Damron Armstrong on Black Repertory Theatre of KC – recipient of 2023 Paul Robeson Award

Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, and the Actors’ Equity Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization supporting the professional theatre community, announced the Paul Robeson Award will be bestowed on The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City for 2023.

Damron Russel Armstrong is the founder, CEO and Executive Artistic Director of  The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City (BRTKC). The mission of BRTKC is to educate and inspire our community by presenting and promoting appreciation for African-American culture through our stories. The vision of  BRTKC is a united community embracing stories of the African-American experience.

The Paul Robeson Award honors individuals who leverage theatre to go beyond the stage to enact their commitment to the freedom of expression and conscience, their belief in the artist’s responsibility to society and their dedication to the betterment of humankind. It is the only award jointly administered by the union and the foundation. The Robeson Award has been given annually since Robeson himself received the first Citation in 1974.

PAUL ROBESON (1898-1976) was one of the most significant figures of the twentieth century at the intersection of performance and politics. His most famous roles included Joe onstage and screen for Show Boat and being one of the first Black performers to play Othello. As an activist, he protested injustice in the United States and abroad, including fighting segregation, apartheid and fascism. He received many accolades, and was honored as the first recipient of the original Robeson Citation awarded in 1974.

BRTKC Season 8 kicks off October 28-29 and November 2-5, 2023  at The Gem Theater  1615 E. 18th St., KCMO.

https://www.brtkc.org/

host/producer/engineer:  Donna Morrow Wolfe

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