"EXHIBIT is art meeting purpose because now is not the time to be silent. The work is about getting people to use their voices—to get out and vote!" – Regina Taylor
The Apollo Works In Process series continues with a new one-woman play by acclaimed playwright and actor Regina Taylor. EXHIBIT takes us on a gripping journey through history and the present. At its heart is Iris, a powerful artist who relives the memories of a violently fractured civil rights era in America. But these memories are stirred by something unexpected—the resurgence of societal and political forces she never thought she’d witness again. As today’s hard-fought social tides of change are seemingly rolled back, EXHIBIT forces us to confront the echoes of our past in the fierce light of our present.
Winner of the Theatre Aspen Solo Flights Award, EXHIBIT was born at the Hermitage Retreat and is being shared with audiences in cities across the country during this momentous presidential campaign season. This is a play that blends artistry with civic engagement. More than a performance— this work is a movement, a moment, and a message.
PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE
Exhibit lives as a play that is performed in an actual space- theater, community center- museum gallery. There are slide and film projections throughout the play.
There are actual objects that are on display on the stage/lobby that might spread out into community spaces - storefronts... galleries.... streets… There are eclipse mason jars filled with Iris’s memories. There are photos/pictures- Vinyl records and cassettes peopled with voices and sounds from Iris’s past and present.
There are components that live online: Interviews of actual civil rights workers past and present here and abroad. Films and recordings of those characters are mentioned in the play.
This is created by the author and is a collaboration with other artists who want to add their voices to the topics brought out in the play. Exhibit is not only a play but an actual art showing and juried (audience) indictment of these times.
ABOUT REGINA TAYLOR
Actress/director/playwright/educator/activist
TV credits include : Taylor in her TV role as Lily Harper in "I'll Fly Away” received a Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actress, 3 NAACP Image Awards and 2 Emmy Award nominations. Taylor was first African American lead in Masterpiece Theatre’s "Cora Unashamed”, starred as Anita Hill in HBO’’s “Strange Justice” (Gracie Award), “A Good Day to Die” (Sidney Poitier) “The Unit”, “CSI Vegas", “Justified”, “First Lady”, “Love Craft Country” and “The Wonder Years”
Film credits include: "The Negotiator,” (Samuel Jackson), "Courage Under Fire,” (Denzel Washington), ”Clockers,” (Spike Lee), “Losing Isaiah” (Halle Berry) "Lean on Me”, (Morgan Freeman) Saturday Church
Taylor was the first Black woman to play Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" on Broadway - to be lead actress in Master Peice Theatre presentation- “Cora Unashamed” and to win Golden Globe for best Lead Actress in an hour-long tv series.
Playwright credits include:“Crowns” (Helen Hayes award Best Director), "Oo-Bla-Dee,"(Jeff Award, Steinberg-ATCA award) and "Drowning Crow," (Broadway, MTC), “The Trinity River Plays” (Edgerton Award) and “stop.reset” (Signature Theater Residency Five) Bread” (Edgerton Award),
Deep appreciation to The Apollo Theater- Kamilla Forbes, Leatrice Ellzy, Cezar Williams, Kelley Girod, Teresa Cruz for guiding in this great and essential journey. I am honored.
Many thanks to Theater Aspen, Hermitage Artists Retreat, Phylicia Rashad…Jada Dixon… for your support and illumination!
ABOUT CEZAR WILLIAMS
Cezar Williams is an award-winning director. Recent credits include the Off-Broadway premiere of The Bleeding Class (59e59) and the Off-Broadway premiere of Dancing on Eggshells (Billie Holiday Theatre), Till: A Musical (American Theater Group), Mitchelville (Lean Ensemble Theatre), Sweat (Purchase Repertory Theater), Fucking A (Purchase Repertory Theater), The October Storm (Hudson Stage Company), Crowndation (National Black Theatre and CTG Digital Stage), The Hunting Season (Planet Connections Festivity, Award for Best Direction), You Wouldn’t Expect (American Bard Theater), How To Be Safe (The Dirty Blondes Theater), Dream, Girl! (Joe’s Pub), Lunchtime in Heaven (48 hours in Harlem), Nightfall, Slow Gin Fits, Ain’t No Mo’ (The Fire This Time Festival 2013, 2014, 2016, 2024). He is the Artistic Director of the Obie Award winning Fire This Time Festival, a New York University graduate, and an Adjunct Professor of Acting at SUNY Purchase College. Cezar is a NYSCA “Support for Artist Grant Recipient” and a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society.
ABOUT GOLDIE PATRICK
Goldie E. Patrick is a playwright and television writer, and director originally from Detroit, Michigan. She is a creative partner, cultural worker and professor of performance in Black Theater and Hip Hop Culture and Theater, with over 20 years experience in community engagement and education. Former founder and executive artistic director of FRESHH Inc Theater company in Washington DC for close to a decade, Goldie has advocated and centered Black women and girls in her work and her art. Goldie holds a BFA from Howard University and MFA in playwriting from Columbia University. Her art and activism has forged relationships globally from Accra and Soweto to Trinidad to South Carolina. She is a staunch womanist committed to use art as a vehicle to liberation.
SOUND DESIGN
Joe Cerqua
MUSIC
Miguel de la Cerna
PROJECTION DESIGN
Jackson Knowles
ADDITIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hermitage Artists Retreat
Theater Aspen Developmental
International Black Theater Festival// Garland Thompson Jr. Reader's Series
Curious Theater - Denver full production directed by Jada Wilson in May 2025
Apollo Works in Process Series is part of Apollo New Works - a program that expands our commitment to supporting creative innovation by emerging and established artists whose work challenges, reflects and is in dialogue with the most pressing issues within our communities.
Apollo New Works is generously supported by the Ford Foundation with additional funding from The Mellon Foundation and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
"EXHIBIT is art meeting purpose because now is not the time to be silent. The work is about getting people to use their voices—to get out and vote!" – Regina Taylor
The Apollo Works In Process series continues with a new one-woman play by acclaimed playwright and actor Regina Taylor. EXHIBIT takes us on a gripping journey through history and the present. At its heart is Iris, a powerful artist who relives the memories of a violently fractured civil rights era in America. But these memories are stirred by something unexpected—the resurgence of societal and political forces she never thought she’d witness again. As today’s hard-fought social tides of change are seemingly rolled back, EXHIBIT forces us to confront the echoes of our past in the fierce light of our present.
Winner of the Theatre Aspen Solo Flights Award, EXHIBIT was born at the Hermitage Retreat and is being shared with audiences in cities across the country during this momentous presidential campaign season. This is a play that blends artistry with civic engagement. More than a performance— this work is a movement, a moment, and a message.
PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTE
Exhibit lives as a play that is performed in an actual space- theater, community center- museum gallery. There are slide and film projections throughout the play.
There are actual objects that are on display on the stage/lobby that might spread out into community spaces - storefronts... galleries.... streets… There are eclipse mason jars filled with Iris’s memories. There are photos/pictures- Vinyl records and cassettes peopled with voices and sounds from Iris’s past and present.
There are components that live online: Interviews of actual civil rights workers past and present here and abroad. Films and recordings of those characters are mentioned in the play.
This is created by the author and is a collaboration with other artists who want to add their voices to the topics brought out in the play. Exhibit is not only a play but an actual art showing and juried (audience) indictment of these times.
ABOUT REGINA TAYLOR
Actress/director/playwright/educator/activist
TV credits include : Taylor in her TV role as Lily Harper in "I'll Fly Away” received a Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actress, 3 NAACP Image Awards and 2 Emmy Award nominations. Taylor was first African American lead in Masterpiece Theatre’s "Cora Unashamed”, starred as Anita Hill in HBO’’s “Strange Justice” (Gracie Award), “A Good Day to Die” (Sidney Poitier) “The Unit”, “CSI Vegas", “Justified”, “First Lady”, “Love Craft Country” and “The Wonder Years”
Film credits include: "The Negotiator,” (Samuel Jackson), "Courage Under Fire,” (Denzel Washington), ”Clockers,” (Spike Lee), “Losing Isaiah” (Halle Berry) "Lean on Me”, (Morgan Freeman) Saturday Church
Taylor was the first Black woman to play Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" on Broadway - to be lead actress in Master Peice Theatre presentation- “Cora Unashamed” and to win Golden Globe for best Lead Actress in an hour-long tv series.
Playwright credits include:“Crowns” (Helen Hayes award Best Director), "Oo-Bla-Dee,"(Jeff Award, Steinberg-ATCA award) and "Drowning Crow," (Broadway, MTC), “The Trinity River Plays” (Edgerton Award) and “stop.reset” (Signature Theater Residency Five) Bread” (Edgerton Award),
Deep appreciation to The Apollo Theater- Kamilla Forbes, Leatrice Ellzy, Cezar Williams, Kelley Girod, Teresa Cruz for guiding in this great and essential journey. I am honored.
Many thanks to Theater Aspen, Hermitage Artists Retreat, Phylicia Rashad…Jada Dixon… for your support and illumination!
ABOUT CEZAR WILLIAMS
Cezar Williams is an award-winning director. Recent credits include the Off-Broadway premiere of The Bleeding Class (59e59) and the Off-Broadway premiere of Dancing on Eggshells (Billie Holiday Theatre), Till: A Musical (American Theater Group), Mitchelville (Lean Ensemble Theatre), Sweat (Purchase Repertory Theater), Fucking A (Purchase Repertory Theater), The October Storm (Hudson Stage Company), Crowndation (National Black Theatre and CTG Digital Stage), The Hunting Season (Planet Connections Festivity, Award for Best Direction), You Wouldn’t Expect (American Bard Theater), How To Be Safe (The Dirty Blondes Theater), Dream, Girl! (Joe’s Pub), Lunchtime in Heaven (48 hours in Harlem), Nightfall, Slow Gin Fits, Ain’t No Mo’ (The Fire This Time Festival 2013, 2014, 2016, 2024). He is the Artistic Director of the Obie Award winning Fire This Time Festival, a New York University graduate, and an Adjunct Professor of Acting at SUNY Purchase College. Cezar is a NYSCA “Support for Artist Grant Recipient” and a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society.
ABOUT GOLDIE PATRICK
Goldie E. Patrick is a playwright and television writer, and director originally from Detroit, Michigan. She is a creative partner, cultural worker and professor of performance in Black Theater and Hip Hop Culture and Theater, with over 20 years experience in community engagement and education. Former founder and executive artistic director of FRESHH Inc Theater company in Washington DC for close to a decade, Goldie has advocated and centered Black women and girls in her work and her art. Goldie holds a BFA from Howard University and MFA in playwriting from Columbia University. Her art and activism has forged relationships globally from Accra and Soweto to Trinidad to South Carolina. She is a staunch womanist committed to use art as a vehicle to liberation.
SOUND DESIGN
Joe Cerqua
MUSIC
Miguel de la Cerna
PROJECTION DESIGN
Jackson Knowles
ADDITIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hermitage Artists Retreat
Theater Aspen Developmental
International Black Theater Festival// Garland Thompson Jr. Reader's Series
Curious Theater - Denver full production directed by Jada Wilson in May 2025
Apollo Works in Process Series is part of Apollo New Works - a program that expands our commitment to supporting creative innovation by emerging and established artists whose work challenges, reflects and is in dialogue with the most pressing issues within our communities.
Apollo New Works is generously supported by the Ford Foundation with additional funding from The Mellon Foundation and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Experience a powerful exploration of music, art and cultural liberation with Got The Power Boomboxes: Sugarcane and Cotton by renowned installation artist Bayeté Ross Smith.
Engage with a dynamic soundscape featuring freedom songs cherished by Harlem residents, their stories, and historical insights about the impact of the sugar and cotton industries on our present and future. These two sculptures continue the conversation about preserving our nation’s history and its broader significance.
Got The Power Boomboxes: Sugarcane and Cotton will be on view at The Laura and Frank Baker Gallery at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria through December 18, 2024. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this impactful exhibition.
The Apollo is pleased to partner with Rolling Stone for the sixth installment of their Musicians on Musicians series. Busta Rhymes, GloRilla, Brittany Howard and Doechii will take our stage for an evening of engaging discussions and power-packed live performances that will showcase the dynamic talent of the featured artists as well as celebrating the intersection of genres and exploring the power of music and culture. For the first time, this series comes to life on the legendary Apollo stage to present stars from the worlds of hip-hop, rock, R&B, and pop for an unforgettable night of music and conversation.
Longtime Rolling Stone contributor Touré will moderate both conversations, with musical direction by Louis Cato.
Talent subject to change.
In partnership with Rolling Stone.
Known as one of New York’s most popular live entertainment experiences, Amateur Night at The Apollo attracts performers and audiences from around the world in a classic talent competition that has launched the careers of countless legendary artists, from Ella Fitzgerald, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill, H.E.R, Machine Gun Kelly, Jazmine Sullivan and more.
Join the fun with the weekly classic competition that sheds light on the careers of a whole new roster of stars. Be a part of the notoriously “tough” audience in an interactive evening unlike any other and lend your voice to decide who will “Be Good or Be Gone!” to win the triumphant grand prize.
Amateur Night at The Apollo sponsored by Coca-Cola, is hosted by the comedian Capone. Each show begins with a festive pre-party featuring video and music by DJ Jess and Set It Off Man Greginald Spencer. Keep a lookout for C.P. Lacey, the resident Executioner who sweeps bad talent off the stage!
This year, we’re thrilled to welcome volunteers of all ages to The Apollo to celebrate a full Gobble Gobble Give NYC event!
Join us on Thanksgiving, with shifts starting at 8am, for an inspiring day of giving back to people in need in Harlem and across the city. After focusing on a toy and donation drive in recent years due to the pandemic, we’re bringing back meal preparation, donation sorting, toy distribution, and our special Children’s Holiday Workshop, where kids can create holiday crafts for the families we help. This is a family-friendly event, so bring the kids; children are not only welcome but encouraged to help!
Join us on Thanksgiving Day to make a lasting impact—because your time and kindness could be the reason someone feels the warmth of the holiday season.
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Rashan Brown presents poetry me, please at The Apollo—Back by Popular Demand!
After selling out in 2023, we're bringing PMP back to the iconic theater for an unforgettable night of poetry in 2024. Join us on Saturday, November 30th as we continue to put spoken word on the main stage.
Hosted by the dynamic duo Young Prince & The Comedian, with sounds by DJ Complete, this night promises to be the LARGEST and most electrifying pure poetry show in New York and the greater Eastern Region. Expect performances from some of the world's most acclaimed poets, surprise guest appearances, and musical talents that will inspire you. Experience poetry like never before—the PMP way.
poetry me, please isn’t just an event series; it's a movement. We are a content production studio dedicated to giving artists a platform, providing access to a community of over 2,500 creatives, and offering high-quality video content to enhance their portfolios. We are your one-stop shop for expression and creativity, always putting poets first. This is more than a night out; it’s a chance to be part of history.
no expectations, just a night at ease; but only one request; poetry me, please
Known as one of New York’s most popular live entertainment experiences, Amateur Night at The Apollo attracts performers and audiences from around the world in a classic talent competition that has launched the careers of countless legendary artists, from Ella Fitzgerald, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill, H.E.R, Machine Gun Kelly, Jazmine Sullivan and more.
Join the fun with the weekly classic competition that sheds light on the careers of a whole new roster of stars. Be a part of the notoriously “tough” audience in an interactive evening unlike any other and lend your voice to decide who will “Be Good or Be Gone!” to win the triumphant grand prize.
Amateur Night at The Apollo sponsored by Coca-Cola, is hosted by the comedian Capone. Each show begins with a festive pre-party featuring video and music by DJ Jess and Set It Off Man Greginald Spencer. Keep a lookout for C.P. Lacey, the resident Executioner who sweeps bad talent off the stage!
Presented in partnership with Bob Sumner (producer of Def Comedy Jam, creator of Laff Mobb on Aspire), the Apollo Comedy Club celebrates these rich comedic roots with an evening of comedy on the Apollo’s Stages at the Victoria to serve as a late-night hotspot featuring the best emerging talent in comedy today.
The Apollo has a long history of launching the careers of countless legendary artists and performers in a variety of genres, including comedy. Comedic legends Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Monique, Jamie Foxx and Jackie Mabley (a.k.a. Moms) have all delighted audiences from the Apollo stage.
For one legendary night, The Root—the foremost digital media publisher covering Black news and Black views—is taking over the mainstage of The Apollo for a star-studded evening of comedy, music, and inspiring speeches celebrating the brilliance and beauty of Blackness.
Hosted by acclaimed comedian and Emmy® Award nominee Roy Wood Jr, the night will honor influencers on The Root 100 list — an annual newsroom ranking of African Americans who are breaking down barriers and paving the way for the next generation. In addition, there will be a number of high-profile musical performances, including singer-songwriter Ledisi, among others.
The night will also spotlight The Root’s talented editorial staff, with the site’s Editor-in-Chief Tatsha Robertson introducing a select few surprise guest honorees to accept the distinction live.
Herald as one of the most powerful new voices in Brazil, Luedji Luna makes The Apollo the first stop on her U.S. tour. In this rare, intimate setting, the Grammy-nominated vocalist performs music from the albums Bom Mesmo É Estar Debaixo D'água and Um Corpo no Mundo. Her versatile repertoire flows like water and includes piano-led ballads, jazz fusion, candomblé-inspired Brazilian pop and African polyrhythms backed by West African spinning guitars. Luedji Luna closes out the year with the global message of peace, unity, hope and love.
As we close out the year, singer, songwriter and DJ Josiah Bell rings in a night of music for you to dust-off, reset and remix! This spirit-lifting evening opens with Josiah performing songs from his new release Give It To God Go To Sleep. Then put on your dancing shoes as Josiah gets behind the DJ booth and shifts the room to a house party that blends music from Aretha to Marvin. It’s a night of renewal and release with the aim to take you higher!
In 1973, David A. Walker, then a New York City Police Community Affairs Detective, developed the street game of Double Dutch into the World Class Sport that it is today. Since that initial tournament in 1974, competitive Double Dutch has expanded with citywide and national championships. Nearly 100,000 girls and boys representing schools and community centers throughout the United States and the world compete for team positions at the national and international events. The NDDL 33rd Annual, David A. Walker Memorial, Double Dutch Holiday Classic makes possible speed and music fusion events for the best Double Dutch teams in the world. Each year, since 1991, the Double Dutch Holiday Classic has sold out to parent supported, standing room only audiences.
Step into the world of Apollo Legend Luther Vandross like never before with Luther: Never Too Much, a sneak-peek documentary screening at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria. Featuring rare and never-before-seen archival footage, this intimate film allows the icon to tell his own story, with insights from his closest friends and legendary musical collaborators including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, and Roberta Flack. Following the film, stay for a talkback with filmmaker, Dawn Porter.
Be one of the first to experience this powerful documentary before its on-air premiere.
Accessibility
The Apollo is here for everyone. Artists, audiences, and all supporters should be able to experience The Apollo fully and in a way that is comfortable for them.
The Apollo has taken comprehensive steps to ensure that entrances, seating, restrooms, and more are as accessible and compliant as possible. Learn more about accessibility options and support services that might be right for you.
All persons and bags are subject to search. Bags that have passed inspection must fit comfortably under your seat. Oversized bags are prohibited.
No outside food or beverage. Accommodations are made for patrons with medical needs. Please email access@apollotheater.org or call the box office at (212) 531-5305 for assistance.
