Photo by Gino Bartolomi

Saturday April 18, 7:00 PM
Free admission with RSVP
75 minutes in length with a talkback to follow, no intermission
Black Box Theater, Studio Complex

Experience the Broadway-bound original play (with music) Baldwin et Lucien by playwright and actor R. Jahan. Set in the winter of 1952 in a secluded chalet in Loeche-les-Bains, Switzerland, Baldwin et Lucien is a surrealist drama that imagines an intimate chapter in the life of a young James Baldwin and his one true love, Lucien Happersberger. Moving fluidly between memory, fantasy, and emotional confrontation, the play explores race, exile, queer love, language barriers, artistic creation, and the haunting presence of the past.

R. Jahan is a multi-hyphenate artist—actor, playwright, and model—known for excavating bold, emotionally charged narratives that center queer identity, racial complexity, and the pursuit of truth in art. A graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), Jahan trained in both stage and film performance before expanding into playwriting, where their work merges poetic intensity with deep psychological, magical surrealism.

Photo by Vernard Gilmore

Friday, April 17, 7:00 PM
Free admission with RSVP
30 minutes in length, no intermission
Studio Two, Studio Complex

La Verdad presents Unchainable Voices, a work that speaks to the profound history of Black women who have stood as both the foundation of civilization and its most tireless steward. Their benevolent songs - bold, unwavering, unchainable - have galvanized societies forward, even as they have often been silenced, ignored, or marginalized. Unchainable Voices is a multidisciplinary artistic work rooted in dance and movement that celebrates the power, resilience, and cultural impact of Black women’s voices throughout history.

VERNARD J. GILMORE (Chicago, IL) creator and producer of La Verdad, is a choreographer whose work has been part of the Fire Island Dance Festival, the Ailey Dancers Resource Fund concerts, Jazz Foundation of America Gala, Contemporary West Dance Theater, and Nimbus Dance Works. Mr. Gilmore began his training at Curie Performing and Creative Arts High School in Chicago under Diane Holda, and was a scholarship student at The Ailey School, where he was also a member of Ailey II. He performed as part of the White House Dance Series under President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and then again for President Biden. Mr. Gilmore is a certified Zena Rommett Floor-Barre mentor and instructor, and certified personal trainer with NASM. Mr. Gilmore was the recipient of the Jersey City Dance Artist Relief Fund Grant Award from Nimbus Arts Center. He worked on the Disney film The Little Mermaid and most recently with the Joffrey Concert Group. He continues to choreograph and teach workshops and master classes around the world.

Sunday, May 24, 2:00 PM
$45 General Admission | $25 Student Admission
90 minutes in length, 15 minute intermission
Black Box Theater, Studio Complex

Experience the next generation of ballet stars with the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. The Studio Company presents a dynamic program featuring both classical and contemporary works. Program details to be announced in May.

"These performers are the next generation of ballet dancers, blossoming before our eyes." -Broadway World

ABT Studio Company, the junior company of American Ballet Theatre, features rising stars of the ballet world between the ages of 16 and 21. ABT Studio Company prepares these outstanding young dancers, who hail from all over the globe, to enter American Ballet Theatre or other leading ballet companies worldwide. Nearly 85% of current dancers in American Ballet Theatre are alumni of ABT Studio Company, including most Soloists and Principal Dancers. The highly mobile ABT Studio Company serves as an ambassador for American Ballet Theatre by touring to venues large and small. Performances feature a wide variety of styles, offering something for everyone to enjoy – from ballet newcomers to lifelong fans!

"ABT Studio Company plays out charmingly as a fresh and fleet display of young dancers...accomplished classicists and comradely artists." -The Wall Street Journal