BPG 2026 Recap
Black Playwrights Gathering
2026: A RECAP
artEquity Community,
At a time when communities are fractured and the genius of storytelling is needed more than ever, bringing together Black playwrights gave us hope.
We launched this biennial gathering in 2024 to address widely reported isolation and burnout experienced by many Black writers in our community. For 2026, we reminded ourselves of why we gather. We gather to dream, to be free, and to heal. We gather for intergenerational connection.
Our 2026 Black Playwrights Gathering took place overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The ocean backdrop was at once meditative, serene, and powerful. It served as a prayer throughout the day.
But the first thing you heard was drumming. A heartbeat. A welcome.
Three drummers moved from the entrance, through the house, and ended in front of the libation ceremony where ancestor’s names were called upon. But before Najite Agindotan, a Nigerian musician ended, he played the Black national anthem on his drum. One drum. One beat at a time. The anthem reverberated. It was moving. It was a call home.
Guests were invited to take care of themselves. There were massages throughout the day, drum lessons led by Mama Nene of Leimert Park, a screening room with footage of artists (members of the Harlem renaissance, playwrights, scholars) curated by Nijeul X. Some people slept, actually in bed with the covers pulled over their heads. Others swam in the pool. Some played cards, blew bubbles, and had their own adventures.
And what is a Black gathering without the hustle, the cha cha, or the electric slide?!
Or good eats that nourished our bodies throughout the day?
There is that one moment when the thing is said, when folks are vulnerable, and the space is broken open. That happened. It took the form of two or three people connecting. It took the form of testimonials. It was across gender, generations, and regions. Hearts expanded the moment an elder asked for grace and patience as they worked to understand pronouns. It looked like one person saying “I’m hood. I will always be hood, and I will bring the hood wherever I go.” And it was received with “I’m hood, too!”
Throughout the day, folks spoke of the experience feeling like they were in Wakanda, the secret country in Black Panther of Black creation and power, which has evolved to now symbolize Black unity and Afrofuturism.
There was a question of what Black liberation looks like, and the answers! Oh, the answers! “It’s peace, regulated nervous systems, rested people; more spaces for Black folks to gather; power to the Black women, period; whatever makes your soul sing.” Check out the video below to hear more.
Our 2026 program was shaped by a dedicated host committee of visionary artists—a.k. payne, Dominique Morisseau, Goldie Patrick, Omi Jones, and Sharon Bridgforth—whose wisdom has been instrumental in centering the needs of the community. They came together first as congenial collaborators and left as dear friends, with each other and of artEquity. You cannot create care without care, and they did just that.
Our deepest gratitude to all of the Black playwrights who were able to join us, and special thanks to everyone who helped the host committee pull this off:
Najite Agindotan, zau chea, Kendra Ann Flournoy, Alexis Green, Kendra Hale, Mara Hsia-Palma, Sharifa Johka, Ai Kelley, Patric Madden, Monica Montoya, Carmen Morgan, Mel Raymond, Savannah Ritz Villarreal, Michael Robertson, Alexis Smith, Beth Smith, Vision Toussaint, Nijeul X, and our incredible vendors, Chef Alisa, DJ Tok, DVR Productions, Mama NeNe, Manly Handz Spa, and many more.
We invite you to consider hosting your own local gatherings using our toolkit here. You can also make a statement by wearing your own Black Playwright merch or donate here to support our ability to hold this gathering again
Until we all gather again, watch the video below to revel in the joy and connection that was the 2026 Black Playwrights Gathering.
The Black Playwrights Gathering is supported in part by:
This event is also supported in part by the Lark Legacy Fund, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department ofArts and Culture, The New York Community Trust, and a generous group of individual community members.
Thank You to Our Supporters
artEquity provides tools, resources, and programming at the intersection of art and activism. Our work is made possible in part by the California Arts Council, The Dramatists Guild Fund, The Ford Foundation, the Getty Foundation, Barbara and Amos Hostetter, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the JKW Foundation, the Lark Legacy Fund, the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, The New York Community Trust, the Shubert Foundation, Venturous Theatre Fund, and a growing community of individuals and organizations across the globe.