Established in 1915 by theater pioneers Russell and Rowena Woodham Jelliffe, Karamu House is the nation’s oldest African American theater. It has hosted many greats of stage, theater and the arts, including writer Langston Hughes and actors Ruby Dee, Robert Guillaume, James Pickens Jr., Imani Hakim and Vanessa Bell Calloway, who is starring in “Coming 2 America.”
Karamu — Swahili, for “a joyful gathering place” — continues to produce professional theater, provide arts education and present community programs for all people while honoring the African American experience.
Karamu House kept arts and theater alive during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing peoples’ voices to be heard. It pivoted all of its performances to virtual, which helped attract an audience of more than 50,000 people from around the globe.
“The virtual space has reminded us that there’s a world out there that we want to have connected with and we will connect with. It is important to keep a virtual presence as we move forward to in-person performances,” says Tony Sias, president and CEO of Karamu House.
Last year, after the tragedy and murder of George Floyd, Sias changed the original plans of the Juneteenth productions to connect George Floyd and Juneteenth. The virtual performance, “Freedom on Juneteenth,” was a one-hour prerecorded production followed by a live 30-minute panel discussion and interactive dialogue with community leaders. Sias and Karamu House found that operating in a virtual space has been an enormous benefit to the institution, creating more followers from around the nation.
“It has been a learning experience,” says Vonetta Flowers, director of production. “I went from director of production to film producer. The experience is like no other, and I am so glad that we can stay relevant in the theater community and create content that is not only entertaining but speaks to the issues plaguing Black communities.”
The caliber of talent that Sias saw at Karamu House during his residency at Cleveland Playhouse in 1992 made him determined to lead the organization one day. Growing up around arts and culture has played a crucial role for Sias and his family through the years. Sias has also had a profound impact on those talented individuals who make up Karamu House.
“Tony is a great visionary who challenges those around him to see the bigger picture while also keeping the details front and center,” says Aseelah Shareef, director of operations and community engagement. “The impact is in the details, and those details create the moments that move us and add immense value to our lives.”
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to see each play performed on different stages at Karamu House,” adds Lillian Pyles, in-house casting director for Karamu House. “When Tony Sias asked me to be the casting director, it was [and has been since] the thrill of my life.”
