Transcript of Sade Lythcott Reveals National Black Theater's Next Chapter & Community Impact

The National Black Theater was created in 1968 in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. And today, it stood the test of time of the Civil Rights Movement. It stood the test of time of COVID, and it is still the place to be for Black arts. But we have some really cool things coming up in 2027 that we're going to talk about in this episode with the CEO, Ms. Shade Lithcock. I want you to pay attention. We're going to talk about holistic producing. We're going to talk about how you, no matter who you are, can contribute to the National Back Theater. We're going to get Shade's insights on the art of storytelling. This episode is for you. Ladies and gentlemen, I present my queen, Ms. Shade Lithcock. Shade, how are you doing today, dear?

Oh, my gosh, Mick. What an intro. I'm great. Blessed. How are you?

I am honored, I am humbled, and just grateful to be in your presence. I mean thoroughly. You're just someone who I've admired a long time from afar. There's so much that you have going on. There's so much impact that you're making in the world, and I can't wait to talk to you about all that today.

I can't wait to share with you and your listeners. Their honor is really all mine.

Shade, on Mic Unplug, I like asking about your because, that purpose that you have that's deeper than your why, and with all that you do to transform the National Black Theater, I'd love to find out what's your because, what's your purpose.

I really believe my purpose is listening and interpreting the seeds that were planted by our ancestors. My purpose is to be in deep relationship with harvesting our ancestors' dreams. And specifically with National Black Theater, it would be my mother, who the founder of National Black Theater in 1968, we're the oldest Black Theater in New York City. And so those seeds that she planted through the tumult of this country, through the pointing healing and liberatory storytelling to our community in Harlem. Really finishing her unfinished song is my because. And I think more specifically, Dr. Tier was such a visionary woman that in her lifetime, like so many of our ancestors who had revolutionary thoughts and ideas that never got to come to full fruition, I was the benefactor of all of that wisdom, but also all of that pain in the story and struggle of being forgotten. And so in my purpose, every day I wake up and I get this incredible opportunity to write her back into her story. And in that, I will say I get the opportunity to write our ancestors back into our future through my listening. So, yeah, that's my purpose.

I got goosebumps hearing you talk about that because I know what your mom and the National Black Theater meant to our country at a time, like you said, right at the heights, the peak of the civil rights movement and having that outlet in our communities. To me, it also parallels when you took over as CEO, different type of tumulsion, but it was the peak of COVID, right? Or right when COVID started and you had to navigate through some difficult, challenging times for the arts. Talk about that a little bit of how COVID impacted what you were doing, but how you were able to stand strong and diversify some of the things that the National Bat Theater was doing?

What a great question. I think a very big key to it is one of my life mantras. I learned this... My mom passed away in 2008, So I've been the CEO of National Black Theater since then. And transitioning it through her leadership, our capital project in COVID, I was given some wisdom, and it has shaped and changed my life, and really was my North Star through COVID and diversifying the way in which national Black theater shows up in the world, which was never pray for struggle. I mean, never pray for strength. I'm sorry. Never pray for strength because you only get strength through struggle. So very early on in my tenure at NBT, where everything felt so hard, but I was learning so many life lessons, I just switched my purview to say, I'm going to pray for grace. I'm going to pray for clarity. I'm going to pray to learn all the lessons I'm supposed to learn as gently and as filled with grace as possible. Because struggle had been too much a part of, I think, her life and existence and the fortitude of running a legacy Black organization for over a half century.

You can imagine the struggles. But could we flip the script and not really put our strength and ask for strength and put that on a pedestal? Because I understood firsthand that that only came from struggle. So when COVID hit, it was the perfect test, litmus test, to put this in practice. And so the clarity of understanding that there was a lot for us to learn, and that in this new beginning of a new reality, that there was a lot of opportunity, and that none of it had to come to us through struggle was really clarifying for me. And that opportunity to be remade in many regards, to be a startup, the oldest startup ever, by learning these lessons and being focused on implementing it in ways that could create a sustainable future. So for me, when COVID hit, we were in the beginning stages of a major capital redevelopment, where we were revitalizing East Harlem and reimagining the city block that Dr. Thierre bought in 1986. I understood that going under to really remake this theater during a time where the whole world was shut down was really an opportunity and not a challenge. And I will say the grace of not having to reopen because we were doing a capital project was really fortunate for us.

So while everyone was struggling to figure out what are the protocols, how do we stay in business, it was really an incubating time for us to really imagine a future that was COVID proof, that could serve this new reality. And so for me, I could also focus so much of my attention on being of service, not now just to my organization, but to the field at large because I had this great opportunity to not have to open a space. So in that time of alchemy, and I really do see it as alchemy, I just started leading the charge for culture in New York City and New York State, reopening live performance venues all across New York State through the governor's task force that he appointed me to co-lead with some incredible colleagues. And then, of course, coming in on the city side and reimagining city programs to put resources in artist hands directly because they were the folks that were getting left out of this safety net of COVID in such a fragile way, understanding the language of cities and economies, that the creative economy in New York City drives so much of the GDP.

And so COVID, for me, was like, in order to exist in the future, in order to plant seeds of permanence, we have to figure out how we remain. And so COVID gave us this amazing opportunity to see that.

Shade, you are one of the brightest minds that I know, and you just so eloquently described Everything that you are about in that segment and that take right there. As a huge fan of you, a huge fan of you, you have a mantra, you have a philosophy that I'd love for you to break down to the listeners and viewers, and you call it holistic producing. Can you talk about what that is and what it means to you?

Sure. So at National Black Theater, we produce all of our work through a lens that we call and coin holistic producing. That really came to me and our executive artistic director, Jonathan McCrory, shout out to him, brilliant artist and leader. Because when my mother passed away, and this actually became really crystal clear in our capital project, and through COVID, was I had these big shoes to fill. And I remember at my mom's funeral, Maya Angela wrote her a eulogy poem, and it basically said, When she passed, retire her jersey. So here I am about to take it on and feeling so intimidated by that. And so how do I move forward and fill these shoes? And so I began to think, well, it can't be about me, and it can't be about filling her shoes. What I need to crystallize in the going forward with National Black Theater is how to create a way to be brand true and not brand new. And so I leaned heavily into our mission. Our mission became my North Star, not my leadership, not my tenure, not trying to figure out how to be Dr. Tier, but really the mission.

And what national and Black Theater had done for generations has brought storytelling and black theater making to community. And so I thought, what is the contemporary lens of going into the street and bringing folks into a space that maybe they weren't accustomed or naturally invited into, which is theater. And so holistic producing starts with producing and finding an incredible work that we produce best in Class, so The Play. And then we wrap The Play with two prongs of community empowerment, which is what is National Black Theater's mission. So the first part of holistic producing is The Play. The second part is teasing out a civic engagement or a social impact, social justice theme that exists in the play that we can tease out and turn into content, dramaturgical lobby exhibits, ways in which to engage our community. Because sometimes the play, you don't know that play, right? You don't care about Shakespeare if it's something like Fat Ham, which is like a Black queer adaptation of Hamlet. But you do care about those kids in the play, what queer youth is going through in contemporary times today. So these are the themes. I was talking about Fat Ham, but these are the themes we draw out, and we invite the community to be in conversation with the thing that they identify with the most.

So that's the second part of holistic producing. And then once you come to the theater and you're taking in this content and you're having these conversations, hopefully you see a play that blows your mind. And then we make you sit for a 15, 20, 30 minutes after in the discomfort and the familiarity of what you just witnessed. Because we believe that theater has a vibratory frequency that allows people to connect and belong. And instead of leaving and going out and breaking bread and having a meal and wine with the people you know, let's have a conversation, a civic engagement conversation about the art we just experienced together, about the themes that exist, and let's make a piece of art together and engage the audience that way. So that is what holistic producing is. It's dramaturgy, it's production, and it's community building.

And going on that path of community building and community showing up and me talking about myself coming up there to visit. You got something very special opening in 2027 with the building. We're talking multi-use. Talk to us a little bit about what MPT is going to look like as we move forward.

In 1986, Dr. Thierre had this audacious vision to purchase a city block in Harlem. She said it was the most famous address in the world. Go anywhere in the world, say Fifth Avenue, everybody knows New York City. Opulence, say 120, Fifth Street, everybody knows it's the cultural capital of the Black world. She wanted to buy the intersection of the two and build a temple of liberation to her people. Her original blueprint was to create an ecosystem where artists could live, work, and serve. And so she purchased the block. We did our first capital project when she was CEO in '91. I have the opportunity to go even further with those, watering the seeds and the vision of these good angels, our ancestors. So we are reimagining this city block on 125th and Fifth Avenue as a ecosystem for creatives to live, work, and serve. So this is a mixed-use building, 222 units of housing through Ray Harlem, commercial retail as we've always had, and then the reimagining of national Black Theater with two performance venues, rehearsal studios, fabrications that shop so we can do workforce development. We're calling our capital project the Theater of the Future, because it's not only seeding permanence for our organization, but the way in which we're thinking about it, Mick, as you've been saying, it's this idea of an ecosystem and diversifying earned and contributed revenue is the way that theater, a nonprofit theater at that, will exist in the future.

So we believe you have to be able to see it, to be it, and we're building that model. And we'll be open in 2027. Apartments in the building started leasing though, this June.

All right. So one, I need to make sure I have an invite for the grand opening.

Yeah, of course.

But two, I want to get personal for a second, right? Yeah. That day that it does open, when Shade takes a moment to self-reflect because I know you do that. What is that moment really going to mean to you?

I don't know if I could talk about that without crying.

And We're family.

I know we are. We work so hard in the dark for so long. I think about when I said yes to this, rewriting her back into her own story, giving artists a home, something that they've never had in this country before, our very own 40 acres and a mule. I think about all of the hard work the dark, this gravotropic growth of just tilling the roots for so long. So when we cut that ribbon, it will be a testament to this living land acknowledgement, this monument of black excellence, the fruit of which has been grown from all of these dreams and generational So I think personally, it will mean so much to me, not just because of my familial link, but it means that black artistry, black storytelling has a home for the first time in this country since the 1960s. And I know what we're building is the premiere destination for black theater in the country, that the majority of black theater today is being made in spaces that don't look like us, that They don't care about us. And so cutting that ribbon means that we all get to come home. And I think that will just be everything.

And see, now you're going to make me get emotional because that's so powerful and so true, to have a home. And when we look at Black artistry, whether it's theater, movies, music, it all starts somewhere. But we can't get home. I think what you're providing is that home. Denzel Washington started in theater. Tyler Perry started in theater. Wesley Snipes started in theater. Most people don't realize that theater was the outlet that we had. I tell people all the time growing up, it was church and theater. For our community, that's what it was. I think, not saying that we have to get back to those roots, but I definitely think appreciating where we came from. That's why I think what you're doing is so powerful. I can't wait in 2027 to be there and be right beside you when that ribbon is cut because it means that much to me, too.

Thank you, Mick. I will just say this, and sometimes church is theater.

Yes, it is.

But what I think what we have to be careful for and what we have to mind for is that technology is important, but Technology is unproven. Theater is proven, right? It is as ancestral and ancient as it comes. It is about like back in the day, it was lighting a fire, sitting in a circle and telling stories. And as black people who are an oral culture, storytelling is the most powerful medium in the world, and it is the only thing that allows us to connect and stay connected to our culture. And art and entertainment without culture is content. And so we have to be mindful that we are preserving our stories in a very specific way. And theater does that. Theater makes you feel... You think about going to a movie watching something at home on your couch was exciting and convenient, or being on social media, and yet you feel disconnected, or you feel not like you don't belong, or you feel more lonely. Theater has an alchemy around alignment, cultural preservation. And so we have to mind for who we are as a people and honor that oral tradition. And theater is one of the most impactful ways to do it.

We can embrace technology, and we can also remember what we were taught to forget, which is that we, as a people and community, only can do that together. And theater brings you together.

We need a whole separate conversation to talk about the art of storytelling, because I also believe as a speaker, you need to be able to storytell. I look at it as passing on generational information, generational wealth from knowledge from the brain. You do that very, very, very well. You do it very clear. Really quick, how important for the viewers and listeners is storytelling? Forget the theater aspect of it, but the passing along of traditions and stories from one generation to the next.

Story is all we have. I need people to understand if you close your eyes, that voice that is in your head is your story, and it either propels you forward or it holds you back. So being intentional about the stories you tell yourself, the stories you consume, what the stories you invest in shapes your future. It is what seeds us whole past the darkness. And so I think for me, storytelling is everything from the page to the stage. It's how we live our lives and being conscious that stories are always being told about us, get in the driver's seat, drive your own story, tell your own story. And so for me, I do this work not because of the theater aspect, but I do it because it's an opportunity to create platforms of possibility for new stories and narrative change to be seeded every day that empower us to be whole, complete, seen, celebrated, and full of joy. And so storytelling to me There's nothing more critical and essential to the human experience than the stories we tell ourselves.

Amen. I could listen to you all day, Shade, just so you know. You talked a little bit about it earlier. You are also the the chair of the Coalition of Theaters of Color. Tell us a little bit about what you do there and what the coalition actually does.

The coalition was founded over 20 years ago and really was seated by Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis at their 50th Wedding anniversary. They dedicated their 50th Wedding anniversary to be a fundraiser for nine legacy theaters of color. And that grew into a coalition That really seeded New York City's first through our advocacy, New York City's first cultural initiative. It started out as a $800,000 fund from a baseline fund through the city's budget. We have grown that over the last 20 years to be almost $7 million of direct funding that goes to over 65 organizations of color across all five boroughs. And we continue to advocate for our stories to be resourced, to have our communities have resources so that they can invite storytellers in and continue to build these rich traditions of theater in New York City.

That's amazing. I love that so much. Going back to the National Black Theater, what's your boldest vision over the next decade for the theater?

Well, Mick, I will tell you, I am living in a bold vision. I remember when I started this capital project, I remember the great Billy holiday Theater had just cut its ribbon, and New York One did a whole story on them, and I think their full renovation was $4 million to reopen their theater, and I nearly passed out. I was like, How is that going to happen? Oh, God. And so this bold vision that I'm living in is a hundred million multi-art complex on the corner of 125th and Fifth Avenue. We have raised over $80 million to that $100 million goal because we believe that our artists, our community deserve first-in-class resources, venues, and places to call home. And so in 10 years, we are open. In 10 years, we are world-permearing and developing new and innovative work in our new space. I'll say very quickly, we are piloting what it means to tell immersive storytelling. So we're really leaning into technology. Our first commission artist in the new space for immersive storytelling is Nona Hendrix, where you can come to Harlem and now, for us, by us, see what our culture and the brand of Harlem is actually about and not what's exported out about it, and keep those visitor dollars and footprint within our community.

So in 10 years, we're touring those immersive digital stories. We are pioneering new playwrights and actors. We're really just a cultural hub for how Black people and communities exist, whole, complete, and full of joy in the future.

I love that. How can we help help support that vision?

Well, I guess I've already said this $100 million journey is really ours to take on the mantle of. We are in our final stretch, so people can come to our website, nationalblackleater. Org, and see the shows that we are putting on. You can also contribute to our campaign. We are naming spaces in our building after people who look like us. We call Naming Justice. So if you want to be a part of this legacy, you can reach out, you can name a space to ensure that the vibratory frequency of Harlem always vibrates as black culture as our mecca, and that we ensure that the buildings that we are building, that the organizations that we are leading, continue to be brand true and not brand new. So join us, and you can get all All the information about us on our website.

Brand true, not brand new. I'm borrowing that, Shade. Yeah, you got it. I'm borrowing that. I know you're very busy. I want to get you out here on my top five or my quick five. So five questions, rapid fire. Nothing's going to trip you up, I promise.

You ready? All right. All right. Nervous. All right.

Your favorite pizza joint in Harlem?

Oh, V&T Pizza. Okay.

What's one morning ritual that you make sure you do every single day, every morning?

Meditate.

It. To get into that creative space that I know Shade has, what song automatically takes you there?

Oh, spirit in the dark, Aretha Franklin.

There it is. What's a book or a voice that's changed how you lead? Read?

Well, the first time I really realized I was alive was reading Baldwin's Fire next time. But the music and the words of Nina Simone play often for me. But I'm old school. I always go back.

Me too. Me too. Me too. All right, so last question. Favorite vacation. When you need a recharge, you just need to mentally escape for a moment, where's Shade going?

Somewhere with very poor service.

I love it. It doesn't matter the place, right? It's very limited WiFi.

You just have to... I am a simple girl. I need saltwater, sun, and poor service, and I can I truly unplug.

Shade, you are truly amazing. I appreciate you more than you'll ever know. For the viewers and listeners, where can we follow and find you?

You can find me on Instagram at notblacktheater or at Shade1111, or you can always look us up on our website, nationalblacktheater. Org.

Shade, you're a great soul. Anytime you want to be back on, you got it. I could talk to you all day, every day, and I mean that.

You're such an inspiration. Thank you for holding this space for all of us to be inspired by. Truly, truly, truly. Such an honor.

You got it. And for all the viewers and listeners, remember, your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Mic Unplug. If today hits you hard, then imagine what's next. Be sure to subscribe, rate, and share this with someone who needs it. And most of all, make a plan and take action, because the next level is already waiting for you. Have a question or insight to share? Send us an email to hello@micunplug. Com. Until next time, ask yourself how you can step up.