but right before Christmas, they were gearing up for a performance of Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity.

For Owens, though, even in changing times, the Arena Players mission is just as important as it ever was—some 70 years and counting—and will continue to be in the future.

“The energy here is powerful, even to this day,” he says. “It has such a history, and it has such a dedicated set of people, and that keeps the fire burning.”

News

Theater Renovations on the Horizon for Arena Players

On Dec. 4, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $300,000 grant for improvements to the Arena Players theater—the oldest continuously operating African-American theater in the country. Designated for “the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of Arena Players theatre,” the funds will go toward infrastructural updates to the beloved local cultural space.

Hamilton Returns to the Hippodrome

There’s good news for those that missed their shot to see Hamilton during its first visit to Baltimore this fall. The Hippodrome announced this week that the hit musical will return in summer 2021, taking the Eutaw Street stage from June 8-July 3.

Visual Art

Necessity of Tomorrow(s): Future Histories

Filling in the blanks in the stories of our past can help us create a better informed future. Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The New York Times’ “The 1619 Project,” will explore this idea alongside activist and art collector Pamela J. Joyner and Baltimore artist Zoë Charlton at this latest installment of the BMA’s groundbreaking conversation series. 6-10 p.m. Dec. 17. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

Current Space’s 7th Annual Art Market

The holidays are creeping up quick, but this annual market featuring dozens of local artists and crafters can help you find the perfect thing for the art-lover on your list. Meet the people behind the works and browse items from talented local creators such as Press Press, Dana Bechert, and James Bouché. Dec. 14. Current Space, 421 N. Howard St.

Literature

Book Signing: Lost Restaurants of Baltimore

Restaurants come and go so quickly that it’s often hard to keep track of what used to be where. Some places, however, stick with us. Stop by Eddie’s of Roland Park to pick up a signed copy of Suzanne Loudermilk and Kit Waskom Pollard’s exploration of the places and plates that helped build Baltimore into the food city it is today. 2-4 p.m. Dec. 14. Eddie’s of Roland Park, 5113 Roland Ave.

Music

The High & Wides Album Release Show

This rip-roaring group from the Eastern Shore is back with a brand new album, Seven True Stories, and they’re ready to celebrate with Baltimore’s bluegrass-loving crowds. Pack into Creative Alliance to hear live renditions of new tracks such as “Reverie” and “Real America,” then grab your copy of this DIY collection of mostly true tales. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon with Amy Reid and Infinity Knives

Catch up with Catonsville’s Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon post-American Idol at this full night of local talent. Settle in and enjoy the good vibes from electronic artists Amy Reid and Infinity Knives before Harmon takes the stage with dreamy tracks such as “Almost Heaven” and “Learn to Love.” Doors 6 p.m. Show 7 p.m. Dec. 17. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Theatre

The Wiz

There really is no place like home. Celebrate ArtsCentric’s new space by joining the company for their first show in Remington, a fitting trip to the land of Oz with The Wiz. This retelling of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale featuring an all-black cast swaps out the 1939 movie’s show tunes for a soul, R&B, and pop soundtrack you’ll be humming all the way home. Dec. 13 through Jan. 12. ArtsCentric, 2600 N. Howard St.

Film

Beyond Video Anniversary Party

Celebrate your friendly neighborhood video store’s first birthday with a party at Ottobar featuring vintage dance tunes and tons of giveaways from cinephile favorites such as A24 and Criterion. A few dollars gets you entry to the festivities, but generous partygoers can bring in a movie or two off the wish list in exchange for admission and raffle tickets, as well. 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Dec 13. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

Feb. 10: Clues, Brews and BBQs

Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar, 1601 Union Ave. 5-8 p.m. Free. 443-948-5590. 

It might be the dead of winter, but nothing will warm your heart like downing a plate of Blue Pit’s coffee-rubbed brisket or bourbon-glazed ribs to support local rescue pups. This Saturday, Hampden’s dog-friendly bar will donate 10 percent of your final bill to Baltimore Bully Crew, a grassroots organization that helps rescued pit bulls. Come for the melt-in-your-mouth barbecue and local brews and stay for the themed escape game from Charm City Clue Room, where participants will solve a short series of puzzles to “save” a stuffed blue pit bull.

 DRINK

To Feb. 9: Sip & Shine

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 6-9 p.m. $30-35. 410-244-1900.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and what’s more romantic than a night filled with wine, a scavenger hunt, and mosaic magnets? Nothing, really. The American Visionary Art Museum’s twist on a sip-and-paint night lets guests compete in an after-hours scavenger hunt through The Great Mystery Show, their current exhibit on mystical investigations and curious subjects. Grab another glass of wine or beer and dive into the museum’s treasure chest of craft supplies to make a take-home mosaic magnet for you and your valentine.

 SEE

Feb. 9-11: Constellations & Crossroads

Arena Players, 801 McCulloh St. Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. $20. 410-728-6500. 

In a theatrical collaboration like no other, Arena Players, Baltimore’s historic African-American community theatre, and Baltimore Rock Opera Society, the city’s rock theater powerhouse, present Constellations & Crossroads, a double-feature production filled with American history and live rock music. “Determination of Azimuth” follows the story of Katherine Johnson, a black NASA mathematician who performed calculations that made space flight possible. The second musical, “The Battle of Blue Apple Crossing,” depicts a fictionalized account of the legendary blues guitarist Robert Johnson. If you miss the first three shows, don’t worry, they’ll be back on the West Baltimore stage again next weekend.

 HEAR

Feb. 10: Roses

Showroom Café & Bar, 120 W. North Ave. 9 p.m. $8-10. 410-862-0930. 

We’ve watched them grow and rise in the local music scene over the past few years, and this weekend some of Baltimore’s up-and-coming artists are giving a little love back to their city. Micah E. Wood, Joy Postell, Al Rogers Jr., and Bobbi Rush will serenade the Saturday night crowd at Station North’s Showroom with their heartfelt energies and a performance that is sure to sweep you off your feet. Lose yourself in Wood’s trademark talk-sing, fall for Postell’s neo-soul rhythms, admire Rogers Jr.’s honest rap, and relish in Rush’s dreamy melodies. If you need a preview, follow The Big Baltimore Playlist on Spotify where we’ve featured our favorite songs by these talented artists.

 DO

Feb. 10: Frederick Douglass Day

Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. 12-4 p.m. Free. 443-263-1800.

Among the many legends born in the Baltimore region, few are more revered than Frederick Douglass. Raised on a plantation on the Eastern Shore, the freed slave turned iconic abolitionist became one of the country’s most widely-read authors and famed orators. Throughout his lifetime, he preached about universal human rights, educated other slaves, and became the first African American to receive a nominating vote for president. Celebrate his 200th birthday and honor his historic legacy at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum this Saturday with lectures by historians Dr. John Stauffer and Dr. Lawrence Jackson, readings of Douglass’s speeches by history re-enactors, and a children’s art and story hour with illustrator London Ladd.

Visual Art

Reflections: Intimate Portraits of Iconic African Americans
Photographer Terrence A. Reese’s career has led him to take portraits of such stars as Lauryn Hill and George Clinton. The artist, who goes by TAR, will exhibit a selection of his work at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum this month in the show Reflections: Intimate Portraits of Iconic African Americans. Black-and-white images will depict such luminaries as the Nicholas Brothers and Gordon Parks in their natural environments and living spaces so as to better reflect who they are, through their personal objects, style, and the context of their lives. Wednesdays through Sundays, Feb. 1 through Aug. 12, at Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.

Artist talk with Shirin Neshat
Iranian artist Shirin Neshat explores gender, identity, and politics in her work, as well as the differences in culture between the West and Muslim countries. Because she tackles such complex themes, there is no shortage of questions and discussion surrounding her work. It also makes her a perfect candidate for MICA’s Mixed Media lecture series, which brings to Baltimore artists from across the globe. For this installment, Neshat will be in conversation with Baltimore Museum of Art Director Christopher Bedford. 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at Falvey Hall, Brown Center, 1301 W. Mount  Mount Royal Ave.

Music

Charm City Django Jazz Fest
Nothing like some live gypsy jazz to add a little heat to a cold winter’s day. Creative Alliance has got us covered with not one but three days of its annual Charm City Django Jazz Fest, which will bring in acts from across the region and world, including headliner Samson Schmiit, a legendary Manouche gypsy guitarist from France. Swing on by to see Sara L’abriola, Ultrafaux, ‘Nuff Said, and others, to experience a range of styles within the genre. Feb. 23 to 25 at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Out of Darkness: Two Remain
A new opera looks at what you might consider atypical Holocaust survivors: one, a political prisoner, and the other a homosexual Protestant, both of whom used words to overcome the traumas of captivity during the war. World-renowned composer Jake Heggie developed the two-act opera based on the true stories of these characters who “survive through their poetry,” says Garnett Bruce, stage director of the Peabody Chamber Opera’s production of the piece. Feb. 8 through 11 at Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St. The composer and librettist will attend opening night, with a talk following the show.

Theater

Constellations & Crossroads
Constellations & Crossroads is a theatrical double-header steeped in American history and exploding with life. Baltimore Rock Opera Society partnered with Arena Players, Baltimore’s historic African-American community theater, to present two short musicals in their entirety, backed by a live band. The Determination of Azimuth tells the story of Katherine Johnson, a black mathematician who worked for NASA and was responsible for comp[uting paths for rocket ships sent into space. Battle of Blue Apple Crossing leans more on fiction to tell the tale of blues legend Robert Johnson, said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical ability. The score follows America’s musical heritage from field spirituals to rock ’n’ roll to garage rock. 8 p.m. Feb. 9 through 18 at Arena Players’ venue at 801 McCulloh St.

All She Must Possess
The Rep Stage premiere of All She Must Possess tells the story of Baltimore’s famed Cone sisters, Claribel and Etta, extravagant world travelers and collectors of art and curios. During the early 20th century, they stored thousands of paintings—including work by Matisse and Picasso, among other greats—in their homes, amassing what would become one of the world’s largest collections of modern art (a large portion would eventually be housed at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where it is today). In the theatrical version of their lives, written by University of Maryland Baltimore County professor Susan McCully and directed by Rep Stage artistic director Joseph W. Ritsch, paintings come to life and Gertrude Stein—Etta’s lover—makes an appearance. Coinciding with the play is an exhibition of historical women’s clothing from the Cone sisters’ time, on display at Howard Community College’s Rouse Company Foundation Gallery through March 11. The play runs Feb. 8 to 25 at Rep Stage at Howard Community College.

Dance

The Community Project
Each year, The Collective pulls together dancers from the community and pairs them with a professional choreographer to develop the Community Project performance. This year, 22 dancers—ranging in age from teens to baby boomers and across all skill levels—met on several cold January weekends to rehearse under dancer Caitlin McAfee for this year’s show, which is but one component to the Baltimore Dance Invitational. Set to Indian Wells’ song “Cascades,” the group will show through movement how the mind races, gets distracted, and follows its own trails of thought. Gordon Center for Performing Arts on Thursday, February 15, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave., Owings Mills. 

Beyonce vs Rihanna Dance Party: Round 2
The Ottobar event flier states it best: “Are you ‘Drunk In Love’ or ‘Drunk On Love’?!” At the Beyonce vs Rihanna Dance Party, that is precisely the question. And also, are you ready to duke it out—through dance, of course, to support your diva de jour. The dance party battle will light up with Beyonce tracks from DJ Mills and Rihanna tracks from Ottobar owner Craig Boarman. 9 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Miscellanea

African-American Arts Festival
The University of Baltimore helps us to celebrate Black History Month specifically through art at its annual African-American Arts Festival. Its offerings span an array of artistic mediums: film, visual art, music, theater. Some highlights: a panel with Black Ladies Brunch Crew of D.C., an African drumming circle, readings of Langston Hughes poetry spliced with live, improvised jazz piano, and a screening of Jonathan Demme’s film of Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Feb. 15 to 18 at the University of Baltimore, 1420 N. Charles St.

Exhibit of Original Costumes

We may be 2,500 miles from Hollywood, but John Klisavage brings us a touch of its wonder by way of costume. At his bookstore in Havre De Grace, he’s displaying several outfits worn in major motion pictures, including Hunger Games and The Notebook. February and March at Washington Street Books & Music, 131 N. Washington St., Havre De Grace.

A culinary documentary on Basque cuisine
Parkway Theater has teamed up with a local restaurant to bring a food and film pairing, naturally. After a screening of The Txoko Experience: The Secret Culinary Space of The Basques, scriptwriter Marcela Garces and director Yuri Morejon will answer any questions the audience has, and then . . . everyone can partake in the food portion of the evening: passed pintxos from the Basque-inspired La Cuchara restaurant. Renowned Basque chefs serve as narrators of the culinary documentary, which explores Txokos, groups of people who gather to explore innovative and experimental ways of cooking. As Morejon puts it, “Txokos represent a distinctive, albeit enigmatic element of Basque gastronomy. As the private temples of traditional Basque cuisine, they captivate people with their warmth, ambiance, and great respect for fresh products.” 7 p.m. Feb. 22 Parkway Theater, 5 W. North Ave.

For decades, Red Bull has been billed as the energy drink that “gives you wings.” And recently, the company has brought new meaning to its famed slogan, with a social justice initiative meant to elevate the ideas of change-makers across the globe.

Launched in South Africa in 2014, Red Bull Amaphiko—the Zulu term for “wings”—is a program that supports social entrepreneurs inspiring change in their communities. The organization periodically selects an academy of 15 fellows, and brings them together for a 10-day immersion of lectures, entertainment, innovation workshops, and creative collaboration.

To date, the conference has taken place five times, three times in South Africa and twice in Brazil. But it just so happens that, this time around, six of the 15 social justice leaders selected to participate in the cohort hail from Charm City—which is why organizers chose Baltimore as the first U.S. hub to host the Red Bull Amaphiko events August 11-20.

“We look for people using creativity to better their communities on a grassroots level,” says program manager AJ White. “That’s pretty prominent in Baltimore, and it shows. Six of our actual participants are from here as a direct result.”

Among the academy of national innovators (who have spearheaded everything from STEM programs to sustainable bike repair shops) are local leaders including Walker Marsh of urban farm Tha Flower Factory, Changa Bell of The Black Male Yoga Initiative, microgreen farmer Dominic Nell of City Weeds, C. Harvey of Baltimore’s Gifted, Muhammad Najeeullah of educational robotic gaming system PURGG, and Brittany Young of B-360 Baltimore—a program that uses the dirt bike culture as an avenue for STEAM education.

“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to explain what makes Baltimore so great, and tell others about the amazing people that live here,” says Young, a West Baltimore native. “There’s great power in controlling your narrative, and the academy can help shine new light into the beauty of the city.”

In keeping with its mission, Red Bull has collaborated with area trailblazers at Impact Hub Baltimore, Brown and Healthy, and Be Free Fridays at The Eubie Blake Cultural Center to curate local programming and entertainment in conjunction with the Amiphiko residency.

The free public events will highlight everything from art and live music to yoga and rollerskating, and allow the community to learn more about each academy members’ initiative.

The festivities begin with gallery show at the Eubie Blake Cultural Center on August 14, followed by a family-friendly evening of yoga, meditation, dance, and rollerskating at the Shake & Bake Family Fun Center in West Baltimore on August 15.

Another highlight will be The Medicine Show—a storytelling project where local musicians, comedians, and spoken word artists share the stories of Baltimore startups (like Touching Young Lives and the Station North Tool Library) using their different mediums—on August 17 at Arena Players.

A culminating festival to close out the week will take place at the Station North Surface Lot on August 20, featuring interactive workshops, live performances from local musicians like Abdu Ali, Ultra Naté, and Bond Street District, appearances by writer D. Watkins and photographer Devin Allen, and a special screening of “Baltimore Stories”—Amaphiko’s documentary series that includes three short films of people making changes in the community.

White describes the 10-day program as a “kickoff” for each of the fellows, who will be paired with a mentor for 18 months following the event.

“Each coach is tailor-made for a specific participant,” he explains. “So whether they need help with funding, branding, or storytelling, it’s never a one-size-fits-all type of thing. But the coaches help to identify their needs and support them as best they can.”

He says that the goal of Amaphiko is twofold: to give the social pioneers a platform, and to also educate the community using the arts.

“Amiphiko isn’t the right fit for someone who has lived in Baltimore, but wants to solve global hunger in Budapest,” White says. “It’s about helping early-stage social entrepreneurs that are solving an issue in the community that they are familiar with. We see the people closest to the problem as those who are best to find solutions to it.”

September means more than just buying school supplies and spending Sundays at Ravens games. It also marks the beginning of a new season of Baltimore theater, with everything from dark dramas to rock-and-roll musicals by Charm City’s many noteworthy companies.

9/2-10/2: THE ELEPHANT MAN
Fells Point Corner Theatre, 251 S. Ann St. 410-276-7837. Enjoy this witty, Tony Award-winning play inspired by a true story.

9/9-10/2: SMOKEY JOE’S CAFÉ
Arena Players, 801 McCulloh St. 410-728-6500. Hear the songs of legendary hit-makers Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber—think “On Broadway,” and “Kansas City”—in Broadway’s longest-running revue.

9/16-10/9: OTHELLO
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 7 S. Calvert St. 410-244-8570. Follow themes of jealousy, pride, and revenge in the Bard’s classic tragedy.

9/7-10/9: WAIT UNTIL DARK
Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St. 410-752-2208. Watch this dark, gripping story unfold in the streets of New York City.

9/9-10/2: ALL MY SONS
Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway. 410-563-9135. Celebrate Vagabond Players’ 101st season with this Arthur drama about the all-American dream.

9/2-18: MARX IN SOHO
Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St. 410-752-1225. Dive into this witty, insightful performance that chronicles the afterlife of Karl Marx.