MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Black History Month is underway and the Hattiloo Theatre is finding a way honor Black figures all month long despite not having an audience in nearly a year. The theatre hopes the later will change beginning next month.
Every Tuesday and Thursday during February, Hattiloo's 'Say It Loud' series will premiere live virtually. 'Say It Loud' is an eight-part free virtual Black history speech series.
Each performance focuses on an influential Black figure. To start, a prominent Memphian will introduce the person followed by an actor performance portrayed the historical figure.
For example, the first show features Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner reading a biography of Civil Rights icon John Lewis. Actor James Cook will then perform one of Lewis' speeches.
Other people to be featured this month include the likes of Lorraine Hansberry, Booker T Washing and Fannie Lou Hamer.
“I really wanted to choose individuals who definitely represent the Black excellence and Black forwardness but little is known about them and their words are seldom heard," Ekundayo Bandele, Hattiloo Theatre Founder and CEO, said.
For details and to watch live, click here.
While preparing to honor Black History Month, Bandele is also preparing to bring back an audience for the first time.
It'll be a much scaled down operation, with strict COVID-19 protocols in place, but Bandele is excited for the show to finally go on.
"Human nature is for us to congregate and especially congregate around as something as beautiful as the arts so I am definitely excited but I’m definitely more excited to offer this opportunity to the public," he said.
Inside, the theatre has already adjusted it's seating. Now, ten "opera-like" boxes surround a small stage. Each box has just four seats. Curtains surround each box on three sides with a plexiglass in front.
The only people allowed to sit in a box are people that are quarantining together. So people can't buy one ticket, they have to buy the whole box.
The first shows will feature just one performer so that there's no issue with social distancing.
Hattiloo expects to return to a live audience on March 12th with a series of one-woman shows. Details on the shows and tickets can be found here.
