The National Black Theatre Festival launched its inaugural event on this day in 1989, bringing Larry Leon Hamlin’s vision of African-American theater to life and securing its place in the 21st century arts canon. Held bi-annually, the festival boasts crowds of over 65,000 and attracts a bevy of the nation’s talented Black stage talent.
Hamlin was born in the city of Reidsville, N.C. on September 25, 1948. While theater was an interest of Hamlin’s, he graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island with a degree in business administration. During his graduate studies at Brown University Hamlin began to apply himself in the theater arts.
A family emergency cut Hamlin’s time there short, and he returned to North Carolina settling in Winston-Salem. While there, he started the state’s first Black theater company, the North Carolina Repertory Company. Over the course of a decade, Hamlin led the charge to promote plays focused on the African-American experience.
With the support of the late Dr. Maya Angelou, Hamlin created the National Black Theatre Festival, which took place in Winston-Salem. Angelou served as the festival’s first chairperson, and the inaugural event drew10,000 people. According to the festival’s historical account, the New York Times raved about the festival, calling it “one of the most historic and culturally significant events in the history of Black theater and American theater in general.”
In 2001, poor finances threatened to end the festival and its momentum but Hamlin was determined to keep the event going. Facing a $300, 000 deficit, Hamlin and his co-chairs were ultimately able raise the funds needed to go forward on opening day.
Many notable Black stage and television actors have hosted lectures and panel discussions during the festival. Ted Lange, Glynn Thurman, Lamman Rucker and many others have been featured guests.
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