Platt House’s Black Arts Series is an initiative in support and celebration of Black creative expression, performance, and artivism on Penn’s campus. We seek visibility for Black creatives in current, incoming, and graduated classes to find, inspire, and collaborate with each other, and we aspire to repopulate and revitalize those Black affinity student performing arts groups whose membership took a hit over the past years of remote and socially distanced activities.
Black Arts Clubs
Explore the performing arts groups who put Black culture, experiences, and affinities at the forefront of their mission.
Let us buy you a ticket!
Platt Student Performing Arts House subsidizes student tickets to concerts, talks, and shows upon request and by availability.
Check out the listings below and email us to attend!
Content Warning: the show titles featured included in this listing may contain coarse language.
▸Upcoming Events
AMERICIAN MOOR | Lantern Theatre Co | November 7 – December 8, 2024
An actor auditions for the title role in Othello. From this simple scenario springs a rich and penetrating exploration of Shakespeare in a story told with wit, passion, and linguistic brilliance. The conflicting views of the actor and the director shine a revealing light on race and art in modern America, and bring a refreshing new perspective on the enduring power of Shakespeare's work.
THE COMEUPPANCE | Wilma Theatre | November 19 – December 8, 2024
This electrifying comedy is a meditation on impermanence, nostalgia, and isolation. Anticipating their 20-year high school reunion, fueled by adult jungle juice and pot, four former classmates reminisce at a porch pre-party that hangs on a porous border with the other side.
MONOLITH BLACK ARTS MARKET | ARCH Building | December 5, 2024
Join Monolith for their third Black Arts Market as they welcome artists and vendors from our campus and the wider Philly community! The Market is open from 4-7:30pm, with Makuu's Kwanzaa Celebration starting at 6pm. Both events are free - no registration required!
BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK by 4A and FTC | Class of '49 Auditorium | December 6 – 7, 2024
In a new comedy from the Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright of Ruined, Lynn Nottage draws upon the screwball films of the 1930s to take a funny and irreverent look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is a seventy-year journey through the life of Vera Stark, a headstrong African-American maid and budding actress, and her tangled relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood star desperately grasping to hold on to her career. When circumstances collide and both women land roles in the same Southern epic, the story behind the cameras leaves Vera with a surprising and controversial legacy scholars will debate for years to come.
STORY CELEBRATIONS | Monumental Baptist Church, 4948 Locust St. | December 7, 2024
December is here! That means it's time for the August Wilson & Beyond Seminar Community Storytelling event! Celebrate West Philly stories of family, community, and spirituality - with a performance of our own, and then a chance for you to continue the storytelling that binds a community together. Free, lunch and refreshments provided. Registration at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/august-wilson-beyond-celebration-of-stories-tickets-982063778197.
YORK STREET HUSTLE HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR | World Cafe Live | December 14, 2024
Each week, ten musicians arrive at a former South Philadelphia funeral home where, one by one, they unload their old tube amps and vintage gear. Once inside, the classic sounds of the 1960s are reinvigorated, re-energized and reborn. Legends, like Stevie, Aretha and the Four Tops; lesser-known artists including Donny Hathaway, Arthur Conley and Betty Everett – all are given new life. In a few short years the York Street Hustle has gone from filling tiny South Street bars to repeated sell outs of World Cafe Live. Their repertoire now spans over 80 songs including more than a decade worth of Detroit, Memphis and Chicago soul. This is not your typical Motown wedding band. With grit, sweat, and attention to detail, The York Street Hustle is the Northeast’s premier 10-piece 1960s soul tribute.
THE VOICES OF MOTOWN CHRISTMAS | World Cafe Live | December 19, 2024
THE VOICES OF MOTOWN Christmas An All-Star Musical Holiday Tribute Concert to the Greatest Hits of Motown including The Temptations, Four Tops, Dells, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, Commodores & More. A magical night in music celebrating the greatest musical icons of Motown with your favorite songs and dancing the night away. "THE VOICES "of Motown Christmas is composed of multi-talented seasoned professional musicians and world class entertainers that will knock your socks off! The All-Star Band Members travels the World with 70’s Soul Jam Concerts Series, Backing up the 70’s Soul Jams Groups including the Stylistics, Gerald Albright, The Emotions, Bloodstone, Delfonics, Blue Magic, Jean Carne, Ray Goodman & Brown, Manhattans, Heatwave and more. "THE VOICES" of Motown Christmas is a very popular Production to most of the top acts that perform in the Mid-Atlantic Area. "The Voices" includes World Renowned National Recording Vocalists & Musicians. The Voices Tribute to Motown has sold out many venues in the United States. The Horns Section" in "THE VOICES of Motown Christmas" are accomplished National Recording Musicians that came together to create a style of musical-energy with an irresistible sound that is certain to captivate interest from across the world! They have has translated a musical style of the 1970’s into a fusion of R&B, Pop and Rock. The development of Horns Section is an unique style is the result of a lifetime of musical influence while performing with artists including Aretha Franklin, Lloyd Price, Gladys Knight, Chante Moore, Melba Moore, Ronnie Laws, Barry White, Wilton Felder, Al Johnson, Walter Beasley, The Dells, Temptations, and the Four Tops.
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AUGUST WILSON'S KING HEDLEY II | Arden Theatre | February 27 – March 23, 2025
After seven years in prison, King returns to his family and community determined to take control of his life. But his hopes conflict with the stories he’s been telling himself as he insists on planting seeds where nothing can grow. Set against the backdrop of 1980s Pittsburgh, King Hedley II continues the Arden’s commitment to August Wilson’s monumental American Century Cycle and will be directed by James Ijames, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Fat Ham.
THE HALF-GOD OF RAINFALL | Wilma Theatre | February 11 – March 2, 2025
Nigerian-born British poet and playwright Inua Ellams blends Yoruba and Greek mythologies into an incredible story of a demigod-turned-NBA superstar in The Half-God of Rainfall. The epic poem follows a half-Nigerian mortal, half-Greek God named Demi, who possesses extraordinary powers yet is burdened by the expectations of his lineage. Demi’s powers grow as he leaves his West Nigerian village for the bright lights of the NBA, where he emerges as an all-world talent driven by passion, power, and destiny. Under the directorial vision of Wilma Co-Artistic Director Lindsay Smiling, (recently seen on stage in Fat Ham and My Mama and the Full-Scale Invasion) The Half-God of Rainfall features the HotHouse Acting Company and explores the intersection of patriarchy, imperialism, and American basketball.
KARAOKE NIGHT with The Inspiration | Platt House Lobby | September 30, 2024
The Inspiration A Cappella will be hosting a karaoke night for anyone on campus to sing karaoke songs with current group members!
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA: A SHAKESPEARE JAWN | IPaM | September 1-29, 2024
A re-imagining of the tragic drama as Philly love story, told with music, movement and a Philly-fied twist on the language of the Bard.
BLCKGOORUE by Sterling Duns | MAAS Studio | September 3 – 27, 2024
“2023. Diagnosis. Monthly grief rituals. I’m tender. And clownful on the hot seat. The smallest things can feel bigger than life. I should see someone. A goorue. I will see some of you on the other side. The rest of you, where would you like to meet?”
ON BURIED GROUND | Christ Church Neighborhood House | September 4 -14, 2024
A new dance-theatre performance and exhibition reveal the histories of enslaved and freed people of African descent in Philadelphia during the American colonial era. Dance artist Shayla Vie-Jenkins, playwright Ang(ela) Bey, and director Nia Benjamin develop an evening of performance that blends dance, theatre, music and installation in the attempt to fill the gaps between historical record and our collective imagination.
FOR US, BY US, EAT US, SAVE US by Wherehouse | Icebox Project Space Gallery | September 4-18, 2024
Lose yourself in the world of Jefferson Huxley, the greatest artist you’ve never heard of. This immersive exhibition challenges gallery etiquette by crossing boundaries and unlocking doors, exploring the exploitation of black art while inviting the audience to engage with and inevitably influence the art they came to see.
BLACK JOY by Twin Eclipse | Christ Church Neighborhood House | September 6-9, 2024
Black Joy is a multi-disciplinary ancestral journey through Blackness. Fusing circus, poetry, dance, and mask work, Twin Eclipse weaves together their stories as people of African descent and the journey taken to be where they are today. Black Joy will celebrate and honor those who have come before us, are here today, and those who we have yet to see.
AN AVALANCHE OF ‘NO’ by New Paradise Laboratories with Jeffrey Cousar| Christ Church Neighborhood House | September 7-18, 2024
33 years ago, Jeffrey Cousar witnessed the great Andre Braugher play Macbeth at the Philadelphia Drama Guild. He has been gripped by a desire to perform the role ever since. Complicating factor: the actor happens to be black. This drive has endured through thick and thin, through ups and downs, weathering the obstacles many encounter on an artistic journey. Braugher died in 2023. Therefore, Cousar now feels compelled to jump the life to come, as Macbeth puts it. Now or never.
FUNERAL FOR THE DEATH MACHINES by Dusky Projects | Icebox Project Space Gallery | September 12-28, 2024
Told from the perspective of The Gun and The Bullet on their last night on Earth, A Funeral for The Death Machines is an immersive musical experience moving from Gospel to House music, transitioning these objects from symbols of harm to one of transformation.
PHILLY GUMBO | World Cafe Live | September 13, 2024
In A Night of Funk & Soul, Philly Gumboʼs distinctive blend of New Orleans R & B, funk, reggae, blues and soul has made it a unique and popular presence on the Philadelphia music scene for more thirty years.
THE VOICE OF PHILADELPHIA LEGENDS by Dave NobleSoul | Liberty Lands | September 14-15, 2024
Dave NobleSoul takes listeners on a journey through the legendary music of Philadelphia, sharing stories of his adolescent years in the music scene and how The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP) came to be. Join for a fun, sweet, and heated hour of music outdoors in the park.
CARNIVAL OF RITUAL by Alex Whitel | Icebox Project Space Gallery | September 14-25, 2024
Carnival of Ritual is theatrical performance art utilizing music, videography, dance, theater and circus to explore the mired roots of Black Americans in circus. I am exploring the relationship between black bodies exploited for physical labor, profitable freak show attractions, and the aesthetic origins of blackface and clowning. Carnival of Ritual is an homage to the disregarded and subjugated stories of Black Americans in circuses seen as normative in a Jim Crow nation. This work also serves to embolden a future of black circus artists claiming space, telling new stories and centering an existence as glorious spectacles transmitting joy to audiences.
THEARTI$T | World Cafe Live | September 19, 2024
TheARTI$T is a rising musician who blends her stories into heartfelt frequencies that string at your heart from the first listen. Her background in Hip-Hop and Contemporary dance quickly transitioned into a passion for sharing her most vulnerable moments in her music. With a discography that explores themes of love, relationships, and the imperfections of life, it’s clear that TheARTI$T takes pride in being the vessel of compassion for her audience.
IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE and LOLLISE | World Cafe Live | September 24, 2024
Fronted by Nigerian singer Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine is a clash of African and electronic elements inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West-African funk & disco and modern post-punk & electro. Lollise is a musician, visual artist and fashion designer from Botswana, currently living in NYC. Using sound, color and movement, Lollise tells stories of real and imagined worlds, multidimensional and nuanced, historical and futuristic.
WITS by InnissENT | Christ Church Neighborhood House | September 26-29, 2024
WITS is a dance driven musical that explores the anxieties of two groups of Black folks at the cusp of adulthood, highlighting the soul and spirit that characterizes so many Black people in vibrant communities of color.
JULIUS RODRIGUEZ | World Cafe Live | September 26, 2024
No matter where, the New York-born and Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer electrifies any lane. Transcending boundaries between genres and styles, he redifines the music to mirror his own fluid creative inclinations and delivering a sound that’s solely his alone. Following widespread applause from The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The FADER, and more, collaborations with everyone from Wynton Marsalis to A$AP Rocky, and tens of millions of streams, he grows in as many directions as possible on his second full-length offering, EVERGREEN.
THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD | Inis Nua | September 19 – October 13, 2024
Almost 120 years after J.M. Synge’s blistering masterpiece The Playboy of the Western World shocked audiences, prepare for a bold adaptation by Nigerian playwright Bisi Adigun and Irish writing icon Roddy Doyle. Set in modern Dublin, we reimagine Synge’s young rascal-hero as Nigerian refugee Christopher Malomo, who arrives at a run-down pub with a wild tale he hopes will save his life. Christopher’s hilarious–and ultimately dangerous–encounters with colorful Dubliners showcase the power of Synge’s classic through a razor-sharp modern lens.
MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO | World Cafe Live | October 03, 2024
No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin, is a striking homage to the eminent writer and activist. The visionary work is at once a musical experience, a church service, a celebration, a testimonial, and a call to action. With No More Water, Ndegeocello embarks on a prophetic musical odyssey that transcends boundaries and genres, delving headfirst into race, sexuality, religion, and other recurring themes explored in Baldwinʼs canon.
JOSHUA REDMAN GROUP FEATURING GABRIELLE CAVASSA | Penn Live Arts | October 5, 2024
“One of today’s best saxophonists,” (NPR) Joshua Redman returns to our stage for the first time in over 10 years to perform the music of his latest album, where are we. Created with pandemic-induced wanderlust, this musical journey through America marks his first-ever collaboration with a vocalist, rising star Gabrielle Cavassa, and travels across genre and generation. Mashups of new work and standards including Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia,” Count Basie’s “Goin’ to Chicago,” Rodgers & Hart’s “Manhattan,” John Coltrane’s “Alabama” and more are interpreted with Redman’s signature improvisational brilliance and melodic invention.
BILAL and MELANIE CHARLES | World Cafe Live | October 09, 2024
A singer, songwriter, and producer who has always been ahead of his time – blending jazz, afrofuturism, classic soul, alternative r&b, rock, and even classical in his vocals and music, Bilal is known for his wide vocal range, work across multiple genres, and magnetic live performances. As a member of the Soulquarians, an experimental collective that was active from the late 1990s to early 2000s, Bilal has been culturally and musicially influencial on a whole new generation of musicians and producers including Kendrick Lamar, Common, Erykah Badu, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Guru, Kimbra, J Dilla, Robert Glasper, and The Roots. Brooklyn born and raised, Melanie Charles is one of these artists whose sound can capture the sentiments of a generation. Over the past few decades, she has made a name for herself through dynamic engagements with jazz, soul, and R&B. Her bold genre-bending style has been embraced by a range of artists including Wynton Marsalis, SZA, Mach-Hommy, Gorillaz, and The Roots.
KOKOROKO | World Cafe Llive | October 11, 2024
Kokoroko seamlessly blends a melting pot of influences and experiences to usher in a new future, while drawing from the past and present. Whether that’s through the dreamlike synths that weave around the urgent percussion, distorted electric guitar solos or a horn section so melodic and expressive that it makes you forget to miss lyrics – there’s a dynamic, bustling trademark London energy to the arrangements at times, alongside a sense of space and weightlessness that resists location and categorisation altogether.
NOBIGDYL. | World Cafe Live | October 12, 2024
nobigdyl. is most known most for combining concept driven lyricism with eclectic production. Musically he bounces from hard-hitting to ethereal— pulling from trap, jazz, golden era hip hop, underground and beyond to create his own sound. The Dove-Award winning, President Obama Playlisted, NPR Tiny Desk Contest Fan Favorite rapper is a storyteller at heart. His lyrics are part memoir, part stream of consciousness, as he wrestles with concepts such as faith, ego, love, and loss.
BOULEVARDS | World Cafe Live | October 18, 2024
On his fifth studio album, Jamil Rashad explores the importance of self-reflection and personal experiences, in particular themes of love and vulnerability. Blending raw, crunchy sounds, club-ready rhythm and funk, this is the album that finally captures the energy of Rashadʼs high octane live show onto wax.
IF PRETTY HURTS UGLY MUST BE A MUHFUCKA | Temple University | October 18-20, 2024
In the village of Affreakah-Amirrorkah, no one questions that Akim is the one true, perfect beauty – not even her jealous classmates. But they’ll be damned before they let her take over as leading lady in this story. Combining West African folklore and contemporary American culture, Tori Sampson’s hilariously provocative play doesn’t ask the question “How much is beauty worth?” but rather, “Why are so many willing to pay its price?”
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK | Penn Live Arts | October 27, 2024
Beloved a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock returns to our stage in celebration of its milestone 50th anniversary. Internationally renowned for a musical landscape blending gospel, R&B, jazz and lively ASL interpretation, this powerhouse ensemble is rooted in uplifting African American history and culture. Boasting two of its founding members, one a Philadelphia native, Sweet Honey continually proves it is one of the most dynamic, versatile and relevant musical collectives today.
INTIMATE APPAREL | Arden Theatre | October 24 – December 1, 2024
The time is 1905. The place, the Lower East Side. Sewing beautiful lingerie gives Esther Mills, an African American seamstress, an intimate look at the lives of her clientele, but she yearns for a story of her own. The Arden returns to the work of Lynn Nottage – two-time Pulitzer Prize winner of last season’s Clyde’s — for this moving portrait of love, resilience, and the rich tapestry of life directed by Barrymore Award-winner Amina Robinson.
MORENO | InterAct Theatre Co | November 1-24, 2024
2016. The NFL has been shaken by Colin Kaepernick’s controversial decision to take a knee during the national anthem to protest against police brutality. Superstar running back Luis Moreno, who is all about his game – and his paycheck — has joined a new team with championship aspirations. But America’s leadership is changing, and when a painful new reality hits close to home, Luis is forced to ask whether politics have a place on the field, and if he is willing to risk his career to take a stand for his own community.
DOLLHOUSE by Excelano Project | Penn Museum, Rainey Auditorium | November 8 – 9, 2024
The Excelano Project is Penn’s premier spoken word poetry group. But EP goes beyond the poetry; we are a family. This group is about finding voice. It is dedicated to the power of the mic and using personal experience to touch the lives of audience members. It’s about breaking down barriers. It’s about holding a speaker up to life’s white noise, to find that every one of us can be heard. Trigger warning: poems in this show may contain language and/or content that may be distressing for some audience members; poets will state individual trigger warnings before they perform.
HIS SALVATION AND GRACE by New Spirit of Penn Gospel Choir | Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral | November 9, 2024
For over 25 years, NSP has been proud to host its annual Fall Concert, and this year we invite you to join us on November 9th for an inspiring afternoon of worship under the theme Salvation and Grace. Don’t miss this celebration of faith and music!
ABDULLAH IBRAHIM TRIO | Penn Live Arts | November 10, 2024
Called “South Africa’s Mozart” by Nelson Mandela, Cape Town-born icon and 2019 NEA Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim brings his “spell-binding trio” to our stage on the heels of his latest release, 3. With over 50 wide-ranging albums, this pianist, composer and outspoken chronicler of South Africa’s struggle with apartheid has become an international icon, mixing influences from jazz and classical to gospel and traditional African music with an “ever-inventive talent.” Stateside performances by Ibrahim are a rare occurrence, and this evening promises an unforgettable experience with a living jazz legend. (Jazzwise)
BYRON JUANE | World Cafe Live |November 20, 2024
As soon as Byron Juane stepped onto the stage, you could feel his authenticity. There was no facade, no put-on persona to hide behind. Instead, there was raw honesty, a transparent openness that left no doubt in anyone’s mind that this artist was the real deal. And that authenticity was reflected in every note, every lyric. It wasn’t just about making a catchy tune or pandering to the latest trends. Byron was creating music that meant something, that spoke to the heart and soul. On November 20th Byron Juane’s“A Night About You” Tour features Eli Derby, Journey Montana, Lily Massie, and Pxrry.
THE INSPIRATION A CAPPELLA | Class of ’49 Auditorium | November 22 – 23, 2024
The Inspiration is a co-ed a cappella singing group founded in 1989 for students of the University of Pennsylvania. It serves as a musical outlet for individuals with a desire to celebrate the legacy of the African Diaspora. The organization concentrates on music written and/or performed by artists of African descent with the purpose to educate as well as entertain its audiences. This purpose is accomplished not only through musical productions but also through the development of community service programs both on and off the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Check The Inspiration’s Instagram page for details about their upcoming Fall 2024 Show!
LIMÓN DANCE COMPANY | Penn Live Arts | November 22 – 23, 2024
A titan of American modern dance, the Limón Dance Company performs The Traitor, one of the most significant works of the 1950s that explores betrayal through vibrant movement, lush musicality and haunting images. This iconic work is paired with two Philadelphia premieres – Scherzo, a compelling take on rhythm and movement that hasn’t been performed in decades, and a 2024 creation by Kayla Farrish, a powerful new voice in the dance world. Farrish’s piece will take inspiration from two lost Limón works, Redes and El Grito, and incorporate her own perspective on their themes of community and identity as an artist of color. Pairing classics with contemporary reimaginations, “José Limón’s work will continue to fascinate.” (The Washington Post)
This list is updated periodically. Check back for more and contact us if there are events you are interested in attending!
Thank you to the partners, collaborators, and friends who make the Black Arts Series possible:
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- Makuu Black Cultural Center
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- Monolith
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- Penn Live Arts