The North Carolina Black Repertory Company (NCBRC) was the first professional Black theatre company in the state when founded in 1979 by Larry Leon Hamlin. The Company’s mission summarized, “…the coordination, promotion and development of educational and cultural activities with emphasis on theatre arts,” continues to be the benchmark by which all projects are measured. The Company is universally recognized for its artistic and administrative achievements and its international outreach program, the National Black Theatre Festival® (NBTF).
NCBRC is committed to exposing diverse audiences to Black classics, the development and production of new works, improving artistic quality, and sustaining Black theatre internationally. Further, NCBRC was founded as a vehicle from which theatre professionals can earn a living through their craft.
NCBRC presents three to four productions annually featuring members of its ensemble or through collaborations with other theatre companies from around the country. The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration and the holiday presentation of Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity have become two of the Company’s staples. The critically acclaimed NCBRC production, Mahalia, Queen of Gospel (written and directed by Mabel Robinson, the company’s Artistic Director) was a National Black Theatre Festival® showcase performance.
In addition to its productions, the NCBRC is involved in a broad range of community outreach programs and partnerships with the Forsyth County Public Library, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System, Urban League of Winston-Salem, The Children’s Theatre of Winston-Salem and other community organizations. The initial performance of Choices, in colloboration with the Forsyth Adolescent Health Coalition , a production of the NCBRC Teen Theatre further emphasize NCBRC’s mission to develop, train and showcase the theatrical talent of local teens.
The NCBRC is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors that includes prominent professionals from the community. It is a funded member of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and receives support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts.
