The 3rd Annual Milwaukee Black Theater Festival is underway.
The festival, presented by Black Arts MKE, is a celebration of storytelling from an African Diasporic perspective. It features the voices of the young people and the elders.
Now, through Sunday, families will be able to share in poetry, song, dance, and musical performances. Stories explore topics like colorism, gun violence, and historic figures. The performances are free. Co-founder Sheri Williams Pannell describes it as a festival for the community in the voice of people from the community.
This year’s theme is Black Family: Generations Speak!
Williams Pannell says she is excited for the festival to be back live and in person. The Milwaukee Black Theater Festival ends on Sunday.
"These are the stories of playwrights who are reaching the different generations within the community. So, there’s theater for young audience presentations, there are presentations that are very issue oriented, that I’ll say are more of a mature theme. And then there are the opportunities for us to celebrate our music – which you know music in the African American culture is very communal. So, it’s all of the generations coming together celebrating the music of the families of Soul and Gospel. So, we have something for everyone this year."
For the first time since the festival's beginning, the performances will be held in multiple venues across the city. It's an effort to expose more of the city to rich cross-disciplinary artistic and cultural activity produced by Milwaukee-based Black artists.
Williams Pannell says that exposure needs to continue to be fostered.
"I think there are some theater companies that do it better than others, so we have to continue to foster it. But another reason for having the different venues is because we want people to just, all you have to do is just walk down the street. When you talk about, even like Hidden Heroes it’s in the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, which is in Bronzeville, right? It’s on King Drive and Walnut. Walk there! Or 53rd and Capitol, that’s another wonderful… walk." Williams Pannell is referring to the Table Vocational Center.
"Leave your house, come and join us. The Marcus [Performing Arts] Center it’s on a bus route. So, we wanted venues that were accessible, and I think we’re going to go more in that direction as we continue to grow."
Williams Pannell commissioned one of the shows called Milwaukee Voices of Gun Violence. It features the stories of gun violence survivors.
"The goal is what you hear is how these persons are allowing themselves—and I’m going to tell you, this just came to me today— it’s not that they’re healing faster, but they’re healing stronger because they’re helping others who have a similar experience," Williams Pannell says.
"And I do believe when we experience trauma, as we are healing, if we help somebody else along the way, it doesn’t help us heal faster, it helps us to heal stronger."
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