2021/22 Season

We are thrilled to share that Aleshea Harris has been named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for On Sugarland, which had it’s world premiere at NYTW in February 2022. The jury described the play as “an ambitious drama, inspired by Sophocles, of a community shaped by the trauma of a nameless war they have been dealing with for generations, and the ancestors they mourn, a solemn but also joyful work.”

May 8, 2023 by NYTW

As we wrap up with our incredible cohort of 2021/22 Season 2050 Administrative Fellows, we want to take a moment to shine the spotlight on them. We wish them all the best of luck and happiness for their futures! Before their departure, we asked a few of them a few questions about their lives, their work at NYTW, and what lies ahead. Read below some excerpts of our conversations with them!

August 18, 2022 by NYTW

In Dreaming Zenzile, Somi awakens the power of Miriam Makeba; What a GIFT it was to witness. Makeba’s powers included her ability to transport an audience and motivate folks into action for social change. This play is a work of conjuring in which through Somi we get an intimate look into the soul of Makeba.

June 12, 2022 by Trevor Latez Hayes (Creator of @BlackBoysDoTheater)

Check out the amazing study guide for Dreaming Zenzile made by our Education team. Students and teachers get a glimpse behind the curtain into the world of Miriam Makeba and the historical context in which Dreaming Zenzile takes place.

June 7, 2022 by NYTW Education

Somi chats with Lois Reitzes of WABE’s City Lights to discuss her album, Zenzile: The Reimagination Miriam Makeba, how Dreaming Zenzile acts as a companion piece to the album, and the extraordinary and under-recognized life of Miriam Makeba herself.

May 17, 2022 by Lois Reitzes for WABE City Lights

Nothing brings us more joy than being in the room with artists, especially meeting people for the first time! After many zoom conversations across the country and across continents, it was with such joy that we welcomed Somi Kakoma and the company of Dreaming Zenzile to NYTW for their first rehearsal!

May 7, 2022 by NYTW

We were thrilled for our beloved Overlord, Kristina Wong, who was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in drama for Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord, which had its world premiere at NYTW in November 2021.

May 6, 2022 by NYTW

Zenzile Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba was a gifted, bold, and beautiful singer, songwriter, and truth teller. See touched the spirits of many on an international scale. Her life was a walk in truth through time, space, and music. Take a journey through Makeba’s life with this interactive timeline.

May 3, 2022 by NYTW

Somi talks about tackling the world of Miriam’s music, collaborating with guests from across the African continent, from Angelique Kidjo to Nduduzo Makhathini, and how her own sense of pan-Africanism continues Miriam’s legacy and message of unity in this new podcast.

April 10, 2022 by Nicky Schrire for The Jazz Session

Giving our productions a home means giving our artists a home. For ON SUGARLAND, a number of eclectic and innovative artists came together to breathe life into a script that seemed to already have two legs of its own. This conversation with Aleshea Harris, the playwright of ON SUGARLAND, takes a step back to explore the themes, ideas, and identities that colored this script and eventually the entire production.  

March 16, 2022 by Cedeem Gumbs, Marketing Fellow