MKE Black Theatre Festival returns to celebrate Black arts and culture in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Black Arts MKE is set to host the MKE Black Theatre Festival from Aug. 9 - 27, announced in a Wednesday, May 10 press release.

The three-week-long celebration will feature ticketed and free events, including two full-production plays, a play development workshop, an audition masterclass, "Black Nativity" by Langston Hughes auditions, "Reflections on Black History" with Evertt Marshburn, a poetry set and more.

Events will be held at various Milwaukee venues, such as Marquette University, The Table at Alice’s Garden, Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum and Studio 4A at Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. The festival will also host additional events at community venues throughout the city.

The 2023 selection of plays include "Mud Row" by Dominique Morisseau, directed by Marti Gobel, examining race, class, family and more by following two generations of sisters in Pennsylvania, and "The Meeting" by Jeff Stetson, directed by Denzel Taylor, a one-act play depicting the supposed meeting of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.

Black Arts MKE, a Black-led performing arts organization that serves predominantly Black communities, noted in the announcement that supporters include BMO Harris Bank, National Endowment for the Arts, The Black Seed and the United Performing Arts Fund.

Tickets will be available in June. For more information and updates, visit BlackArtsMKE.org.