Welcome to the NYTW Blog—a resource for behind-the-scenes insights on our productions, share-outs from the classroom penned by teaching artists, community partner spotlights, and a peek behind the curtain to see how work gets made at NYTW.


Meet the 2022/23 Season 2050 Artistic Fellows

Today, we are proud to announce the playwrights and directors selected for the 2022/23 Season 2050 Artistic Fellowship. The 2022/23 Artistic Fellows are Miranda Cornell, Thaddeus McCants, Aileen Wen McGroddy, Attilio Rigotti, Andrew Rodriguez and Minghao Tu.

June 28, 2022 by NYTW


Reflections On…Dreaming Zenzile

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)


DREAMING ZENZILE Study Guide

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



FIRST LOOK: DREAMING ZENZILE

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


KRISTINA WONG NAMED PULITZER FINALIST

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


MIRIAM MAKEBA TIMELINE

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


The Jazz Session with Somi

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


In Conversation With: Aleshea Harris

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