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2025 DARKHORSE SHOWS
December 5 , 6, 12 & 13 at 7:30pm
December 7th at 4pm
A Christmas Carol
Sista Style Productions
adapted by Mary McCallum
Ticket price: $23.18
To purchase tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-christmas-carol-tickets-1975348322006?aff=oddtdtcreator
December 7th at 4pm
A Christmas Carol
Sista Style Productions
adapted by Mary McCallum
Ticket price: $23.18
To purchase tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-christmas-carol-tickets-1975348322006?aff=oddtdtcreator
Kindling's Very Special Holiday Special
featuring The Muppet Christmas Carol
Please note: this event is 21+. The Muppets are for everyone, but this Holiday Special is for the adults.
Thursday-Saturday, December 18-20 at 8PM
Tickets: $30 Thursday / $35 Friday or Saturday
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
BOOK NOW: www.kindlingarts.com/holiday-special-2025
Back by popular demand! Kindling‘s Very Special Holiday Special, a cherished annual tradition, returns with the third (and possibly final!) screening of the cult classic The Muppet Christmas Carol with our signature Kindling twist. Building on the hysterical original concept from Jessika Malone & Daniel Carter (Bar Fight, Monsterball), dynamic duo Emma Supica & Daniel Jones team up to add exciting new live performances to accompany the iconic film. Throughout the evening, some of our most beloved local actors pay homage to our favorite Muppets, including performances by Emma Supica (embodying the singular Gonzo the Great), Cammie York (inspired by Rizzo the Rat), Seth Nathan Green (Nashville's very own loveable Kermit), and other special surprise guests.
Take a breather from the holiday madness to enjoy this hilarious and heartwarming evening, including the nostalgic journey of Scrooge’s hauntings with grand Muppet musical numbers. It's true: wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas!
Please note: this event is 21+. The Muppets are for everyone, but this Holiday Special is for the adults.
featuring The Muppet Christmas Carol
Please note: this event is 21+. The Muppets are for everyone, but this Holiday Special is for the adults.
Thursday-Saturday, December 18-20 at 8PM
Tickets: $30 Thursday / $35 Friday or Saturday
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
BOOK NOW: www.kindlingarts.com/holiday-special-2025
Back by popular demand! Kindling‘s Very Special Holiday Special, a cherished annual tradition, returns with the third (and possibly final!) screening of the cult classic The Muppet Christmas Carol with our signature Kindling twist. Building on the hysterical original concept from Jessika Malone & Daniel Carter (Bar Fight, Monsterball), dynamic duo Emma Supica & Daniel Jones team up to add exciting new live performances to accompany the iconic film. Throughout the evening, some of our most beloved local actors pay homage to our favorite Muppets, including performances by Emma Supica (embodying the singular Gonzo the Great), Cammie York (inspired by Rizzo the Rat), Seth Nathan Green (Nashville's very own loveable Kermit), and other special surprise guests.
Take a breather from the holiday madness to enjoy this hilarious and heartwarming evening, including the nostalgic journey of Scrooge’s hauntings with grand Muppet musical numbers. It's true: wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas!
Please note: this event is 21+. The Muppets are for everyone, but this Holiday Special is for the adults.
PREVIOUS DARKHORSE SHOWS
Friday, November 21st @ 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 22nd @ 7:30 PM
GUTS is an otherworldly dance-theater work, created by MauveTaupe. This evening-length multi-media performance—in development since fall 2024—displays radical set design, a cutting-edge underground soundtrack, and dynamic physicality. Two characters demonstrate resilience and grit to process themes of grief, heartbreak, and identity. GUTS is set to premiere at the Darkhorse Theater on November 21-22, 2025.
MauveTaupe is a dance duet project between Nashville based artists Spencer Grady and Phylicia Roybal. This dynamic pairing cultivates atmospheres where movement expresses the depths of their individual and shared identities. The artists are queer, multicultural, have roots in distinct somatic practices, yet have a striking difference in body composition; all coming together to create a unique artistic voice. Creating work since 2022, MauveTaupe continues to hone their ability to establish evocative worlds and pull their audiences into their transcendent performance experiences.
Run time: approximately 1 hour
TICKETS: $25
Available at - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guts-presented-by-mauvetaupe-tickets-1680079405729?aff=oddtdtcreator
Saturday, November 22nd @ 7:30 PM
GUTS is an otherworldly dance-theater work, created by MauveTaupe. This evening-length multi-media performance—in development since fall 2024—displays radical set design, a cutting-edge underground soundtrack, and dynamic physicality. Two characters demonstrate resilience and grit to process themes of grief, heartbreak, and identity. GUTS is set to premiere at the Darkhorse Theater on November 21-22, 2025.
MauveTaupe is a dance duet project between Nashville based artists Spencer Grady and Phylicia Roybal. This dynamic pairing cultivates atmospheres where movement expresses the depths of their individual and shared identities. The artists are queer, multicultural, have roots in distinct somatic practices, yet have a striking difference in body composition; all coming together to create a unique artistic voice. Creating work since 2022, MauveTaupe continues to hone their ability to establish evocative worlds and pull their audiences into their transcendent performance experiences.
Run time: approximately 1 hour
TICKETS: $25
Available at - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guts-presented-by-mauvetaupe-tickets-1680079405729?aff=oddtdtcreator
🎭 MAMA STORIES by Cynthia C. Harris
🗓 Thurs–Sat, Nov 13–15 at 7:30 PM
📍 Darkhorse Theater
🎟 $25 in advance / $30 at the door
🔗 bit.ly/MAMASTORIES
🗓 Thurs–Sat, Nov 13–15 at 7:30 PM
📍 Darkhorse Theater
🎟 $25 in advance / $30 at the door
🔗 bit.ly/MAMASTORIES
Facilitating our salon experience are the brilliant OlaOmi Amoloku and Dia Hodnett who were both part of THE EXPERIENCE back in May. Panelists include Dr. Keisha Bean and Kristin Mejia.
🎭 MAMA STORIES by Cynthia C. Harris
🗓 Thurs–Sat, Nov 13–15 at 7:30 PM
📍 Darkhorse Theater
🎟 $25 in advance / $30 at the door
🔗 bit.ly/MAMASTORIES
MAMA STORIES is sponsored by Actors Bridge Ensemble and Meharry Medical College’s Maternal Health Excellence Research Center in the School of Global Health.
MAMA STORIES Tickets
🎭 MAMA STORIES by Cynthia C. Harris
🗓 Thurs–Sat, Nov 13–15 at 7:30 PM
📍 Darkhorse Theater
🎟 $25 in advance / $30 at the door
🔗 bit.ly/MAMASTORIES
MAMA STORIES is sponsored by Actors Bridge Ensemble and Meharry Medical College’s Maternal Health Excellence Research Center in the School of Global Health.
MAMA STORIES Tickets
Friday, November 21st @ 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 22nd @ 7:30 PM
GUTS is an otherworldly dance-theater work, created by MauveTaupe. This evening-length multi-media performance—in development since fall 2024—displays radical set design, a cutting-edge underground soundtrack, and dynamic physicality. Two characters demonstrate resilience and grit to process themes of grief, heartbreak, and identity. GUTS is set to premiere at the Darkhorse Theater on November 21-22, 2025.
MauveTaupe is a dance duet project between Nashville based artists Spencer Grady and Phylicia Roybal. This dynamic pairing cultivates atmospheres where movement expresses the depths of their individual and shared identities. The artists are queer, multicultural, have roots in distinct somatic practices, yet have a striking difference in body composition; all coming together to create a unique artistic voice. Creating work since 2022, MauveTaupe continues to hone their ability to establish evocative worlds and pull their audiences into their transcendent performance experiences.
Run time: approximately 1 hour
TICKETS: $25
Available at - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guts-presented-by-mauvetaupe-tickets-1680079405729?aff=oddtdtcreator
Saturday, November 22nd @ 7:30 PM
GUTS is an otherworldly dance-theater work, created by MauveTaupe. This evening-length multi-media performance—in development since fall 2024—displays radical set design, a cutting-edge underground soundtrack, and dynamic physicality. Two characters demonstrate resilience and grit to process themes of grief, heartbreak, and identity. GUTS is set to premiere at the Darkhorse Theater on November 21-22, 2025.
MauveTaupe is a dance duet project between Nashville based artists Spencer Grady and Phylicia Roybal. This dynamic pairing cultivates atmospheres where movement expresses the depths of their individual and shared identities. The artists are queer, multicultural, have roots in distinct somatic practices, yet have a striking difference in body composition; all coming together to create a unique artistic voice. Creating work since 2022, MauveTaupe continues to hone their ability to establish evocative worlds and pull their audiences into their transcendent performance experiences.
Run time: approximately 1 hour
TICKETS: $25
Available at - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guts-presented-by-mauvetaupe-tickets-1680079405729?aff=oddtdtcreator
Global Education Free Film Festival
Friday November 7th from 6-10pm
Saturday November 8th from 2-9pm
Friday
6 pm Pachamama(film short) followed by Indigenize the Plate
715 to 745 Peruvian treats in lobby
8 to 945 Singing Back the Buffalo
Saturday
2 to 335 Swipe (film short) and Smoke Signals
3:45 to 415 Popcorn in lobby or fry bread food truck outside
430 to 6 Remaining Native
615 to 645 popcorn in lobby
7 to 845. Rumble: Indians that Rocked the World.
Friday November 7th from 6-10pm
Saturday November 8th from 2-9pm
Friday
6 pm Pachamama(film short) followed by Indigenize the Plate
715 to 745 Peruvian treats in lobby
8 to 945 Singing Back the Buffalo
Saturday
2 to 335 Swipe (film short) and Smoke Signals
3:45 to 415 Popcorn in lobby or fry bread food truck outside
430 to 6 Remaining Native
615 to 645 popcorn in lobby
7 to 845. Rumble: Indians that Rocked the World.
Ms. Holmes + Ms. Watson: Apt. 2B Cheerfully Desecrating the Stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!
10/24/25-11/1/25
Thurs- Sat. at 7:30pm, Sun. at 2:30pm
Presented by WIT Women in Theatre
By Kate Hamill
Ms. Holmes + Ms. Watson, Apt 2B is an irreverent, darkly comic, modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous sleuth and sidekick. This fast-paced romp re-examines the world’s most famous detective story with a bold new feminist lens. In this highly theatrical, small-cast escapade, oddball female roommates Sherlock (yes, it’s also a girl’s name—wait, is it a girl’s name? Is it even a name?) Holmes & Joan Watson join forces to emerge from pandemic fog as a deeply codependent, quasi-dysfunctional Odd Couple adventure duo—solving mysteries and kicking butts, until they come face to face with a villain who seems to have all of the answers.
Written by Kate Hamill, author of many innovative, contemporary adaptations of classic novels for the stage, winner of the WSJ Playwright of the Year award, and one of the most-produced playwrights in America since 2017.
10/24/25-11/1/25
Thurs- Sat. at 7:30pm, Sun. at 2:30pm
Presented by WIT Women in Theatre
By Kate Hamill
Ms. Holmes + Ms. Watson, Apt 2B is an irreverent, darkly comic, modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous sleuth and sidekick. This fast-paced romp re-examines the world’s most famous detective story with a bold new feminist lens. In this highly theatrical, small-cast escapade, oddball female roommates Sherlock (yes, it’s also a girl’s name—wait, is it a girl’s name? Is it even a name?) Holmes & Joan Watson join forces to emerge from pandemic fog as a deeply codependent, quasi-dysfunctional Odd Couple adventure duo—solving mysteries and kicking butts, until they come face to face with a villain who seems to have all of the answers.
Written by Kate Hamill, author of many innovative, contemporary adaptations of classic novels for the stage, winner of the WSJ Playwright of the Year award, and one of the most-produced playwrights in America since 2017.
Chinkapin Craftstead & Darkhorse Theater present:
“Bar Dykes,” a one-act play by Merril Mushroom
Friday, October 10 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 11 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
At the Darkhorse Theater
“Bar Dykes” takes place in a lesbian bar over the course of one night in the late 1950s. The play explores pre-Stonewall gay girl culture and how dykes carved out space to find friendship and love despite the risks.
Filled with 50s jukebox music, the play follows a group of women as they drink, flirt, gossip, and dance. Both funny and tender, “Bar Dykes” is full of empathy, butch-femme dance moves, and Zippo lighter tricks.
The play was written by Merril Mushroom, a long-term Tennessee resident, who came out as a lesbian when she was a teenager in 1950s Florida during the Lavender Scare.
“Bar Dykes” is an ode to queer resilience. October 11 is National Coming Out Day, and a cast of trans, non-binary, and lesbian actors will perform this play at a time when, once again, queer and trans lives are under assault. Resisting LGBTQ erasure, the cast celebrates the stories of their lesbian elders in an inspiring intergenerational conversation that strengthens the queer community during difficult times.
The play is produced by Chinkapin Craftstead, an arts organization in rural Tennessee focused on uplifting Queer, trans and BIPoC voices.
Tickets: $10 - $20 sliding scale.
For more information: https://www.chinkapincrafts.org/
Reservations: 615-542-5378 or [email protected]
“Bar Dykes,” a one-act play by Merril Mushroom
Friday, October 10 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 11 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
At the Darkhorse Theater
“Bar Dykes” takes place in a lesbian bar over the course of one night in the late 1950s. The play explores pre-Stonewall gay girl culture and how dykes carved out space to find friendship and love despite the risks.
Filled with 50s jukebox music, the play follows a group of women as they drink, flirt, gossip, and dance. Both funny and tender, “Bar Dykes” is full of empathy, butch-femme dance moves, and Zippo lighter tricks.
The play was written by Merril Mushroom, a long-term Tennessee resident, who came out as a lesbian when she was a teenager in 1950s Florida during the Lavender Scare.
“Bar Dykes” is an ode to queer resilience. October 11 is National Coming Out Day, and a cast of trans, non-binary, and lesbian actors will perform this play at a time when, once again, queer and trans lives are under assault. Resisting LGBTQ erasure, the cast celebrates the stories of their lesbian elders in an inspiring intergenerational conversation that strengthens the queer community during difficult times.
The play is produced by Chinkapin Craftstead, an arts organization in rural Tennessee focused on uplifting Queer, trans and BIPoC voices.
Tickets: $10 - $20 sliding scale.
For more information: https://www.chinkapincrafts.org/
Reservations: 615-542-5378 or [email protected]
Tuesday, September 2nd - 6 pm
Opening Celebration & Networking Mixer
Free Admission
Saturday, September 6th - 8 pm
Actin Up Media presents The POESY LOUNGE LIVE at the Darkhorse Theatre for The Shades of Black Theatre Festival!! Hosted by 92Q radio personality @khristal_witta_eye_comedy & the hilarious @kev_the_comedian Featuring poetic performances by @spokenwords92 @615thyck313chick_spokenwordz @i.am.her.ladyflame + musical guests @justnakessa & @blvckwizzlemcm
**DOORS OPEN AT 7:30pm SHOW STARTS AT 8pm** Purchase tickets at www.actinupmedia.com
see flyer below
Sunday, September 7th - 3 pm
WITHIN REACH
Presented by the Kindling Arts Festival 2025
Within Reach is a powerful new work that centers the voices of Nashvillians with lived experience of incarceration. Conceived and directed by theater-maker and activist Shawn Whitsell and created in collaboration with an ensemble of artists impacted by the carceral system including visual artist and photographer Jima Akhenjah-Weaver and playwright Bobby Robertson, this urgent new work offers an unflinching look at the systemic injustices of the prison industrial complex and a deeply moving celebration of the resilience of the human spirit.
Told through firsthand stories, Within Reach invites audiences to witness the resourcefulness, creativity, and unbreakable strength of people too often pushed to the margins. This revelatory new live performance builds a temporal bridge between the free and incarcerated worlds and urgently reminds us that no one is beyond reach.
Writers: Bobby Robertson, Varia Merritt, Terrancé Akins, Andru Pritchett, Dee Hammonds, Ashlee Sellars
Performers: Jalen Dukes, Leonard Ledford III, Terrancé Akins, Dee Hammonds, Ashlee Sellars
Featuring original art by Jima Akhenjah-Weaver
Admission: $20
Saturday, September 13th - 7:30 pm
TWO OLD BLACK GUYS JUST SITTING AROUND TALKING
Written by Gus Edwards
Directed by Keith Franklin
Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking is a theatre classic by Gus Edwards. It is a hilarious, heartfelt journey into friendship, love, and aging. Meet Henry, the calm and wise one, and Abe, his crotchety, quick-witted "friend". Their sharp banter and stories about decades of life—love triangles, divergent paths, and shared memories—will make you laugh, nod, and maybe even tear up.
This play is a must-see for anyone who loves great storytelling, humor, and the power of human connection. Don’t miss it—come sit with these characters and experience life’s stories firsthand. Directed by ABTF award-winning Keith Franklin, this one is sure to stay with you long after the curtain falls.
Gus Edwards is an Afro-Caribbean dramatist and writer. His plays have been produced by Negro Ensemble Company of New York and throughout the United States. He is also a director and educator. He has written several books addressing the concerns of African American theatre and is a tenured faculty member of Arizona State University’s theatre department, where he teaches film and theatre studies.
Extrasensory Elements: Witty Humor, Swearing and Strong Language, Mature Themes ((age-appropriate 16+))
Admission: $20
Sunday, September 14th at 4pm
SHADOW OF AN EYE
Presented by MZ Breezy Wings Lifted Productions
Writer/Director Angela Taylor
Starring Shante Buggs and John Wiggins
see flyer below
20th ANNUAL SHADES OF BLACK this SEPTEMBER
The 20th Annual Shades of Black Theatre Festival kicks off in September.
NASHVILLE (August 7, 2025) SistaStyle Productions and Destiny Theatre Experience are pleased to announce the 20th Annual Shades of Black Theatre Festival, which will run at the Darkhorse Theater, September 2nd-28th. This year's theme is "20 Years Bold."In addition to full-length shows, the festival will also feature an opening mixer, workshops, spoken word shows, and other special events.
The purpose of the Shades of Black Theatre Festival is to provide an outlet to uplift the voices of Black artists, while at the same time, being inclusive to artists of other races, ethnicities, and identities. Shades of Black aims to offer a community-building artistic and cultural experience for all.
Ticket prices may vary. All Shades of Black events will be held at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN 37209, unless otherwise specified. Event information can be found at darkhorsetheater.com and the Shades of Black Theatre Festival Facebook page: Shades of Black Theatre Festival.
Below is a partial list of festival events. More events are currently being added.
Thursday, September 18th - 6 pm
POETRY UNPLUGGED is a live intimate music performance and sit down with Cameron Mitchell about the release of his new book Book "Breaking the Block: Building a Path to Write the Story" along with music from the book's spoken word album "Ballad of 4 Seasons."
Purchase tickets ahead of time:
Price: $10 ticket entry to the event.
$30 ticket that comes with entry and the book.
$40 ticket comes with the entry and deluxe edition that includes the book and album
At the door:
Price: $10 ticket entry to the event
Can purchase both editions of the book at the event.
Time: 6pm
Email Contact: [email protected]
Friday, September 19th and Saturday, September 27th - 7:30 pm
SUMMER BREEZE
Written by Mary McCallum
Presented by SistaStyle Productions
Admission: $20
Fresh off its "Best Overall Production" win at the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival, "Summer Breeze" returns to Nashville for two shows only. “Summer Breeze” is a drama set in the 1960s at an exclusive all-Black resort. Rose, a widowed mother, faces a make-or-break summer for her heavily mortgaged resort. As financial pressures mount, her eldest daughter, Alice, finds herself torn between pursuing her own dreams and supporting her mother's struggle to keep the family business afloat. Complicating matters is Alice’s younger, spoiled sister, whose carefree attitude clashes with the family's dire circumstances. The resort's pivotal opening weekend brings a whirlwind of emotions as Rose's former best friend arrives with her husband - who happens to be Rose's ex-boyfriend – their son, and a mysterious stranger. Amidst this charged atmosphere, this compelling play explores themes of friendship, love, sibling rivalry, and resilience in the face of adversity.
Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-breeze-tickets-1653105245289?aff=oddtdtcreator
Friday, September 26th - 7:30 pm Also October 2,3, & 4 at 7:30pm
BUFFALO SOLDIER
Written by Mitch Hale
Directed by Shawn Whitsell
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience
Buffalo Soldier is stirring drama that takes place when, in the summer of 1874, three soldiers of the “all negro” tenth cavalry and their white commander go on a dangerous reconnaissance mission to establish an outpost in the heart of Comanche territory. Shortly after making camp they inadvertently capture a Comanche brave and soon discover that he is none other than Chief Quanah Parker, the government’s most wanted renegade. As the night grows darker, the life and death stakes get higher. The tensions that erupt are multilevel and multiracial: between the black soldiers and their white captain, between the soldiers and the defiant warrior–and mostly, among the soldiers themselves, of which the LA Times said “GRIPPING. A wham bam, thrilling adventure that rings with clarion urgency!”
Admission: $20
see flyer below
Saturday, September 20th - 9:30 pm
Dashikis & Daiquiris
Hosted by Shawn Whitsell
Food, drinks, music, art and fellowship
Admission: Donation at the door
Sunday, September 21st - 4 pm
BOBBY PETER
Come along this musical journey with 6 year-old Bobby Peter as he discovers 'C' Is For Courage that he never knew he had. You'll be singing, shouting, and laughing at his many quirky antics in this stage play for kids. First 25 guest will receive a special gift!
Presented by Kim Quinnie
Duration/Run Time: 50 Minutes
Cost: Donation Based
🎭 EXIT, PURSUED BY A BEAR by Lauren Gunderson
🗓 Fri-Sun, July 11-13; Thurs-Sat, July 17-19 at 7:30 pm (Sunday 7/13 at 5 pm)
📍 Darkhorse Theater
🎟 $30 ($35 at the door)
🔗https://bit.ly/ABE-EXIT
STORY:
Nan has decided to teach her abusive husband Kyle a lesson. With the help of her friend Simon (acting as her emotional -- and actual -- cheerleader) and a stripper named Sweetheart, and the words of William Shakespeare, she tapes Kyle to a chair and forces him to watch as they reenact scenes from their painful past. In the piéce de resistance, they plan to cover the room in meat and honey so Kyle will be mauled by a bear. Through this night of emotional trials and ridiculous theatrics, Nan and Kyle are both freed from their past in this smart, wonderfully dark yet hopeful revenge comedy.
🗓 Fri-Sun, July 11-13; Thurs-Sat, July 17-19 at 7:30 pm (Sunday 7/13 at 5 pm)
📍 Darkhorse Theater
🎟 $30 ($35 at the door)
🔗https://bit.ly/ABE-EXIT
STORY:
Nan has decided to teach her abusive husband Kyle a lesson. With the help of her friend Simon (acting as her emotional -- and actual -- cheerleader) and a stripper named Sweetheart, and the words of William Shakespeare, she tapes Kyle to a chair and forces him to watch as they reenact scenes from their painful past. In the piéce de resistance, they plan to cover the room in meat and honey so Kyle will be mauled by a bear. Through this night of emotional trials and ridiculous theatrics, Nan and Kyle are both freed from their past in this smart, wonderfully dark yet hopeful revenge comedy.
LIVE IN TECHNICOLOR!: Performance Art ShowcaseOne of the most hotly anticipated events of any Kindling Arts Festival, the lively performance art showcase brings together some of the city’s most thrilling new talents in an eclectic and bold mix of performance explorations. Rising superstar GrandmaFun uses the art of burlesque to introduce us to The Technicolor Dream Showgirl and The Sophisticated Savage, breaking apart exoticism with a humorous twist and sparkly spectacle. Comedian and puppeteer DooWop Byrd-Bugarin tells the story of a puppet named Nugget who is treated differently because of the color of her skin, until she meets a new friend that gives her a space of belonging. Emerging choreographer Gracyn Preston takes on the guise of a comedian who is confronted by a giant teddy bear the same size as her, creating a duet with the inanimate object that is both humorous and emotionally resonant. An innovative improvisational form is born in The Riddle, combining the talents of comedy improvisers Anne Veal and Carley Haggerty with movement improvisers Jasmine Clark and McKay House. This quartet of engaging projects is not to be missed!
PERFORMANCES:
Saturday, July 26 at 6PM
Sunday, July 27 at 4PM
PERFORMANCES:
Saturday, July 26 at 6PM
Sunday, July 27 at 4PM
WITHIN REACH | Shawn Whitsell & CollaboratorsWithin Reach is a powerful world premiere that centers the voices of Nashvillians with lived experience of incarceration. Conceived and directed by theater-maker and activist Shawn Whitsell and created in collaboration with an ensemble of artists impacted by the carceral system including visual artist and photographer Jima Akhenjah-Weaver and playwright Bobby Robertson, this urgent new work offers an unflinching look at the systemic injustices of the prison industrial complex and a deeply moving celebration of the resilience of the human spirit.
Told through firsthand stories, including that of the first Black woman to be exonerated in Tennessee, Within Reach invites audiences to witness the resourcefulness, creativity, and unbreakable strength of people too often pushed to the margins. This revelatory new live performance builds a temporal bridge between the free and incarcerated worlds and urgently reminds us that no one is beyond reach.
PERFORMANCES:
Thursday, July 24 at 7PM
Saturday, July 26 at 3P
Told through firsthand stories, including that of the first Black woman to be exonerated in Tennessee, Within Reach invites audiences to witness the resourcefulness, creativity, and unbreakable strength of people too often pushed to the margins. This revelatory new live performance builds a temporal bridge between the free and incarcerated worlds and urgently reminds us that no one is beyond reach.
PERFORMANCES:
Thursday, July 24 at 7PM
Saturday, July 26 at 3P
MELLOW DRAMA | Becca HobackBrilliant solo choreographer and performer Becca Hoback delivers another section of her powerful dance-theater works from The Sacral Series. Mellow Drama is a burlesque-style contemporary performance that is bold, sensual, satirical, and playfully rebellious while featuring Hoback’s virtuosic choreographic style. With overtures to old Hollywood and cabaret acts, the lively performance invites audiences into a journey through one character’s hard-earned realizations about her upbringing in conservative Christian purity culture. Among the devices Hoback employs to complete her storytelling are highly-stylized narration, puppetry, interactive props, beautiful costumes, and even a Judy Garland-inspired musical number. Offering catharsis in the form of hilarity, Mellow Drama invites audiences in to understand how ingrained beliefs affect the course of our lives – sometimes with unexpectedly dark consequences.
PERFORMANCES:
Friday, July 25 at 8:30PM
Sunday, July 27 at 1PM
PERFORMANCES:
Friday, July 25 at 8:30PM
Sunday, July 27 at 1PM
BAD STRIPPING | Alie Stewart & Ragana Creative$24.00 - $29.00 including fees
Comedy meets performance art in this titillating new variety show and storytelling event from producer Alie Stewart and her team at Ragana Creative. Bad Stripping is a celebration of all body types – performing both categorically “good” and “bad” stripping – with performances from burlesque, drag, and dance artists, as well as newcomers to the craft. The performance invites everyday people to connect with their own sensuality, using the body as a vehicle for self-expression and liberation.
This special event is for audiences ages 18+ only.
PERFORMANCE:
Saturday, July 26th at 9PM
Comedy meets performance art in this titillating new variety show and storytelling event from producer Alie Stewart and her team at Ragana Creative. Bad Stripping is a celebration of all body types – performing both categorically “good” and “bad” stripping – with performances from burlesque, drag, and dance artists, as well as newcomers to the craft. The performance invites everyday people to connect with their own sensuality, using the body as a vehicle for self-expression and liberation.
This special event is for audiences ages 18+ only.
PERFORMANCE:
Saturday, July 26th at 9PM
Girl Dad
Directed by Leonard Ledford III
Performances Friday and Saturday June 13 & 14th at 7:30pm, Sunday June 15th at 3pm
Friday and Saturday June 20 & 21st at 7:30pm
tickets $20 at the door or online Click Here
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/girl-dad-tickets-1348749188129
Directed by Leonard Ledford III
Performances Friday and Saturday June 13 & 14th at 7:30pm, Sunday June 15th at 3pm
Friday and Saturday June 20 & 21st at 7:30pm
tickets $20 at the door or online Click Here
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/girl-dad-tickets-1348749188129
Jayve Montgomery's LAKE BLACK TOWN
The concert, focused on themes of displacement and land; identity, spirit, and belonging; freedom and evolution, is produced in collaboration with chatterbird, a Nashville-based chamber ensemble, where Montgomery is Composer in Residence.
About the Project: America’s post-Civil War history is rife with stories of successful Black cities being razed and flooded to create lakes largely used for recreational purposes. The most infamous is likely Lake Lanier outside of Atlanta, formerly home to Oscarville, an African American community with more than 1,000 residents who were forcibly removed after a horrific lynching in 1912. These lakes can be found all over the South, their original stories submerged under the waters.
For the past year, Nashville-based artist, creative musician, and composer JayVe Montgomery has led a creative residency that explores the history of these locations. The creative residency, in progress, has included a tour of lake sites of these so-called “drowned towns,” where African-American communities were forced out by local white supremacists and neighborhoods and towns were flooded to create spaces for water recreation.
At each site, JayVe uses a PlantWave device, which captures and translates the biorhythmic vibrations of plants into sound and MIDI data. Geophones, hydrophones, contact microphones, and binaural microphones capture the sonic vibrations from area flora, fauna, air, and water, and are used as a sound bed and foundation for live, onsite, improvised musical call and response as well as written compositions examining the resonance of emptiness left after a town has been drowned.
Drowned Town Locations:
Ferguson, SC: Lake Marion
Long Island, NC: Lake Norman
Kowliga, AL: Lake Martin
Fonta Flora, NC: Lake James
Little Egypt, NC: Belews Lake
Birmingham, KY: Kentucky Lake
Oscarville, GA: Lake Lanier
TICKETS: Tickets are offered on a Pay-Your-Wage system. Pay-your-wage is a progressive, honor-system based sliding scale admission model for live events. The notion: pay what you make in an hour. With this model, artistic revenue rises as average wages rise, but performances remain accesible and affordable for all.
All ticket proceeds will benefit the Sameer Project, a grassroots aid organization that is providing thousands of meals, fresh water, and medical supplies to families and children in Gaza.
PARKING: Street parking is available along 47th Avenue N, and in various paid and free lots surrounding the venue.
This concert is made possible thanks to support from Alternate Roots, Metro Arts, a now-terminated grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, along with New Music USA's Organizational Development grant.
DOORS OPEN @ 6:30 PM, CONCERT @ 7 PM
Nashville-based composer JayVe Montgomery will present LAKE BLACK TOWN at Darkhorse Theater on Wednesday, May 28, at 7 PM. This performance shares the fruit of a yearlong field recording project focused on capturing the sounds and history of the “drowned towns” of historic Black communities found throughout the Southeastern United States. Click here to purchase tickets.
The concert, focused on themes of displacement and land; identity, spirit, and belonging; freedom and evolution, is produced in collaboration with chatterbird, a Nashville-based chamber ensemble, where Montgomery is Composer in Residence.
About the Project: America’s post-Civil War history is rife with stories of successful Black cities being razed and flooded to create lakes largely used for recreational purposes. The most infamous is likely Lake Lanier outside of Atlanta, formerly home to Oscarville, an African American community with more than 1,000 residents who were forcibly removed after a horrific lynching in 1912. These lakes can be found all over the South, their original stories submerged under the waters.
For the past year, Nashville-based artist, creative musician, and composer JayVe Montgomery has led a creative residency that explores the history of these locations. The creative residency, in progress, has included a tour of lake sites of these so-called “drowned towns,” where African-American communities were forced out by local white supremacists and neighborhoods and towns were flooded to create spaces for water recreation.
At each site, JayVe uses a PlantWave device, which captures and translates the biorhythmic vibrations of plants into sound and MIDI data. Geophones, hydrophones, contact microphones, and binaural microphones capture the sonic vibrations from area flora, fauna, air, and water, and are used as a sound bed and foundation for live, onsite, improvised musical call and response as well as written compositions examining the resonance of emptiness left after a town has been drowned.
Drowned Town Locations:
Ferguson, SC: Lake Marion
Long Island, NC: Lake Norman
Kowliga, AL: Lake Martin
Fonta Flora, NC: Lake James
Little Egypt, NC: Belews Lake
Birmingham, KY: Kentucky Lake
Oscarville, GA: Lake Lanier
TICKETS: Tickets are offered on a Pay-Your-Wage system. Pay-your-wage is a progressive, honor-system based sliding scale admission model for live events. The notion: pay what you make in an hour. With this model, artistic revenue rises as average wages rise, but performances remain accesible and affordable for all.
All ticket proceeds will benefit the Sameer Project, a grassroots aid organization that is providing thousands of meals, fresh water, and medical supplies to families and children in Gaza.
PARKING: Street parking is available along 47th Avenue N, and in various paid and free lots surrounding the venue.
This concert is made possible thanks to support from Alternate Roots, Metro Arts, a now-terminated grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, along with New Music USA's Organizational Development grant.
DOORS OPEN @ 6:30 PM, CONCERT @ 7 PM
- Wednesday, May 28, 2025
- 7:00 PM 8:30 PM
The concert, focused on themes of displacement and land; identity, spirit, and belonging; freedom and evolution, is produced in collaboration with chatterbird, a Nashville-based chamber ensemble, where Montgomery is Composer in Residence.
About the Project: America’s post-Civil War history is rife with stories of successful Black cities being razed and flooded to create lakes largely used for recreational purposes. The most infamous is likely Lake Lanier outside of Atlanta, formerly home to Oscarville, an African American community with more than 1,000 residents who were forcibly removed after a horrific lynching in 1912. These lakes can be found all over the South, their original stories submerged under the waters.
For the past year, Nashville-based artist, creative musician, and composer JayVe Montgomery has led a creative residency that explores the history of these locations. The creative residency, in progress, has included a tour of lake sites of these so-called “drowned towns,” where African-American communities were forced out by local white supremacists and neighborhoods and towns were flooded to create spaces for water recreation.
At each site, JayVe uses a PlantWave device, which captures and translates the biorhythmic vibrations of plants into sound and MIDI data. Geophones, hydrophones, contact microphones, and binaural microphones capture the sonic vibrations from area flora, fauna, air, and water, and are used as a sound bed and foundation for live, onsite, improvised musical call and response as well as written compositions examining the resonance of emptiness left after a town has been drowned.
Drowned Town Locations:
Ferguson, SC: Lake Marion
Long Island, NC: Lake Norman
Kowliga, AL: Lake Martin
Fonta Flora, NC: Lake James
Little Egypt, NC: Belews Lake
Birmingham, KY: Kentucky Lake
Oscarville, GA: Lake Lanier
TICKETS: Tickets are offered on a Pay-Your-Wage system. Pay-your-wage is a progressive, honor-system based sliding scale admission model for live events. The notion: pay what you make in an hour. With this model, artistic revenue rises as average wages rise, but performances remain accesible and affordable for all.
All ticket proceeds will benefit the Sameer Project, a grassroots aid organization that is providing thousands of meals, fresh water, and medical supplies to families and children in Gaza.
PARKING: Street parking is available along 47th Avenue N, and in various paid and free lots surrounding the venue.
This concert is made possible thanks to support from Alternate Roots, Metro Arts, a now-terminated grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, along with New Music USA's Organizational Development grant.
DOORS OPEN @ 6:30 PM, CONCERT @ 7 PM
Nashville-based composer JayVe Montgomery will present LAKE BLACK TOWN at Darkhorse Theater on Wednesday, May 28, at 7 PM. This performance shares the fruit of a yearlong field recording project focused on capturing the sounds and history of the “drowned towns” of historic Black communities found throughout the Southeastern United States. Click here to purchase tickets.
The concert, focused on themes of displacement and land; identity, spirit, and belonging; freedom and evolution, is produced in collaboration with chatterbird, a Nashville-based chamber ensemble, where Montgomery is Composer in Residence.
About the Project: America’s post-Civil War history is rife with stories of successful Black cities being razed and flooded to create lakes largely used for recreational purposes. The most infamous is likely Lake Lanier outside of Atlanta, formerly home to Oscarville, an African American community with more than 1,000 residents who were forcibly removed after a horrific lynching in 1912. These lakes can be found all over the South, their original stories submerged under the waters.
For the past year, Nashville-based artist, creative musician, and composer JayVe Montgomery has led a creative residency that explores the history of these locations. The creative residency, in progress, has included a tour of lake sites of these so-called “drowned towns,” where African-American communities were forced out by local white supremacists and neighborhoods and towns were flooded to create spaces for water recreation.
At each site, JayVe uses a PlantWave device, which captures and translates the biorhythmic vibrations of plants into sound and MIDI data. Geophones, hydrophones, contact microphones, and binaural microphones capture the sonic vibrations from area flora, fauna, air, and water, and are used as a sound bed and foundation for live, onsite, improvised musical call and response as well as written compositions examining the resonance of emptiness left after a town has been drowned.
Drowned Town Locations:
Ferguson, SC: Lake Marion
Long Island, NC: Lake Norman
Kowliga, AL: Lake Martin
Fonta Flora, NC: Lake James
Little Egypt, NC: Belews Lake
Birmingham, KY: Kentucky Lake
Oscarville, GA: Lake Lanier
TICKETS: Tickets are offered on a Pay-Your-Wage system. Pay-your-wage is a progressive, honor-system based sliding scale admission model for live events. The notion: pay what you make in an hour. With this model, artistic revenue rises as average wages rise, but performances remain accesible and affordable for all.
All ticket proceeds will benefit the Sameer Project, a grassroots aid organization that is providing thousands of meals, fresh water, and medical supplies to families and children in Gaza.
PARKING: Street parking is available along 47th Avenue N, and in various paid and free lots surrounding the venue.
This concert is made possible thanks to support from Alternate Roots, Metro Arts, a now-terminated grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, along with New Music USA's Organizational Development grant.
DOORS OPEN @ 6:30 PM, CONCERT @ 7 PM
Becca Hoback and Enactor Productions present
The Sacral Series: Initial Dissent
The Darkhorse Theater Performances 7pm Thursday and Friday 22 – 23 May 2025 www.eventbrite.com/e/the-sacral-series-initial-dissent-tickets-1154670333049?aff=oddtdtcreator Link
Dance Workshop Saturday 12-2pm 24 May 2025 Link
The Sacral Series: Initial Dissent
The Darkhorse Theater Performances 7pm Thursday and Friday 22 – 23 May 2025 www.eventbrite.com/e/the-sacral-series-initial-dissent-tickets-1154670333049?aff=oddtdtcreator Link
Dance Workshop Saturday 12-2pm 24 May 2025 Link
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DESTINY THEATRE EXPERIENCE PRESENTS
THE EXONERATED
A Benefit Performance for the Tennessee Innocence Project
Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 PM
Donation at the Door
SIX WRONGFULLY CONVICTED. ONE POWERFUL STORY.
Join us for a special benefit performance of "The Exonerated," a gripping play by Erik Jensen and Jessica Blank that tells the true stories of six Americans who were wrongfully sentenced to death and later freed when evidence of their innocence emerged.
Directed by Shawn Whitsell, this powerful production brings to life the experiences of individuals who spent decades on death row for crimes they did not commit. Their stories illuminate serious flaws in our justice system while showcasing the resilience of the human spirit.
Based on interviews with real exonerees, this stripped-down, intimate theatrical experience invites audiences to witness these harrowing journeys from conviction to exoneration. The play follows their wrongful arrests, the factors that led to their convictions, their time on death row, and finally, their long-awaited freedom.
Admission to "The Exonerated" is via donation at the door. All proceeds from this performance will benefit the Tennessee Innocence Project.
THE EXONERATED
A Benefit Performance for the Tennessee Innocence Project
Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 PM
Donation at the Door
SIX WRONGFULLY CONVICTED. ONE POWERFUL STORY.
Join us for a special benefit performance of "The Exonerated," a gripping play by Erik Jensen and Jessica Blank that tells the true stories of six Americans who were wrongfully sentenced to death and later freed when evidence of their innocence emerged.
Directed by Shawn Whitsell, this powerful production brings to life the experiences of individuals who spent decades on death row for crimes they did not commit. Their stories illuminate serious flaws in our justice system while showcasing the resilience of the human spirit.
Based on interviews with real exonerees, this stripped-down, intimate theatrical experience invites audiences to witness these harrowing journeys from conviction to exoneration. The play follows their wrongful arrests, the factors that led to their convictions, their time on death row, and finally, their long-awaited freedom.
Admission to "The Exonerated" is via donation at the door. All proceeds from this performance will benefit the Tennessee Innocence Project.
The Golden Girls Musical Drag Show
Friday, May 9th at 8pm
Tickets $15-$30 (One show only, reservations recommended)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nashville-golden-girls-musical-drag-show-darkhorse-theatre-tickets-1246799925139?aff=oddtdtcreator
Friday, May 9th at 8pm
Tickets $15-$30 (One show only, reservations recommended)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nashville-golden-girls-musical-drag-show-darkhorse-theatre-tickets-1246799925139?aff=oddtdtcreator
WIT presents Tiny Beautiful Things
March 28 & 29th
Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed
Adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos
Directed by Erin Grace Bailey
Performances Friday March 28th at 7:30pm
Saturday March 29th at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
$25 General Admission
Tickets online, at the door, and by calling the box office at 615-200-8830. Recommended for ages 15+ due to strong language and mature themes.
https://www.witnashville.org/shows
Based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed (author of Wild), Tiny Beautiful Things follows the relationships between an anonymous advice columnist named Sugar and the many real-life readers who pour out their hearts to her. Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) adapts Strayed’s book into an enrapturing and uplifting play that surges with emotion that Variety calls “a theatrical hug in turbulent times.” Tiny Beautiful Things is about reaching when you’re stuck
March 28 & 29th
Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed
Adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos
Directed by Erin Grace Bailey
Performances Friday March 28th at 7:30pm
Saturday March 29th at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
$25 General Admission
Tickets online, at the door, and by calling the box office at 615-200-8830. Recommended for ages 15+ due to strong language and mature themes.
https://www.witnashville.org/shows
Based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed (author of Wild), Tiny Beautiful Things follows the relationships between an anonymous advice columnist named Sugar and the many real-life readers who pour out their hearts to her. Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) adapts Strayed’s book into an enrapturing and uplifting play that surges with emotion that Variety calls “a theatrical hug in turbulent times.” Tiny Beautiful Things is about reaching when you’re stuck
The Sparkley Clean Funeral Singers
March 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22 at 7:30pm
March 15, 16, 22 at 2:30pm
Produced by art4Art's Sake Productions
March 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22 at 7:30pm
March 15, 16, 22 at 2:30pm
Produced by art4Art's Sake Productions
'“Love Letters to Ourselves- Unfiltered & Unapologetic" A Monologue Show
Saturday, March 8th at 7:30 pm
Join us for performances of original monologues in celebration of International Women's Day 2025.
Tickets $10
Saturday, March 8th at 7:30 pm
Join us for performances of original monologues in celebration of International Women's Day 2025.
Tickets $10
Staged Reading of "Chance" by MJ
Directed by: Binky
Friday, March 7th @7:30 pm
Donations at Door
A woman gets caught up in a childhood friend’s web of lies when she finally reconnects with him. They
are no longer the lost parentless children they used to be, now childish lost adults who struggle to pick up where they left off. Through the woman’s journey of picking up the pieces, she discovers more about who
she is, the meaning of family, and how she can change the world.
Directed by: Binky
Friday, March 7th @7:30 pm
Donations at Door
A woman gets caught up in a childhood friend’s web of lies when she finally reconnects with him. They
are no longer the lost parentless children they used to be, now childish lost adults who struggle to pick up where they left off. Through the woman’s journey of picking up the pieces, she discovers more about who
she is, the meaning of family, and how she can change the world.
Six Triple Eight
Friday & Saturday February 28 & March 1 at 7:30pm
Sunday March 2nd at 4pm
Presented by Sista Style
Tickets $17.85
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/six-triple-eight-stage-play-tickets-1238091427789?aff=oddtdtcreator
Friday & Saturday February 28 & March 1 at 7:30pm
Sunday March 2nd at 4pm
Presented by Sista Style
Tickets $17.85
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/six-triple-eight-stage-play-tickets-1238091427789?aff=oddtdtcreator
As many of you know, 2024 was a tough year for most arts organizations, all of whom were awaiting word regarding the future of funding of the arts for 2025. To help keep our beloved Global Education Center afloat, board member Rick Rodriguez, who is also founder of La Cara Productions, has organized an exciting evening of Cuban music and song with Hector Tellez Jr. as a fundraiser for Global. This promises to be a moving evening of music, songs, and stories; and we hope to fill the house to support our beloved organization and to bless the performers for their amazing talents and generosity.
Click on photo for tickets ($30) THANK YOU GLOBAL FRIENDS FOR RAISING OVER $4,000.
Click on photo for tickets ($30) THANK YOU GLOBAL FRIENDS FOR RAISING OVER $4,000.
Tickets are FREE, but seating is limited so reserve your seats for either Wednesday, December 18 or Thursday, December 19 performances (both at 7:30 PM) here: https://www.eventbrite.com/.../charles-dickens-a....
Kindling's Very Special Holiday Special featuring The Muppet Christmas Carol
Please note: this event is 21+. The Muppets are for everyone, but this Holiday Special is for the adults.
"Of all the many versions of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale, The Muppet Christmas Carol may just be my favorite...
And in the hands of those marvelous minds at Kindling Arts, this holiday treat is even sweeter."
- Amy Stumpfl, Nashville Scene Critic's Pick
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Dec 19th at 7:30pm - Limited availability
Friday, Dec 20th at 7:30pm - Best availability
Saturday, Dec 21st at 7:30pm - Limited availability
BOOK YOUR TICKETS
Please note: this event is 21+.
The Muppets are for everyone, but this Holiday Special is for the adults.
All proceeds support the work of Kindling Arts.
Back by popular demand! Kindling‘s Very Special Holiday Special, a cherished annual tradition, will once again feature an unforgettable screening of the cult classic The Muppet Christmas Carol alongside live performances from some of Nashville’s most exciting talent. In addition to all the Muppet fun, writing duo Daniel Carter (Bar Fight) and Emma Supica (East Nashville Facebook Page: The Musical) have once again teamed up with Kindling's own Jessika Malone to bring you an evening of hilarity, community, and holiday cheer. The evening will include some of our most beloved local actors paying homage to our favorite Muppets, including performances by Emma Supica (embodying the singular Gonzo the Great), Joe Mobley (inspired by Rizzo the Rat), Seth Nathan Green (Nashville's very own loveable Kermit), and a special surprise by burlesque-theater superstar GrandmaFun.
Take a breather from the holiday madness to enjoy this hilarious and heartwarming evening, including the nostalgic journey of Scrooge’s hauntings with grand Muppet musical numbers. It's true: wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas!
"Of all the many versions of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale, The Muppet Christmas Carol may just be my favorite...
And in the hands of those marvelous minds at Kindling Arts, this holiday treat is even sweeter."
- Amy Stumpfl, Nashville Scene Critic's Pick
Please note: this event is 21+. The Muppets are for everyone, but this Holiday Special is for the adults.
"Of all the many versions of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale, The Muppet Christmas Carol may just be my favorite...
And in the hands of those marvelous minds at Kindling Arts, this holiday treat is even sweeter."
- Amy Stumpfl, Nashville Scene Critic's Pick
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Dec 19th at 7:30pm - Limited availability
Friday, Dec 20th at 7:30pm - Best availability
Saturday, Dec 21st at 7:30pm - Limited availability
BOOK YOUR TICKETS
Please note: this event is 21+.
The Muppets are for everyone, but this Holiday Special is for the adults.
All proceeds support the work of Kindling Arts.
Back by popular demand! Kindling‘s Very Special Holiday Special, a cherished annual tradition, will once again feature an unforgettable screening of the cult classic The Muppet Christmas Carol alongside live performances from some of Nashville’s most exciting talent. In addition to all the Muppet fun, writing duo Daniel Carter (Bar Fight) and Emma Supica (East Nashville Facebook Page: The Musical) have once again teamed up with Kindling's own Jessika Malone to bring you an evening of hilarity, community, and holiday cheer. The evening will include some of our most beloved local actors paying homage to our favorite Muppets, including performances by Emma Supica (embodying the singular Gonzo the Great), Joe Mobley (inspired by Rizzo the Rat), Seth Nathan Green (Nashville's very own loveable Kermit), and a special surprise by burlesque-theater superstar GrandmaFun.
Take a breather from the holiday madness to enjoy this hilarious and heartwarming evening, including the nostalgic journey of Scrooge’s hauntings with grand Muppet musical numbers. It's true: wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas!
"Of all the many versions of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale, The Muppet Christmas Carol may just be my favorite...
And in the hands of those marvelous minds at Kindling Arts, this holiday treat is even sweeter."
- Amy Stumpfl, Nashville Scene Critic's Pick
PREVIOUS DARKHORSE SHOWS in 2024
A Holiday Favorite ReturnsWhat do you do when you don't have a "bae" for the holidays? Hire one! Relationship high jinks ensue when Carrie decides to show up at her mother’s house in the company of a pretend “fiancé.” When the Christmas Eve dinner brings together feuding churchgoers, bickering siblings, ex-husbands and more, hilarious chaos and surprising revelations ensue. A heartwarming story of love, forgiveness, and the true meaning of family, “Holiday Bae” reminds us that the greatest gifts are often found in the most unlikely places
Dec. 6th & 7th @ 7:30 pm
Dec. 8th @ 4:00 pm
Dec. 12th, 13th & 14th @ 7:30 pm
Dec. 6th & 7th @ 7:30 pm
Dec. 8th @ 4:00 pm
Dec. 12th, 13th & 14th @ 7:30 pm
Playwright Heidi Schreck's boundary-breaking play breathes new life into our Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans.
Fifteen year old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful and achingly human new play, she resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives.
Schreck's timely and galvanizing play became a sensation off-Broadway before transferring to Broadway where it received two Tony Award nominations and was a Pulitzer finalist, among countless other accolades. The New York Times hailed What the Constitution Means to Me as "not just the best play to open on Broadway so far this season, but also the most important."
*Content warning: This play addresses many difficult issues, ranging from abortion to domestic abuse and many things in between.
Directed by Abby Waddoups
General Admission: $24
https://www.witnashville.org/events/what-the-constitution-means-to-me-2024-11-08-19-30
Fifteen year old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful and achingly human new play, she resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives.
Schreck's timely and galvanizing play became a sensation off-Broadway before transferring to Broadway where it received two Tony Award nominations and was a Pulitzer finalist, among countless other accolades. The New York Times hailed What the Constitution Means to Me as "not just the best play to open on Broadway so far this season, but also the most important."
*Content warning: This play addresses many difficult issues, ranging from abortion to domestic abuse and many things in between.
Directed by Abby Waddoups
General Admission: $24
https://www.witnashville.org/events/what-the-constitution-means-to-me-2024-11-08-19-30
WEDNESDAY OCT. 30th at 6:30pm
IN PERSON: Barry Sonnenfeld, author of Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time, in conversation with Peter KurlandParnassus Books is pleased to present an evening with Barry Sonnenfeld, in conversation with Peter Kurland, as they discuss Barry's new book, Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time. This is a ticketed event and will take place at Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209).
IN PERSON: Barry Sonnenfeld, author of Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time, in conversation with Peter KurlandParnassus Books is pleased to present an evening with Barry Sonnenfeld, in conversation with Peter Kurland, as they discuss Barry's new book, Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time. This is a ticketed event and will take place at Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209).
19th Annual Shades of Black Festival
"The Poesy Lounge LIVE"
presented by Actin' Up Media
Saturday, September 28th @ 7:30PM
Tickets $15
Purchase Tickets Here
Hosted by Shawn Whitsell & Co-host Jene India.
Featuring performances by The.Poet.Has.Spoken, Lady Flame, Simone, Yah, Still Khalil, and more!!
presented by Actin' Up Media
Saturday, September 28th @ 7:30PM
Tickets $15
Purchase Tickets Here
Hosted by Shawn Whitsell & Co-host Jene India.
Featuring performances by The.Poet.Has.Spoken, Lady Flame, Simone, Yah, Still Khalil, and more!!
Movement Workshop:
Saturday, September 28th
12:30 am
FREE (Donations accepted)
Darkhorse Theater
Led by Shabaz of Shackled Feet Dance
We will explore our poetic bodies and the hidden language of our movement. Through guided improvisation that is accessible for all ages and adaptable for all bodies we will use poetry to inspire individual and group movement. Come dressed comfortable and ready to connect and collaborate with other community members.
No Dance training required.
Saturday, September 28th
12:30 am
FREE (Donations accepted)
Darkhorse Theater
Led by Shabaz of Shackled Feet Dance
We will explore our poetic bodies and the hidden language of our movement. Through guided improvisation that is accessible for all ages and adaptable for all bodies we will use poetry to inspire individual and group movement. Come dressed comfortable and ready to connect and collaborate with other community members.
No Dance training required.
Friday, September 20th
"The Underground"
Written by Binky
Directed by John Wiggins
Music by Reavis Mitchell
7:30 pm Tickets $20
"What would you do to secure your right to artistic freedom? Jessie and Percy Mitchell are the owners of an underground spoken word venue. They fight to build a resistance against Transit, a government agency designed to control artistic expression."
"The Underground"
Written by Binky
Directed by John Wiggins
Music by Reavis Mitchell
7:30 pm Tickets $20
"What would you do to secure your right to artistic freedom? Jessie and Percy Mitchell are the owners of an underground spoken word venue. They fight to build a resistance against Transit, a government agency designed to control artistic expression."
Saturday, September 21st
The Stilettos Monologues
Written by Alethea McCollin
7:30 p tickets $15
"The Stilettos Monologues" is a modern play centered around the stiletto, and performed by an all-female cast! In it, sixteen characters – women and female gendered shoes – tell dramatic and humorous stories of identity, relationships, love, desire, womanhood, and empowerment. Each of the play’s fifteen monologues takes a journey through personal or public conflicts amid revelations of power, scandal, infidelity, and more. Throughout the play, the stiletto stands as a metaphorical representation of womanhood in all its complexities and show that stilettos are indeed a metaphor for life!
Purchase Tickets Here
The Stilettos Monologues
Written by Alethea McCollin
7:30 p tickets $15
"The Stilettos Monologues" is a modern play centered around the stiletto, and performed by an all-female cast! In it, sixteen characters – women and female gendered shoes – tell dramatic and humorous stories of identity, relationships, love, desire, womanhood, and empowerment. Each of the play’s fifteen monologues takes a journey through personal or public conflicts amid revelations of power, scandal, infidelity, and more. Throughout the play, the stiletto stands as a metaphorical representation of womanhood in all its complexities and show that stilettos are indeed a metaphor for life!
Purchase Tickets Here
Sunday, September 22nd
God's Trombones
Written by James Weldon Johnson
Directed by Shawn Whitsell
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience
NOTE time change to 4 pm tickets $15
In God's Trombones, one of James Weldon Johnson's most celebrated works, inspirational sermons of African American preachers are reimagined as poetry, reverberating with the musicality and splendid eloquence of the spirituals. This classic collection includes "Listen Lord (A Prayer)," "The Creation," "The Prodigal Son," "Go Down Death (A Funeral Sermon)," "Noah Built the Ark," "The Crucifixion," "Let My People Go," and "The Judgment Day."
God's Trombones
Written by James Weldon Johnson
Directed by Shawn Whitsell
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience
NOTE time change to 4 pm tickets $15
In God's Trombones, one of James Weldon Johnson's most celebrated works, inspirational sermons of African American preachers are reimagined as poetry, reverberating with the musicality and splendid eloquence of the spirituals. This classic collection includes "Listen Lord (A Prayer)," "The Creation," "The Prodigal Son," "Go Down Death (A Funeral Sermon)," "Noah Built the Ark," "The Crucifixion," "Let My People Go," and "The Judgment Day."
Saturday, September 7th
Walk This Way
Written & Directed by Binky
7:30 pm
$20
“Walk This Way” highlights the journey of women from creation to now. It is a reminder of the struggles and triumphant realities of being more than what is stereotypically defined as a female. The short play will take you on a ride with comedy, blended with a host of emotions.
Special opening performance by shackled feet Dance! and singer Carmen Ridley
7:30 pm
Sunday, September 8
Buffalo Soldier (STAGED READING)
Written by Mitch Hale
Directed by Shawn Whitsell
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience
3 pm
Donations at the door
"Buffalo Soldier" is stirring drama that takes place when, in the summer of 1874, three soldiers of the “all negro” tenth cavalry and their white commander go on a dangerous reconnaissance mission to establish an outpost in the heart of Comanche territory. Shortly after making camp they inadvertently capture a Comanche brave and soon discover that he is none other than Chief Quanah Parker, the government’s most wanted renegade. As the night grows darker, the life and death stakes get higher. The tensions that erupt are multilevel and multiracial: between the black soldiers and their white captain, between the soldiers and the defiant warrior–and mostly, among the soldiers themselves, of which the LA Times said “GRIPPING. A wham bam, thrilling adventure that rings with clarion urgency!” .
Monday, September 9th
Shades of Black Mixer
6:30 pm
Food, friends, fellowship
FREE
Sunday, September 15th
Love Wins: A Play About Autism and Relationships (STAGED READING)
Written by William R. Anthony II
Directed by Shawn Whitsell
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience
3 pm
Donations at the door
This play explores the unique dynamics between autism and relationships. Will, a young adult on the autism spectrum, who is navigating the world of dating and friendships. Despite facing challenges in communication and social cues, Will is determined to find love and connection.
Walk This Way
Written & Directed by Binky
7:30 pm
$20
“Walk This Way” highlights the journey of women from creation to now. It is a reminder of the struggles and triumphant realities of being more than what is stereotypically defined as a female. The short play will take you on a ride with comedy, blended with a host of emotions.
Special opening performance by shackled feet Dance! and singer Carmen Ridley
7:30 pm
Sunday, September 8
Buffalo Soldier (STAGED READING)
Written by Mitch Hale
Directed by Shawn Whitsell
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience
3 pm
Donations at the door
"Buffalo Soldier" is stirring drama that takes place when, in the summer of 1874, three soldiers of the “all negro” tenth cavalry and their white commander go on a dangerous reconnaissance mission to establish an outpost in the heart of Comanche territory. Shortly after making camp they inadvertently capture a Comanche brave and soon discover that he is none other than Chief Quanah Parker, the government’s most wanted renegade. As the night grows darker, the life and death stakes get higher. The tensions that erupt are multilevel and multiracial: between the black soldiers and their white captain, between the soldiers and the defiant warrior–and mostly, among the soldiers themselves, of which the LA Times said “GRIPPING. A wham bam, thrilling adventure that rings with clarion urgency!” .
Monday, September 9th
Shades of Black Mixer
6:30 pm
Food, friends, fellowship
FREE
Sunday, September 15th
Love Wins: A Play About Autism and Relationships (STAGED READING)
Written by William R. Anthony II
Directed by Shawn Whitsell
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience
3 pm
Donations at the door
This play explores the unique dynamics between autism and relationships. Will, a young adult on the autism spectrum, who is navigating the world of dating and friendships. Despite facing challenges in communication and social cues, Will is determined to find love and connection.
August 23,24
Lightning Girl!
Presented by Doust Productions LLC
Playwright: Rita Anderson
Director: Shawn Whitsell
tickets $20 cash, check or Venmo
Lightning Girl!
Presented by Doust Productions LLC
Playwright: Rita Anderson
Director: Shawn Whitsell
tickets $20 cash, check or Venmo
On the Brink of Promise a dramedy by Lori Fischer will perform
August 9 & 10, 15, 16 @ 7:00 pm
and August 11 & 17 @ 2:30 pm
$15 tickets at the door, Cash, Check or click on tickets Here for Eventbright link
Tickets Here
August 9 & 10, 15, 16 @ 7:00 pm
and August 11 & 17 @ 2:30 pm
$15 tickets at the door, Cash, Check or click on tickets Here for Eventbright link
Tickets Here
Performances of ALIVE are presented by Kindling Arts + Woven Theatre Company from Thursday-Saturday, August 1-3 at 7:30 pm nightly at the Darkhorse Theater. Tickets are $25 and on sale now at kindlingarts.com. This presentation is also a "post-script" to Kindling Arts Festival 2024 (July 18-21). 2024 Festival Passholders receive complimentary admission with their pass, but tickets must be booked in advance.
Kindling Arts Festival 2024: Imperfections
July 18-21
Seth Nathan Green Performs a One-Person Show
Seth Nathan Green + Emam Supica
Thursday, July 18th at 9pm / Friday, July 19th at 9:30pm
The Rad House
Conway Preston, Hayley Rose Maurer, and Kara McLeland with appearances from Tony Nappo and Ashley Wolfe
Friday, July 19th + Saturday, July 20th at 7pm
Unclassified: A Performance Art Showcase
New works by Sara Beth Go, GrandmaFun, Chris Strauss, and Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva
Saturday, July 20th at 4pm + Sunday, July 21st at 2pm
Fleur Noire
Eden L ft. DJ Afrosheen
Saturday, July 20th at 10pm
Failed Catholic
Jessica Farmer + Heather Hull
Sunday, July 21st at 5pm
The So Low Party
Jack Stell + Hannah Dorfman
Sunday, July 21st at 7:30pm
The Sparkley Clean Funeral Singers a musical comedy
book by Lori Fischer and music & lyrics by Lori Fischer & Don Chaffer
Thursday, July 11 and Friday, July 12 @ 7:00 pm
with a $10 suggested donation at the door.
book by Lori Fischer and music & lyrics by Lori Fischer & Don Chaffer
Thursday, July 11 and Friday, July 12 @ 7:00 pm
with a $10 suggested donation at the door.
WIT's next master class is with seasoned industry veteran Denice Hicks, Artistic Director of The Nashville Shakespeare Festival! Full participant spots are limited to allow ample time for personal feedback, so don't delay registering. Unlimited auditor tickets are also available. Open to anyone age 13+ and female-identifying.
https://www.witnashville.org/events/sharpen-your-chops-an-audition-master-class-with-denice-hicks
https://www.witnashville.org/events/sharpen-your-chops-an-audition-master-class-with-denice-hicks
June 21 6:30-8:30pm
Late: A Love Story Experience
with Rachelle Zola
Tickets: Free or $15 donation
LATE LOVE website: https://www.late.love/
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/late-a-love-story-experience-at-darkhorse-theater-tickets-924680342797
Late: A Love Story Experience
with Rachelle Zola
Tickets: Free or $15 donation
LATE LOVE website: https://www.late.love/
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/late-a-love-story-experience-at-darkhorse-theater-tickets-924680342797
SOLD OUT!
The Golden Gays Present: Golden Girls Drag Night
May 3 at 8pm Tickets $20-$40
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nashville-golden-girls-musical-drag-show-darkhorse-theatre-tickets-875685457777?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
The Golden Gays Present: Golden Girls Drag Night
May 3 at 8pm Tickets $20-$40
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nashville-golden-girls-musical-drag-show-darkhorse-theatre-tickets-875685457777?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
Sneak Peek into a new musical HAUNT by Ruben Estevez
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience and Red Mango Production
Directed by Shawn Whitsell
This special event is a showcase of songs and excerpts from HAUNT!
HAUNT tells a story of a woman named Monica looking for a fresh start in Cincinatti. When she decides to buy an apartment in a late 1930’s building, she discovers, soon after moving in, that it is haunted. As the story unfolds, a time shift reveals the identity of the building’s active spirit, who lived as a young woman in that same apartment 82 years earlier. Before long, Monica and her new friends uncover the traumatic events that led to this young girl's death, and why she still inhabits #222. The parallel stories come to a head, as past meets present in the most unexpected manner. The new homeowner begins to understand her fate and the reason she was drawn to this mysterious home in the first place.
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience and Red Mango Production
Directed by Shawn Whitsell
This special event is a showcase of songs and excerpts from HAUNT!
HAUNT tells a story of a woman named Monica looking for a fresh start in Cincinatti. When she decides to buy an apartment in a late 1930’s building, she discovers, soon after moving in, that it is haunted. As the story unfolds, a time shift reveals the identity of the building’s active spirit, who lived as a young woman in that same apartment 82 years earlier. Before long, Monica and her new friends uncover the traumatic events that led to this young girl's death, and why she still inhabits #222. The parallel stories come to a head, as past meets present in the most unexpected manner. The new homeowner begins to understand her fate and the reason she was drawn to this mysterious home in the first place.
Chinkapin Craftstead presents:
“I AM MY OWN WIFE”
Written by Doug Wright
Directed by Yaron Dashboard Schweizer
Friday-Saturday, March 15-16, 7:30 PM
Darkhorse Theatre, 4610 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN
Tickets: $15-20 sliding scale
“I Am My Own wife” tells the astonishing true story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a trans ancestor who successfully navigated both the Nazi and the Communist regimes in East Germany while openly and defiantly Queer. Humorous, tender and timely, this is a story about resistance, resilience and collecting antiques.
Chinkapin Craftstead is a Queer arts organization, based in Woodbury, in rural Tennessee. Chinkapin is committed to uplifting trans voices, and this production of “I AM MY OWN WIFE” features many trans and gender-non-conforming actors. At a time when Trans people are under attack, Charlotte’s story reminds us how to persevere while celebrating our humanity and maintaining our Queer fierceness and joy.
For more information visit: www.ChinkapinCrafts.org
Reservations at [email protected] or 615-542-5378
“I AM MY OWN WIFE”
Written by Doug Wright
Directed by Yaron Dashboard Schweizer
Friday-Saturday, March 15-16, 7:30 PM
Darkhorse Theatre, 4610 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN
Tickets: $15-20 sliding scale
“I Am My Own wife” tells the astonishing true story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a trans ancestor who successfully navigated both the Nazi and the Communist regimes in East Germany while openly and defiantly Queer. Humorous, tender and timely, this is a story about resistance, resilience and collecting antiques.
Chinkapin Craftstead is a Queer arts organization, based in Woodbury, in rural Tennessee. Chinkapin is committed to uplifting trans voices, and this production of “I AM MY OWN WIFE” features many trans and gender-non-conforming actors. At a time when Trans people are under attack, Charlotte’s story reminds us how to persevere while celebrating our humanity and maintaining our Queer fierceness and joy.
For more information visit: www.ChinkapinCrafts.org
Reservations at [email protected] or 615-542-5378
Directed by Stephanie Dillard
Featuring Meredith Daniel, Patrićyonna Rodgers, Gabby Kapanka, Tanya Anderson
"The Revolutionists" by Lauren Gunderson is a historical comedy that takes place during the French Revolution. The story revolves around four women from different walks of life who find themselves caught up in the tumultuous events of the time. These women include playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen Marie Antoinette, and Caribbean freedom fighter Marianne Angelle. As they navigate their roles and relationships amidst the chaos of the revolution, they grapple with questions of power, justice, and the pursuit of freedom. Through witty dialogue and poignant moments, Gunderson explores themes of feminism, activism, and the role art should take in society.
Featuring Meredith Daniel, Patrićyonna Rodgers, Gabby Kapanka, Tanya Anderson
"The Revolutionists" by Lauren Gunderson is a historical comedy that takes place during the French Revolution. The story revolves around four women from different walks of life who find themselves caught up in the tumultuous events of the time. These women include playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen Marie Antoinette, and Caribbean freedom fighter Marianne Angelle. As they navigate their roles and relationships amidst the chaos of the revolution, they grapple with questions of power, justice, and the pursuit of freedom. Through witty dialogue and poignant moments, Gunderson explores themes of feminism, activism, and the role art should take in society.
Nashville Shakespeare Festival presents
THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS RICHARD III
Join us February 22-24 at 7:00pm at Darkhorse Theater for our Staged Reading of The African Company Presents Richard III!
Tickets are $25. Premium seating $35.
A bit about the play: In 1821, forty years before Lincoln ended slavery and fifty years before black Americans earned the right to vote, the first black theatrical group in the country, the African Company of New York, was putting on plays in a downtown Manhattan theatre to which both black and white audiences flocked. Yet the drama of this progressive group reached further than their stage.
Directed by Dr. Lawrence James, this limited engagement is not to be missed!
BOOK NOW
THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS RICHARD III
Join us February 22-24 at 7:00pm at Darkhorse Theater for our Staged Reading of The African Company Presents Richard III!
Tickets are $25. Premium seating $35.
A bit about the play: In 1821, forty years before Lincoln ended slavery and fifty years before black Americans earned the right to vote, the first black theatrical group in the country, the African Company of New York, was putting on plays in a downtown Manhattan theatre to which both black and white audiences flocked. Yet the drama of this progressive group reached further than their stage.
Directed by Dr. Lawrence James, this limited engagement is not to be missed!
BOOK NOW
DARKHORSE SHOWS in 2023
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"The Crucible"
October 13-21
Elite Studio WorksArthur Miller's The Crucible Tickets are now on sale! Go to elitestudioworks.ticketleap.com/thecrucible/ to purchase your tickets before it too late!
October 13-21
Elite Studio WorksArthur Miller's The Crucible Tickets are now on sale! Go to elitestudioworks.ticketleap.com/thecrucible/ to purchase your tickets before it too late!
The 18th Annual Shades of Black Theatre Festival kicks off in September
NASHVILLE (August 24, 2023) SistaStyle Productions and Destiny Theatre Experience are pleased to announce the 18th Annual Shades of Black Theatre Festival, which will run at the Darkhorse Theater, September 5th-30th. In addition to full-length shows, the festival will also feature an opening mixer, workshops, a spoken word show, and other special events.
The purpose of the Shades of Black Theatre Festival is to provide an outlet to uplift the voices of Black artists, while at the same time, being inclusive to artists of other races and ethnicities.
Ticket prices may vary. All Shades of Black events will be held at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN 37209, unless otherwise specified. Event information can be found at darkhorsetheater.com and the Shades of Black Theatre Festival Facebook page: Facebook.com/shadestheatrefest.
Below is a list of festival events. More events are currently being added.
Tuesday, 9/5 – FREE OPENING MIXER – 6 PM – FREE FOOD & DRINKS
Friday, 9/8 – The Poesy Lounge (spoken word & music show) presented by Actin' Up Media, hosted by Shawn Whitsell, featuring Jene India, Poppy Teez, Austin Dean Ashford, Nakessa, Spoke-N-Words, and Free Fyre. 7:30 pm. $20
Saturday, 9/9 – Game Night / Rap Monologues – hosted by J. McNutt, 6 pm Games / 7 pm Performances by Austin Dean Ashford, Seanfresh, Carmen Van Leer, and Marcus Allen
Friday 9/15 and 9/17th – “Girl Dad” – Presented by Actin’ Up Media
Dive into the captivating drama-comedy stage play, "Girl Dad", crafted by Michael L. Walker. Navigate through a touching family tale reflecting modern realities, directed by acclaimed Leonard Ledford III. Witness the journey of Duck, unexpectedly becoming a father, and his own dad, Darnell, mentoring him. Revel in the comedy amidst family chaos and the tension of personal relationships, underpinning a young girl's life with an absent mom and a dedicated dad. "Girl Dad" brilliantly portrays family ties, obligations, and the resolute men who prioritize family after God. It's a heartwarming exploration of fatherhood, strength, sacrifice, and life's humor amid hardships. "Girl Dad" isn't just a play, it's an homage to the unsung heroes in our lives. Book your tickets now, for an unforgettable night of laughter, tears, and poignant moments. 7:30 pm. Tickets: $20 online
Saturday, 9/16 – “Black Book” (solo show) by Austin Dean Ashford - 7:30 pm
Welcome to Melvin Tolson High School—it's summer school, it's hot, the barbwire fence is fixed, and a young African American boy has been shot, leaving his group of friends reeling from the loss and wondering if their voices can ever be heard. Enter a former Great Debater to teach a master class on public speaking and challenge this group of boys to speak out and give voice to their hopes and fears. Filled with pressing issues, inspiring characters, and graced with comic flourishes, this one-person dramedy debates what happens to young minds when our educational spaces begin to resemble a prison more than school and a place to learn and grow.
Saturday, 9/16 Dashikis & Daiquiris – 9 pm – FREE Dashiki/African attire-themed party, hosted by Shawn Whitsell
Friday, 9/22 & Saturday, 9/30 – “Destined Beyond (Immersive Theatre Journey)”
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience - 7:30 pm - $15 online / $20 at the door
Destined Beyond is an immersive theatre experience, where attendees will walk through various parts of the Darkhorse Theater into different “worlds” and experience characters and pivotal moments from various plays by Shawn Whitsell in a new, more interactive way.
Saturday, 9/23 – “One Vote Won”
The stage adaptation of the Emmy and American Prize award winning Opera Film
presented by Sista Style
Composed by Dave Ragland, Libretto by Mary McCallum
7:30 pm
$10 at the door
Friday, 9/29 – “Why Goodbye?”
presented by SistaStyle Productions - 7:30 pm
Written by Mary McCallum
Directed by Keith Franklin
Performed by Mary McCallum & Keith Franklin
A recently split married couple find themselves together again when Jerome unexpectedly returns home to collect his things. Fireworks explode as Angela tries to keep her plans for the evening on track. Will they figure out why they said goodbye?
More information: sistastyleproductions.com
NASHVILLE (August 24, 2023) SistaStyle Productions and Destiny Theatre Experience are pleased to announce the 18th Annual Shades of Black Theatre Festival, which will run at the Darkhorse Theater, September 5th-30th. In addition to full-length shows, the festival will also feature an opening mixer, workshops, a spoken word show, and other special events.
The purpose of the Shades of Black Theatre Festival is to provide an outlet to uplift the voices of Black artists, while at the same time, being inclusive to artists of other races and ethnicities.
Ticket prices may vary. All Shades of Black events will be held at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN 37209, unless otherwise specified. Event information can be found at darkhorsetheater.com and the Shades of Black Theatre Festival Facebook page: Facebook.com/shadestheatrefest.
Below is a list of festival events. More events are currently being added.
Tuesday, 9/5 – FREE OPENING MIXER – 6 PM – FREE FOOD & DRINKS
Friday, 9/8 – The Poesy Lounge (spoken word & music show) presented by Actin' Up Media, hosted by Shawn Whitsell, featuring Jene India, Poppy Teez, Austin Dean Ashford, Nakessa, Spoke-N-Words, and Free Fyre. 7:30 pm. $20
Saturday, 9/9 – Game Night / Rap Monologues – hosted by J. McNutt, 6 pm Games / 7 pm Performances by Austin Dean Ashford, Seanfresh, Carmen Van Leer, and Marcus Allen
Friday 9/15 and 9/17th – “Girl Dad” – Presented by Actin’ Up Media
Dive into the captivating drama-comedy stage play, "Girl Dad", crafted by Michael L. Walker. Navigate through a touching family tale reflecting modern realities, directed by acclaimed Leonard Ledford III. Witness the journey of Duck, unexpectedly becoming a father, and his own dad, Darnell, mentoring him. Revel in the comedy amidst family chaos and the tension of personal relationships, underpinning a young girl's life with an absent mom and a dedicated dad. "Girl Dad" brilliantly portrays family ties, obligations, and the resolute men who prioritize family after God. It's a heartwarming exploration of fatherhood, strength, sacrifice, and life's humor amid hardships. "Girl Dad" isn't just a play, it's an homage to the unsung heroes in our lives. Book your tickets now, for an unforgettable night of laughter, tears, and poignant moments. 7:30 pm. Tickets: $20 online
Saturday, 9/16 – “Black Book” (solo show) by Austin Dean Ashford - 7:30 pm
Welcome to Melvin Tolson High School—it's summer school, it's hot, the barbwire fence is fixed, and a young African American boy has been shot, leaving his group of friends reeling from the loss and wondering if their voices can ever be heard. Enter a former Great Debater to teach a master class on public speaking and challenge this group of boys to speak out and give voice to their hopes and fears. Filled with pressing issues, inspiring characters, and graced with comic flourishes, this one-person dramedy debates what happens to young minds when our educational spaces begin to resemble a prison more than school and a place to learn and grow.
Saturday, 9/16 Dashikis & Daiquiris – 9 pm – FREE Dashiki/African attire-themed party, hosted by Shawn Whitsell
Friday, 9/22 & Saturday, 9/30 – “Destined Beyond (Immersive Theatre Journey)”
Presented by Destiny Theatre Experience - 7:30 pm - $15 online / $20 at the door
Destined Beyond is an immersive theatre experience, where attendees will walk through various parts of the Darkhorse Theater into different “worlds” and experience characters and pivotal moments from various plays by Shawn Whitsell in a new, more interactive way.
Saturday, 9/23 – “One Vote Won”
The stage adaptation of the Emmy and American Prize award winning Opera Film
presented by Sista Style
Composed by Dave Ragland, Libretto by Mary McCallum
7:30 pm
$10 at the door
Friday, 9/29 – “Why Goodbye?”
presented by SistaStyle Productions - 7:30 pm
Written by Mary McCallum
Directed by Keith Franklin
Performed by Mary McCallum & Keith Franklin
A recently split married couple find themselves together again when Jerome unexpectedly returns home to collect his things. Fireworks explode as Angela tries to keep her plans for the evening on track. Will they figure out why they said goodbye?
More information: sistastyleproductions.com
"Papa Was..."
A passionate jazz/blues musician traveled the world, playing music and falling in love over and over again. When he dies, he leaves behind seven sons in seven different cities, an inheritance and mission to do in death what he didn't have the courage to do in life.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/papa-was-tickets-684496767257?aff=oddtdtcreator
Friday, August 18th - 7:30 pm
Saturday, August 19th - 7:30 pm
Sunday, August 20th - 3 pm
Thursday, August 24th - 7:30 pm
Friday, August 25th - 7:30 pm
Saturday, August 26th - 7:30 pm
Cast: Harold Lercius, Leonard Ledford, III, Shawn Whitsell, Cameron Mitchell, Jonathan Allen Jamil Parrish, Milton Jackson, Allen Rucker, Tony Insignares
Tickets: $15 online / $20 at the door
Email: [email protected]
Facebook.com/destinytheatreexperience
Instagram: @destinytheatreexperience
Twitter: @TeamDTE
A passionate jazz/blues musician traveled the world, playing music and falling in love over and over again. When he dies, he leaves behind seven sons in seven different cities, an inheritance and mission to do in death what he didn't have the courage to do in life.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/papa-was-tickets-684496767257?aff=oddtdtcreator
Friday, August 18th - 7:30 pm
Saturday, August 19th - 7:30 pm
Sunday, August 20th - 3 pm
Thursday, August 24th - 7:30 pm
Friday, August 25th - 7:30 pm
Saturday, August 26th - 7:30 pm
Cast: Harold Lercius, Leonard Ledford, III, Shawn Whitsell, Cameron Mitchell, Jonathan Allen Jamil Parrish, Milton Jackson, Allen Rucker, Tony Insignares
Tickets: $15 online / $20 at the door
Email: [email protected]
Facebook.com/destinytheatreexperience
Instagram: @destinytheatreexperience
Twitter: @TeamDTE
https://www.kindlingarts.com/2023-festival
KINDLING ARTS FESTIVAL 2023
July 27-30
Explore the full line-up
Featured Shows at the Darkhorse include:
July 27-30
Explore the full line-up
Featured Shows at the Darkhorse include:
EAST NASHVILLE FACEBOOK PAGE
THE MUSICAL
PREMIERE PERFORMANCES:
Thursday, July 27th at 9PM + Friday, July 28th at 7PM + Sunday, 30th at 4PM
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
General Admission: $20
VIP Reserved Seating: $25
BOOK NOW
CREATED BY
Emma Supica & Cherry Bomb
FEATURING
Emma Supica
Cammie York
Kim Herrmann
Kirsten Jacobson
Seth Nathan Green
Amelia Rossettie
Alex Dolezal
Mick Khoury
It’s the city’s most revered and despised news source – now being celebrated in song! That’s right, Emma Supica and her band of merry misfits at Cherry Bomb have cooked up a musical revue of the social media group you simply can’t look away from: The East Nashville Facebook Page. Whether it’s a restaurant order gone awry, a missed connection waiting to happen at the Eastland Kroger, or that hopeful request for the elusive 2BR apartment renting for under $1200/month, this hilarious romp will remind you of all the reasons you love living in Music City – and maybe even a few reasons why you hate it, too!
Run time: 90 minutes with no intermission
THE MUSICAL
PREMIERE PERFORMANCES:
Thursday, July 27th at 9PM + Friday, July 28th at 7PM + Sunday, 30th at 4PM
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
General Admission: $20
VIP Reserved Seating: $25
BOOK NOW
CREATED BY
Emma Supica & Cherry Bomb
FEATURING
Emma Supica
Cammie York
Kim Herrmann
Kirsten Jacobson
Seth Nathan Green
Amelia Rossettie
Alex Dolezal
Mick Khoury
It’s the city’s most revered and despised news source – now being celebrated in song! That’s right, Emma Supica and her band of merry misfits at Cherry Bomb have cooked up a musical revue of the social media group you simply can’t look away from: The East Nashville Facebook Page. Whether it’s a restaurant order gone awry, a missed connection waiting to happen at the Eastland Kroger, or that hopeful request for the elusive 2BR apartment renting for under $1200/month, this hilarious romp will remind you of all the reasons you love living in Music City – and maybe even a few reasons why you hate it, too!
Run time: 90 minutes with no intermission
Betty Vou Plaît x Back to Black Burlesque
ALLISON UNDERGROUND PREMIERE PERFORMANCES:
Friday, July 28th at 9PM + Saturday, July 29th at 7:30PM
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
General Admission: $20
VIP Reserved Seating: $25
AGES 18+
BOOK NOW
Go down the rabbit hole to a Wonderland unlike any you’ve seen before. Allison Underground brilliantly twists Lewis Carroll’s classic novel Alice in Wonderland into a sensual modern myth that indulges the fantastical elements of the beloved story. Directed by acclaimed burlesque artist Betty Vou Plaît and featuring the stunning performers from Back to Black Burlesque, this updated Alice puts Black voices at the center of this literary classic. Don’t be late for this very important date!
Run time: 90 minutes with no intermission
ALLISON UNDERGROUND PREMIERE PERFORMANCES:
Friday, July 28th at 9PM + Saturday, July 29th at 7:30PM
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
General Admission: $20
VIP Reserved Seating: $25
AGES 18+
BOOK NOW
Go down the rabbit hole to a Wonderland unlike any you’ve seen before. Allison Underground brilliantly twists Lewis Carroll’s classic novel Alice in Wonderland into a sensual modern myth that indulges the fantastical elements of the beloved story. Directed by acclaimed burlesque artist Betty Vou Plaît and featuring the stunning performers from Back to Black Burlesque, this updated Alice puts Black voices at the center of this literary classic. Don’t be late for this very important date!
Run time: 90 minutes with no intermission
DARE TO FAIL FILM FESTIVALCOUNTERCULTURE
PREMIERE PERFORMANCES:
Saturday, July 29th at 5PM
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
General Admission: $10
BOOK NOW
HOSTED BY
Steve Parnell & JR Robles
Founded with the goal of making the art of filmmaking more accessible and affordable, Dare to Fail Film Festival (DTF for those in the know) is a monthly showcase of micro-films that run approximately one minute each, hosted by Steve Parnell and JR Robles. DTF returns to Kindling for a second year under the Festival theme of “Counterculture,” prompting any filmmaker or artist to submit their very-short film for consideration. Share in the screening of these new films at the Darkhorse Theater and hear from the artists about their inspiration and process of making their 60-second counterculture masterpiece.
Run time: 60 minutes
PREMIERE PERFORMANCES:
Saturday, July 29th at 5PM
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
General Admission: $10
BOOK NOW
HOSTED BY
Steve Parnell & JR Robles
Founded with the goal of making the art of filmmaking more accessible and affordable, Dare to Fail Film Festival (DTF for those in the know) is a monthly showcase of micro-films that run approximately one minute each, hosted by Steve Parnell and JR Robles. DTF returns to Kindling for a second year under the Festival theme of “Counterculture,” prompting any filmmaker or artist to submit their very-short film for consideration. Share in the screening of these new films at the Darkhorse Theater and hear from the artists about their inspiration and process of making their 60-second counterculture masterpiece.
Run time: 60 minutes
VOYAGE
A Live Visual Album
July 30th at 7:30pm Sneak Preview
August 3-5, 8pm (Please don't be late, doors close promptly at 8pm)
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
General Admission Tickets: $15 Advanced / $20 At the Door
CREATED & PERFORMED BY
Sarah Saturday (Gardening, Not Architecture)
FILMS BY
Dycee Wildman
CHOREOGRAPHY BY
Joi Ware
Voyage is the latest multimedia project from Nashville-based music and performance artist Sarah Saturday (also known as Gardening, Not Architecture), featuring a mix of vibrant original songs (produced by Boom Forest) performed live to backing tracks, innovative short films (directed by Sarah’s long-time collaborator, filmmaker Dycee Wildman), dance (choreographed by Joi Ware), audio sampling, and spoken word.
This live visual album is an invitation to audiences to tap into something truly vulnerable within themselves, creating a safe space for whatever feelings may arise. The stage play explores the shifting relationship we have with our complex and layered identities – those parts of ourselves both positive and negative that are always trying to protect us, sometimes to our detriment. Only by confronting and befriending these innermost parts of ourselves can we find peace within, and only from this ground of peace within can we truly begin the work of building a more peaceful world around us.
About the Artist Sarah Saturday is a musician, producer, writer, and performance artist also known as Gardening, Not Architecture. She has released several albums, singles, remixes, videos, films, and multimedia performances since 2007, and played over 200 shows in the U.S. and Canada since 2009. She has scored music for film and TV, including creating the original score for the feature film Superpowerless. Since relocating to Nashville in 2012, Sarah has made a name for herself in the Nashville performance art community with her deeply vulnerable, complex, visually stunning performances.
Get Tickets
sarahsaturday.com/voyage
Run time: 45 minutes with no intermission
A Live Visual Album
July 30th at 7:30pm Sneak Preview
August 3-5, 8pm (Please don't be late, doors close promptly at 8pm)
Darkhorse Theatre (4610 Charlotte Ave)
General Admission Tickets: $15 Advanced / $20 At the Door
CREATED & PERFORMED BY
Sarah Saturday (Gardening, Not Architecture)
FILMS BY
Dycee Wildman
CHOREOGRAPHY BY
Joi Ware
Voyage is the latest multimedia project from Nashville-based music and performance artist Sarah Saturday (also known as Gardening, Not Architecture), featuring a mix of vibrant original songs (produced by Boom Forest) performed live to backing tracks, innovative short films (directed by Sarah’s long-time collaborator, filmmaker Dycee Wildman), dance (choreographed by Joi Ware), audio sampling, and spoken word.
This live visual album is an invitation to audiences to tap into something truly vulnerable within themselves, creating a safe space for whatever feelings may arise. The stage play explores the shifting relationship we have with our complex and layered identities – those parts of ourselves both positive and negative that are always trying to protect us, sometimes to our detriment. Only by confronting and befriending these innermost parts of ourselves can we find peace within, and only from this ground of peace within can we truly begin the work of building a more peaceful world around us.
About the Artist Sarah Saturday is a musician, producer, writer, and performance artist also known as Gardening, Not Architecture. She has released several albums, singles, remixes, videos, films, and multimedia performances since 2007, and played over 200 shows in the U.S. and Canada since 2009. She has scored music for film and TV, including creating the original score for the feature film Superpowerless. Since relocating to Nashville in 2012, Sarah has made a name for herself in the Nashville performance art community with her deeply vulnerable, complex, visually stunning performances.
Get Tickets
sarahsaturday.com/voyage
Run time: 45 minutes with no intermission
July 7-22
FAN ME WITH A BRICK
Tennessee Playwrights Studio
TPS is delighted to announce the cast for FAN ME WITH A BRICK
written by Kenley Smith
directed by Shawn Whitsell - based on actual events and research by Yalewa Sparrowhawk.
Thank you to all who auditioned.
Tanya Anderson Mary/Nurse 1&2/Mrs. Lugar/Mrs. Halloway
Briana C. Finley Young Catherine
Leslie Hammonds Little Catherine/Little Victoria/Pink Girl
Tony Insignares John Persinger
Myah Jackson Phoebe
Ethan H. Jones Joseph/Cobbler
Josh Kiev County Man/Doctor
Angela Martin Louisa/Liza
Kysa Siovan Victoria
Kinston Smith Brother/Darnell
Alex White James/Policeman
When Victoria sets out to learn more of her family's history, she opens a portal to a past full of loss, pain and indomitable perseverance. Her mother reluctantly joins her, and the two women uncover old wounds - a scandalous affair in segregated Virginia, a stolen child, a lost parent, a horrific accident - that linger unhealed in the present
FAN ME WITH A BRICK
Tennessee Playwrights Studio
TPS is delighted to announce the cast for FAN ME WITH A BRICK
written by Kenley Smith
directed by Shawn Whitsell - based on actual events and research by Yalewa Sparrowhawk.
Thank you to all who auditioned.
Tanya Anderson Mary/Nurse 1&2/Mrs. Lugar/Mrs. Halloway
Briana C. Finley Young Catherine
Leslie Hammonds Little Catherine/Little Victoria/Pink Girl
Tony Insignares John Persinger
Myah Jackson Phoebe
Ethan H. Jones Joseph/Cobbler
Josh Kiev County Man/Doctor
Angela Martin Louisa/Liza
Kysa Siovan Victoria
Kinston Smith Brother/Darnell
Alex White James/Policeman
When Victoria sets out to learn more of her family's history, she opens a portal to a past full of loss, pain and indomitable perseverance. Her mother reluctantly joins her, and the two women uncover old wounds - a scandalous affair in segregated Virginia, a stolen child, a lost parent, a horrific accident - that linger unhealed in the present
June 9 and 10
Elite Studio Works presents:
"AT BIRTH" written and performed by Ty Autry and Thalia Gonzalez Kane
June 9 at 6:30pm, June 10 at 8:30pm
What could possibly go wrong when one drunken night Anna, very gay, and Isaac, very very gay, have sex to heal from a breakup? What follows is a journey covering themes of queer families, abortion rights in the South, and the pursuit of building community, no matter how untypical. This queer dark comedy navigates blurred family lines, friendship, and dealing with the unexpected consequences life can throw at a person.
"SERENA" (The Other Story of Cyrano de Bergerac) written by Erin-Grace Bailey
June 9 at 8pm, June 10 at 6:30pm
A New Works version of "Cyrano de Bergerac"
Tickets: elitestudioworks.ticketleap.com/at-birth/
Elite Studio Works presents:
"AT BIRTH" written and performed by Ty Autry and Thalia Gonzalez Kane
June 9 at 6:30pm, June 10 at 8:30pm
What could possibly go wrong when one drunken night Anna, very gay, and Isaac, very very gay, have sex to heal from a breakup? What follows is a journey covering themes of queer families, abortion rights in the South, and the pursuit of building community, no matter how untypical. This queer dark comedy navigates blurred family lines, friendship, and dealing with the unexpected consequences life can throw at a person.
"SERENA" (The Other Story of Cyrano de Bergerac) written by Erin-Grace Bailey
June 9 at 8pm, June 10 at 6:30pm
A New Works version of "Cyrano de Bergerac"
Tickets: elitestudioworks.ticketleap.com/at-birth/
Global Birthday Bash 2023
Join us for our annual Global Birthday Bash! This annual event is fun for the entire family, showcasing a few of the performing and teaching artists at the Global Education Center. Join us Saturday, February 4 @ 7:00 pm at the Darkhorse Theater. Click on photo to order tickets. Adults $20. Children $10
Join us for our annual Global Birthday Bash! This annual event is fun for the entire family, showcasing a few of the performing and teaching artists at the Global Education Center. Join us Saturday, February 4 @ 7:00 pm at the Darkhorse Theater. Click on photo to order tickets. Adults $20. Children $10
DARKHORSE SHOWS in 2022
White Elephant
November 17-26
Written and Directed by Sofia Tosches
See who’s naughty and (not so) nice when eight “friends” gather to exchange Christmas gifts.
This world premiere runs November 17, 18, 19, 25, 26 at 7:30 pm and November 19, 26 at 2:00 pm
Tickets through White Elephant’s website, whiteelephantnash.com.
The ensemble cast includes: Kristen Fields, AJ Shoemaker, Mileah Milstead, Dustin LaFleur, Delaney Amatrudo, Leslie Marberry, Molly Brown, and J.R. Knowles.
For more information follow @whiteelephantnash on Instagram and TikTok.
Tosches has partnered with three local restaurants to bring together an evening full of experiences. When audience members purchase tickets for a show, they will receive a secret code they can bring to E3 Chophouse Nashville, Fable Lounge, and Love & Exile to unlock an exclusive cocktail curated specifically for this debut. Make a night of it and enjoy a drink before or after the show.
November 17-26
Written and Directed by Sofia Tosches
See who’s naughty and (not so) nice when eight “friends” gather to exchange Christmas gifts.
This world premiere runs November 17, 18, 19, 25, 26 at 7:30 pm and November 19, 26 at 2:00 pm
Tickets through White Elephant’s website, whiteelephantnash.com.
The ensemble cast includes: Kristen Fields, AJ Shoemaker, Mileah Milstead, Dustin LaFleur, Delaney Amatrudo, Leslie Marberry, Molly Brown, and J.R. Knowles.
For more information follow @whiteelephantnash on Instagram and TikTok.
Tosches has partnered with three local restaurants to bring together an evening full of experiences. When audience members purchase tickets for a show, they will receive a secret code they can bring to E3 Chophouse Nashville, Fable Lounge, and Love & Exile to unlock an exclusive cocktail curated specifically for this debut. Make a night of it and enjoy a drink before or after the show.
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MONSTERSONGSBOOK, MUSIC, AND LYRICS BY ROB ROKICKI
GRAPHIC ART BY DAVID O’NEILL
October 6-15 Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm
Tickets $20
The Darkhorse Theatre
4610 Charlotte Ave
DIRECTED BY SAWYER WALLACE
MUSIC DIRECTED BY RANDY CRAFT
TICKETS
GRAPHIC ART BY DAVID O’NEILL
October 6-15 Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm
Tickets $20
The Darkhorse Theatre
4610 Charlotte Ave
DIRECTED BY SAWYER WALLACE
MUSIC DIRECTED BY RANDY CRAFT
TICKETS
Kay's niece, Tiffany, comes to town for a visit and life for Francesca, Levitica, and Maggie will NEVER be the same. Come watch this dramedy unfold as part of Dream 7 Theatre Productions' New Works Series on Sept. 23rd, 24th, & 25th. This is the introductory show to our feature presentation of Cultural Millennium. Visit www.dream7productions.com to purchase tickets.
Who is SHE? She guides you on a thousand years of the Poetic journey of the African American Experience by showing us our past, present, and our future. Come and meet her @ The Shades of Black Theatre Festival for "Cultural Millennium", September 23rd, 24th, & 25th at 7:30pm each night. Early Bird tickets only $10 online at www.dream7productions.com. $15 at the door.
Click Here for Tickets to Don't Look Black
THE CALLING IS IN THE BODY tells the story of a Nashville hero and early HIV advocate in the early 90s as the pandemic was growing internationally and changing culture and language around sex, safety, and intimacy. It is the story of her memory and legend as told by a young high school student who searched for closure after losing contact, a nurse practitioner and HIV/AIDS care trailblazer who befriended her, and a woman in recovery who commits to her cause and champions her work.
THE CALLING IS IN THE BODY
By Cynthia C. Harris
Director: Cynthia C. Harris
Performance Schedule:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5 - 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 - 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7 - 5 p.m.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11 - 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12 - 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 - 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Venue: The Darkhorse Theater
Tickets: $25 in advance/ $30 at the door
Ticket Link: https://bit.ly/ABE-TCIITB
Parking Information:
Free parking is available on 47th Avenue, in the Truist lot at 46th and Charlotte Avenue, and in Richland Park. *Please note that the lower lot behind McDonald’s at 47th and Alabama Avenue is now a pay lot.
Accessibility:
Actors Bridge Ensemble strives to make our performances and facilities accessible to all our patrons. Due to the intimate size of our venues, we have a limited number of accessible seats; please indicate any special needs when purchasing tickets.
THE CALLING IS IN THE BODY
By Cynthia C. Harris
Director: Cynthia C. Harris
Performance Schedule:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5 - 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 - 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7 - 5 p.m.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11 - 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 12 - 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 - 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Venue: The Darkhorse Theater
Tickets: $25 in advance/ $30 at the door
Ticket Link: https://bit.ly/ABE-TCIITB
Parking Information:
Free parking is available on 47th Avenue, in the Truist lot at 46th and Charlotte Avenue, and in Richland Park. *Please note that the lower lot behind McDonald’s at 47th and Alabama Avenue is now a pay lot.
Accessibility:
Actors Bridge Ensemble strives to make our performances and facilities accessible to all our patrons. Due to the intimate size of our venues, we have a limited number of accessible seats; please indicate any special needs when purchasing tickets.
sorry SOLD OUT
July 8-23 Assassins
Presented by Bucket List ProductionsDirected by Cat Eberwine
Performances at 7pm on July 8th, 9th, 14th,15th,16th, 22nd, 23rd
Tickets $15
www.bucket-list-productions.com
July 8-23 Assassins
Presented by Bucket List ProductionsDirected by Cat Eberwine
Performances at 7pm on July 8th, 9th, 14th,15th,16th, 22nd, 23rd
Tickets $15
www.bucket-list-productions.com
July 29-30 Kindling Arts Festival
Presented by Daniel Jones
KINDLING ARTS FESTIVAL - 2022 Schedule at The Darkhorse Theater
https://www.kindlingarts.com/2022-festival
For Individual Tickets: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35229
For Packages: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35229/store/packages
THURSDAY July 28 6:30-7:30PM
SCAR TISSUE
Written & Performed by Emma Supica
THURSDAY July 28th 8:30-10PM
LAST SUPPER
Written by Brooke Ferguson Directed by Nat McIntyre
Starring LaDarra Jackal & Easton J. Curtis
FRIDAY, JULY 29. 7-8pm
NATE & JONATHAN’S SATURDAY MORNING REBOOT!
Nate Eppler & Jonathan Alexandratos
FRIDAY July 29 9-10:30PM
UNBOUND: Dance Showcase
di Mossa, Gracyn Preston, Milan Jackson, Emily Davis, Matthew Robinson, Pyroglyphics, Skyler Levine
SATURDAY, JULY 30 1-2:30PM
LAST SUPPER
Written by Brooke Ferguson Directed by Nat McIntyre
Starring LaDarra Jackal & Easton J. Curtis
SATURDAY, JuLY 30th 4-5 PM
ADVOCACY THROUGH THE ARTS
Friends Life Community
SATURDAYJuly 30th. 6-7 PM
UNBOUND: Dance Showcase
di Mossa, Gracyn Preston, Milan Jackson, Emily Davis, Matthew Robinson, Pyroglyphics, Skyler Levine
SATURDAY July 30. 8pm-9pm
SCAR TISSUE
Written & Performed by Emma Supica
SATURDAY July 30. 10-11PM
Dare to Fail Film Festival: IMAGINATION
Hosted by Steve Parnell
Presented by Daniel Jones
KINDLING ARTS FESTIVAL - 2022 Schedule at The Darkhorse Theater
https://www.kindlingarts.com/2022-festival
For Individual Tickets: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35229
For Packages: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35229/store/packages
THURSDAY July 28 6:30-7:30PM
SCAR TISSUE
Written & Performed by Emma Supica
THURSDAY July 28th 8:30-10PM
LAST SUPPER
Written by Brooke Ferguson Directed by Nat McIntyre
Starring LaDarra Jackal & Easton J. Curtis
FRIDAY, JULY 29. 7-8pm
NATE & JONATHAN’S SATURDAY MORNING REBOOT!
Nate Eppler & Jonathan Alexandratos
FRIDAY July 29 9-10:30PM
UNBOUND: Dance Showcase
di Mossa, Gracyn Preston, Milan Jackson, Emily Davis, Matthew Robinson, Pyroglyphics, Skyler Levine
SATURDAY, JULY 30 1-2:30PM
LAST SUPPER
Written by Brooke Ferguson Directed by Nat McIntyre
Starring LaDarra Jackal & Easton J. Curtis
SATURDAY, JuLY 30th 4-5 PM
ADVOCACY THROUGH THE ARTS
Friends Life Community
SATURDAYJuly 30th. 6-7 PM
UNBOUND: Dance Showcase
di Mossa, Gracyn Preston, Milan Jackson, Emily Davis, Matthew Robinson, Pyroglyphics, Skyler Levine
SATURDAY July 30. 8pm-9pm
SCAR TISSUE
Written & Performed by Emma Supica
SATURDAY July 30. 10-11PM
Dare to Fail Film Festival: IMAGINATION
Hosted by Steve Parnell
July 29-30 Kindling Arts Festival
Presented by Daniel Jones
August 19 - September 4 Don't Look Black
Presented by Tennessee Playwrights Studio
Written by Preston Crowder
see flyer
October 20-29 Sins of the City
Presented by Tennessee Playwrights Studio
and Destiny Theatre Productions
Written by Shawn Whitsell
see flyer
July 29-30 Kindling Arts Festival
Presented by Daniel Jones
August 19 - September 4 Don't Look Black
Presented by Tennessee Playwrights Studio
Written by Preston Crowder
see flyer
October 20-29 Sins of the City
Presented by Tennessee Playwrights Studio
and Destiny Theatre Productions
Written by Shawn Whitsell
see flyer
August 5-13 The Calling is in the Body
Presented by Actor's Bridge
A choreopoem by Cynthia C. Harris
THE CALLING IS IN THE BODY: An exploration of memory, purpose, community and environment. Local playwright Cynthia Harris (HOW TO CATCH A FLYING WOMAN) again combines her passion for art and public health, as she explores a foundational relationship with early local HIV educator and radical trouble maker, the late and beloved Deidre Williams. THE CALLING IS IN THE BODY is part of Ms. Harris’ forthcoming THE MAGNOLIA TRILOGY. Ms. Harris is a member of our Directors Inclusion Initiative.
Presented by Actor's Bridge
A choreopoem by Cynthia C. Harris
THE CALLING IS IN THE BODY: An exploration of memory, purpose, community and environment. Local playwright Cynthia Harris (HOW TO CATCH A FLYING WOMAN) again combines her passion for art and public health, as she explores a foundational relationship with early local HIV educator and radical trouble maker, the late and beloved Deidre Williams. THE CALLING IS IN THE BODY is part of Ms. Harris’ forthcoming THE MAGNOLIA TRILOGY. Ms. Harris is a member of our Directors Inclusion Initiative.
DARKHORSE SHOWS in 2021
DECEMBER 3-18
THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK CHRISTMAS MUSICAL
Presented by Street Theatre
MUSIC & LYRICS BY DAVID NEHLS
BOOK BY BETSY KELSO
Performances Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm
Proof of vaccination and masks required for audience. All cast & crew will be vaccinated.
It’s holiday time down in Armadillo Acres (North Florida’s premier mobile-living community), and everyone’s filled with warmth and beer. But when a freak bout of amnesia strikes the trailer park Scrooge, neighborly love is put to the test. Be on hand as Betty, Lin, and Pickles jingle all the way with some new neighbors in an all-new, all-trailer-park musical! This companion to the original GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL is just as much of a cat-fightin', sun-worshippin', chair-throwin’ good time-—but with tinsel and Keg Nog.
THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK CHRISTMAS MUSICAL
Presented by Street Theatre
MUSIC & LYRICS BY DAVID NEHLS
BOOK BY BETSY KELSO
Performances Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm
Proof of vaccination and masks required for audience. All cast & crew will be vaccinated.
It’s holiday time down in Armadillo Acres (North Florida’s premier mobile-living community), and everyone’s filled with warmth and beer. But when a freak bout of amnesia strikes the trailer park Scrooge, neighborly love is put to the test. Be on hand as Betty, Lin, and Pickles jingle all the way with some new neighbors in an all-new, all-trailer-park musical! This companion to the original GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL is just as much of a cat-fightin', sun-worshippin', chair-throwin’ good time-—but with tinsel and Keg Nog.
DECEMBER 12
Sunday at 5pm
The DonJuans Annual Holiday Show and Sing Along
with Jon VEZNER and Don Henry
Tickets $15
Proof of vaccination and masks required for audience.
Come join Grammy award winning singer/songwriters Don Henry and Jon Vezner for a mixture of original winter songs, holiday classics and several selections from their collaboration as The DonJuans.
In the nearly 25 years since their GRAMMY® Award-winning song “Where’ve You Been,” (recorded by Kathy Mattea) Don and Jon have performed in venues from the Bottom Line in New York to the Bluebird Café in Nashville, sharing stages with artists as diverse as Tom Paxton, Joey Ramone, Keith Urban, John Hiatt, and David Crosby. Their songs have been recorded by a multitude of artists including Janis Ian, Ray Charles, John Mellencamp, Nancy Griffith and Miranda Lambert just to name a few. Working as a duo, the DonJuans bring an impressive array of songs, experience, and gifted musicianship. So come sing along and get in the spirit of the season with The DonJuans!
Sunday at 5pm
The DonJuans Annual Holiday Show and Sing Along
with Jon VEZNER and Don Henry
Tickets $15
Proof of vaccination and masks required for audience.
Come join Grammy award winning singer/songwriters Don Henry and Jon Vezner for a mixture of original winter songs, holiday classics and several selections from their collaboration as The DonJuans.
In the nearly 25 years since their GRAMMY® Award-winning song “Where’ve You Been,” (recorded by Kathy Mattea) Don and Jon have performed in venues from the Bottom Line in New York to the Bluebird Café in Nashville, sharing stages with artists as diverse as Tom Paxton, Joey Ramone, Keith Urban, John Hiatt, and David Crosby. Their songs have been recorded by a multitude of artists including Janis Ian, Ray Charles, John Mellencamp, Nancy Griffith and Miranda Lambert just to name a few. Working as a duo, the DonJuans bring an impressive array of songs, experience, and gifted musicianship. So come sing along and get in the spirit of the season with The DonJuans!
DECEMBER 12
Sunday at 7:30pm
The Gift of Song Presents: A Joyful Noise
A lively vocal concert filled with all your holiday favorites! Starring: David Arnold, Leslie Berra, Mark Buchanan, Jarvis Bynum, Joe Deans, Erin Knight Hailey, Carmela Hofstee, Rachel Humphreys, Josh Jordan, Will Lasley, Morgan Riggs, Kendall Rogers and Alex Wasson. Presented by The Gift of Song. All proceeds benefit our friends at Street Theatre company. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS: All attendees must provide proof of vaccination and remain fully-masked throughout the performance.
Tickets: $20.00
661-714-7099
www.thegiftofsong.net
https://www.showtix4u.com/events/22133
Sunday at 7:30pm
The Gift of Song Presents: A Joyful Noise
A lively vocal concert filled with all your holiday favorites! Starring: David Arnold, Leslie Berra, Mark Buchanan, Jarvis Bynum, Joe Deans, Erin Knight Hailey, Carmela Hofstee, Rachel Humphreys, Josh Jordan, Will Lasley, Morgan Riggs, Kendall Rogers and Alex Wasson. Presented by The Gift of Song. All proceeds benefit our friends at Street Theatre company. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS: All attendees must provide proof of vaccination and remain fully-masked throughout the performance.
Tickets: $20.00
661-714-7099
www.thegiftofsong.net
https://www.showtix4u.com/events/22133
Lizzie
October 22-November 6
Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm
Tickets $20, Students and Seniors $15
Proof of vaccination and masks required
MATTHEW SHIPP
Sunday October 24 at 8pm
*Proof of Covid vaccination and Masks Required.
Doors are at 7:30 pm; Show at 8 pm.
Sliding scale admission: $20-$25
Tickets available at the door with cash or paypal/venmo
Excited to announce this show FMRL is presenting at Darkhorse Theatre as part of the Jazz Road grant series, a national initiative of South Arts and funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Matthew Shipp is a genius musician, one of the greatest pianists of his generation.
Here's a snippet of former Nashville Scene editor Jack Silverman's recollections of Matthew Shipp's last solo piano concert 15 years ago in Nashville at a Primitive Baptist Church on Indiana in the Nations:
"I’ve seen a ton of shows since moving to Nashville 15 years ago, but pianist Matthew Shipp’s 2006 solo set at a church on Indiana Avenue still stands out as the most mind-blowing performance I’ve witnessed. It was an astonishing display, as if he had consumed the entirety of popular music, broken it down to its genetic code, then reassembled the DNA into a seemingly infinite number of mutations: familiar, delicate, unnerving, harmonically dense, nostalgic, atonal, pulsating, arrhythmic — and that was just the first 60 seconds.
Classical allusions, straight-ahead jazz changes and simple melodies would emerge out of cacophony, then recombine in ways that contradicted their usual associations. A jarring “Summertime,” in particular, seemed loaded with political overtones. Even though the crowd was predominantly indie-rock types there to see openers Lambchop and Hands Off Cuba, the avant-garde jazz legend got a spontaneous and boisterous standing ovation like few I’ve seen."
https://www.nashvillescene.com/.../article_c786ebae-b069...
Sunday October 24 at 8pm
*Proof of Covid vaccination and Masks Required.
Doors are at 7:30 pm; Show at 8 pm.
Sliding scale admission: $20-$25
Tickets available at the door with cash or paypal/venmo
Excited to announce this show FMRL is presenting at Darkhorse Theatre as part of the Jazz Road grant series, a national initiative of South Arts and funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Matthew Shipp is a genius musician, one of the greatest pianists of his generation.
Here's a snippet of former Nashville Scene editor Jack Silverman's recollections of Matthew Shipp's last solo piano concert 15 years ago in Nashville at a Primitive Baptist Church on Indiana in the Nations:
"I’ve seen a ton of shows since moving to Nashville 15 years ago, but pianist Matthew Shipp’s 2006 solo set at a church on Indiana Avenue still stands out as the most mind-blowing performance I’ve witnessed. It was an astonishing display, as if he had consumed the entirety of popular music, broken it down to its genetic code, then reassembled the DNA into a seemingly infinite number of mutations: familiar, delicate, unnerving, harmonically dense, nostalgic, atonal, pulsating, arrhythmic — and that was just the first 60 seconds.
Classical allusions, straight-ahead jazz changes and simple melodies would emerge out of cacophony, then recombine in ways that contradicted their usual associations. A jarring “Summertime,” in particular, seemed loaded with political overtones. Even though the crowd was predominantly indie-rock types there to see openers Lambchop and Hands Off Cuba, the avant-garde jazz legend got a spontaneous and boisterous standing ovation like few I’ve seen."
https://www.nashvillescene.com/.../article_c786ebae-b069...
LIVE Friday & Saturday, October 15 & 16 - 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 17 - 3 pm
"Why Goodbye"
Written by Mary McCallum
Directed by Candace-Omnira
Presented by The Destiny Theatre Experience and SistaStyle Productions
Featuring Mary McCallum & Shawn Whitsell
Tickets $15
Proof of vaccination and masks required for audience. All cast & crew will be vaccinated.
A recently split married couple find themselves together again when Jerome unexpectedly returns home to collect his things. Fireworks explode as Angela tries to keep her plans for the evening on track. Will they figure out why they said goodbye?
Sunday, October 17 - 3 pm
"Why Goodbye"
Written by Mary McCallum
Directed by Candace-Omnira
Presented by The Destiny Theatre Experience and SistaStyle Productions
Featuring Mary McCallum & Shawn Whitsell
Tickets $15
Proof of vaccination and masks required for audience. All cast & crew will be vaccinated.
A recently split married couple find themselves together again when Jerome unexpectedly returns home to collect his things. Fireworks explode as Angela tries to keep her plans for the evening on track. Will they figure out why they said goodbye?
LIVE Saturday, September 18th at 7pm
Duet for Theremin & Lap Steel (ATL)
We at FMRL are delighted to present Duet for Theremin & Lap Steel and Belly Full of Stars. Like the best ambient music, theirs is consistently engaging and timbrally rich, the sonic fruit of labored synthesis cultivated with an openness to chance.
In an era of psychic noise, it's nice to listen, actively or not, to music, or non music, that calls one's attention to detail, nuance, to sine-waved sonic filigree.
This is music that depends on collective silence and deep listening. This is a sonic celebration on the subtlety of change.
Join us for this and more ephemeral experiences."
Doors, 6:30 pm; Sounds 7 pm
Proof of Vaccination Required; Attendees must wear masks inside venue.
$10-$15 sliding scale admission
https://www.facebook.com/events/371892564569783/?notif_id=1631405002375727¬if_t=page_share&ref=notif
www.fmrlarts.org is our site.
https://www.duetonline.net/ is their web site.
This is Bell Full of Stars' twitter account
https://twitter.com/BellyFullOfStar?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Duet for Theremin & Lap Steel (ATL)
We at FMRL are delighted to present Duet for Theremin & Lap Steel and Belly Full of Stars. Like the best ambient music, theirs is consistently engaging and timbrally rich, the sonic fruit of labored synthesis cultivated with an openness to chance.
In an era of psychic noise, it's nice to listen, actively or not, to music, or non music, that calls one's attention to detail, nuance, to sine-waved sonic filigree.
This is music that depends on collective silence and deep listening. This is a sonic celebration on the subtlety of change.
Join us for this and more ephemeral experiences."
Doors, 6:30 pm; Sounds 7 pm
Proof of Vaccination Required; Attendees must wear masks inside venue.
$10-$15 sliding scale admission
https://www.facebook.com/events/371892564569783/?notif_id=1631405002375727¬if_t=page_share&ref=notif
www.fmrlarts.org is our site.
https://www.duetonline.net/ is their web site.
This is Bell Full of Stars' twitter account
https://twitter.com/BellyFullOfStar?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
VIRTUAL Thursday September 9th at 7:30pm, Replay September 10th & 18th
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/Dream-7-Productions-113893910166184/
Dream 7 Productions will present "Militancy" by Michael Walker (virtually) at the 15th Annual Shades of Black Theatre Festival.
Vee Vee Finley Leonard Boogie Dollars Ledford III Michael Walker
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/Dream-7-Productions-113893910166184/
Dream 7 Productions will present "Militancy" by Michael Walker (virtually) at the 15th Annual Shades of Black Theatre Festival.
Vee Vee Finley Leonard Boogie Dollars Ledford III Michael Walker
LIVE September 28th at 6:30pm
"College Behind Bars" FILM
FREE
Proof of vaccination and masks required for audience. All crew will be vaccinated.
"College Behind Bars" FILM
FREE
Proof of vaccination and masks required for audience. All crew will be vaccinated.
