--- title: THE CURTAIN RISES ON SOUL description: The 2026 International Black Theatre Festival celebrated Black artistry, honoring legends and emerging talents while showcasing the vibrant future of the theatre. image: https://news.rlassc.com/hubfs/Finallcover.png --- [Skip to content](https://news.rlassc.com/civic-media-today/the-curtain-rises-on-soul#main-content) [![LARGE WHT LOGO PIQSTAR](https://news.rlassc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LARGE%20WHT%20LOGO%20PIQSTAR.png?width=507&height=198&name=LARGE%20WHT%20LOGO%20PIQSTAR.png)Homepage](https://news.rlassc.com/civic-media-today) - [OUR TV NETWORK](https://www.exposureplustv.tv) - [COMPANY](https://www.piqstar.com) - [ONLINE CAMPUS](https://www.piqstar.org) [Register for Town Hall](https://42mz1o.share-na2.hsforms.com/2YrhBr7F1QLqM8MfbMry3ug) - [OUR TV NETWORK](https://www.exposureplustv.tv) - [COMPANY](https://www.piqstar.com) - [ONLINE CAMPUS](https://www.piqstar.org) [Register for Town Hall](https://42mz1o.share-na2.hsforms.com/2YrhBr7F1QLqM8MfbMry3ug) ![The International Black Theater Festival 2026](https://news.rlassc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Finallcover.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=Finallcover.png) Breaking News Exposure Plus TV # THE CURTAIN RISES ON SOUL ![Ms. Tam Lawrence](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/657debca4b7974cfe3a20f58d232ceb6) Ms. Tam Lawrence August 12, 2026 #### A Reflection on the 2026 International Black Theater Festival Backstage at the 2026 International Black Theatre Festival: A Homecoming for the Soul: By Tam Lawrence | Supported by PIQSTAR INC | Presented by Exposure Plus TV The 19th biennial International Black Theatre Festival has taken its final bow, closing curtains on a week that transformed Winston-Salem into what many call “Black theatre holy ground”. ` ` ### The Stage is Set Founded in 1989 by the late Larry Leon Hamlin                                                  affectionately known as “Mr.![larry-leon-hamlin](https://news.rlassc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/larry-leon-hamlin.jpg?width=424&height=579&name=larry-leon-hamlin.jpg) Marvtastic” and now led by Executive Producer Jackie Alexander, the festival has grown into the largest celebration of Black theatre worldwide. This year’s production slate featured roughly two dozen mainstage shows, including three plays by August Wilson, a musical tribute to Luther Vandross, and a sold-out one-night-only performance by Phylicia Rashad narrating Wynton Marsalis’ A Fiddler’s Tale. Rashad, the Tony-winning actress and educator, received the 2026 Sidney Poitier Lifetime Achievement Award during the festival’s opening gala, a fitting honor for an artist whose work has shaped culture across stage and screen . ### Honoring the Artists, Onstage and Behind the Scenes The festival’s recognition program spotlighted excellence in craft and design: Dede Ayite for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design; Timothy J. Jones for Scenic Design; Erica Lauren Maholmes for Lighting Design; and Renee B. Sorrell for Stage Management. Special Recognition Awardees included Linda M. Armstrong, Camille A. Brown, Christina Soriano, and Elizabeth Van Dyke artists whose contributions have enriched the cultural landscape. The Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premiere Award went to Tracie E. Morrison, while Alphonso Walker Jr. received the Tonya Pinkins IBTF Legacy Award, both recognized for their dedication to new works and their enduring influence on the Black theatrical tradition. ### A New Generation Takes the Stage Perhaps the most electrifying moment came in celebrating the future of the art form. This year’s Mabel P. Robinson Emerging Artist Award recipients Autumn B. Carter, Brandon Criswell, Noel Desire Best, Karisma Dunn, Chadota Idda, Chelsea Gabrielle Rose, and Rain Spiegel-Johnson represent a global ensemble of early-career talent from North Carolina, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Kenya, and London. “I’ve been blessed with the privilege of having such a prestigious award named in my honor,” said Mabel P. Robinson herself. “When I met each recipient, I sensed a positive and authentic energy… they knew that they belonged in this world of theatre. Now that’s what’s needed to keep Black Theatre alive, and its lights bright”. ### The Festival as Gathering Beyond the footlights, the festival functions as a biennial homecoming for Black theatre professionals. For the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe from Sarasota making their seventh appearance the event is a chance to step outside their regional bubble. ##### “In theater, sometimes it feels like you’re in your own little bubble. Going there expanded the bubble or popped it,” said actress Jae Shanae, who performed in the troupe’s Marvin: The Marvin Gaye Revue. Sheldon Rhoden, returning to the role of Marvin Gaye for the fourth time, put it more bluntly: after watching other companies perform, he realized, “We good. We really good” . ### Curtain Call The festival wrapped with its legendary Midnight Poetry Jam, a late-night tradition![BernNadette Stanis,2](https://news.rlassc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BernNadette%20Stanis%2c2.png?width=400&height=400&name=BernNadette%20Stanis%2c2.png) co-founded by the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner that remains a festival favorite. As Managing Director Brittany Giles-Jones told festival-goers at the outset, IBTF is “a place of rejuvenation, a place where people can come and feel and be free” . For more than three decades, that spirit has endured. And if the 2026 festival proved anything, it’s that Black theatre is not only alive it is flourishing.   --- ### **Top Honors and Major Award Recipients![phyliciarashad-1000x1400](https://news.rlassc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/phyliciarashad-1000x1400.jpg?width=282&height=394&name=phyliciarashad-1000x1400.jpg)** - **Sidney Poitier Lifetime Achievement Award** Phylicia Rashad Legendary actress, director, and educator . - **Celebrity Co-Chairs** Angela Robinson & Peter Parros Beloved for their roles on Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots . - **Larry Leon Hamlin Producer Award**Wren T. Brown   - **August Wilson Playwright Award** Angelica Chéri Playwright of Phenomenal Woman . - **Lloyd Richards Director Award** Patricia McGregor - **Woodie King, Jr. Theatre Longevity Award** M Ensemble Company Of Miami . - **Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premiere Award** Tracie E. Morrison - **Tonya Pinkins IBTF Legacy Award** Alphonso Walker Jr. --- ### **Living Legend and Special Recognition Awardees** - **Living Legend Awards** Walter Borden, Judyann Elder, Linda Twine, Otis C. Williams - **Special Recognition Awards** Linda M. Armstrong, Camille A. Brown, Christina Soriano, Elizabeth Van Dyke - **Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design** Dede Ayite - **Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design** Erica Lauren Maholmes - **Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design** Timothy J. Jones - **Outstanding Achievement in Stage Management** Renee B. Sorrell --- ### **![mabel-p-robinson](https://news.rlassc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/mabel-p-robinson.jpg?width=276&height=354&name=mabel-p-robinson.jpg)Mabel P. Robinson Emerging Artist Award Recipients** The festival also celebrated the next generation of theatre artists with the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts Mabel P. Robinson Emerging Artist Award . The 2026 recipients are: Autumn B. Carter (Greensboro, NC) Brandon Criswell (Greensboro, NC) Noel Desire Best (Washington, D.C.) Karisma Dunn (Atlanta, GA) Chadota Idda (Kenya) Chelsea Gabrielle Rose (Durham, NC) Rain Spiegel-Johnson (London, UK) --- ### Who is covering your event, your brand, or your legacy? ![Gemini_Generated_Image_9j3mzo9j3mzo9j3m](https://news.rlassc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Gemini_Generated_Image_9j3mzo9j3mzo9j3m.png?width=400&height=534&name=Gemini_Generated_Image_9j3mzo9j3mzo9j3m.png)In a saturated media landscape, coverage is not enough. You need impact. You need a strategist who doesn’t just secure a mention, but engineers a movement. I am Lawrence, a Media and Public Relations veteran with over two decades of front-line experience. I have generated over a million dollars in direct ad value for my clients, not through luck, but by spending years dissecting the algorithms and psychology of what actually drives audience engagement. I know what works, and more importantly, I know what fails when the cameras are rolling. My niche is cultivating "afterthought" content transforming the standard press release into strategic, written, and video assets that demand attention. This is where I go beyond the accepted to deliver the exceptional. As the driving force behind PIQSTAR INC, I leverage an American Civic Media infrastructure that redefines distribution. Through our proprietary OTT app, a streaming television platform comparable to Netflix, we syndicate all content I produce to over 440 million active households. Your story isn't just published; it becomes part of a broadcast ecosystem that rivals the major networks. I am known for my fearlessness. I don’t follow trends; I set them. I don’t accept the standard; I innovate. Don't let your moment be ordinary. Let’s ensure the world is watching. Watch the content, graphics, films, podcasts, and television shows that are setting the standard. Visit us at [www.exposureplustv.tv](https://www.exposureplustv.tv) and let’s start a conversation about your future.     ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fnews.rlassc.com%2Fcivic-media-today%2Fthe-curtain-rises-on-soul](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fnews.rlassc.com%2Fcivic-media-today%2Fthe-curtain-rises-on-soul) ## Keep reading ### [![The Last Night of Linear by Tam Lawrence](https://news.rlassc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/75db855c-8fe9-47db-9bee-2fe36360cbcd-2026-08-09.png?width=1824&height=1024&name=75db855c-8fe9-47db-9bee-2fe36360cbcd-2026-08-09.png) Newsworthy Stories The Last Night of Linear](https://news.rlassc.com/civic-media-today/the-last-night-of-linear) ### [![PIQSTAR INC. 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