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THE BTMR PROJECT PRESENTS…

Three Days of Theatre, Film, Music, Art and Black Storytelling in Seattle
November 6-8th at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

ABOUT THE BTMR PROJECT

The BTMR Project is a collective of creatives, performers and producers whose work began with Black To My Roots and has grown to include theatre, music, film, literature and visual art. The project uses storytelling to explore Black history, identity, culture and lived experience, with a particular focus on Black women’s voices. The project is led by Nxt Thrsdy, a Connecticut-based production company founded by Tyrone Brown, in collaboration with Brownbox Theatre, a Seattle-based theatre company founded by Tyrone Brown, Reneschia Brown and Kathya Alexander, and ajusticenetwork, a fiscally sponsored nonprofit using the arts to create social change and connection across communities, founded by Justice Beitzel and Robin Campbell.

TICKETS & BTMR FESTIVAL INFORMATION

November 6–8, 2026 | Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
104 17th Avenue South, located in Seattle’s historical African American arts and cultural district.

Tickets On Sale via Ticketleap: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/nxt-thrsdy/btmrfestival

Public Benefit, Discount, Children 12 and under (Free)

Full Three-Day Pass ($60.00)

Day One Pass for Friday ($25.00)

Day Two Pass for Saturday ($25.00)

Day Three Pass for Sunday ($20.00)

Students, Seniors and Veterans ($15.00)

Presented by The BTMR Project in association with CD Forum.

Supported in part by a grant from 4Culture.

“We’ve spent the last two years creating, producing, traveling and figuring out what this project can become,” says Brown. “The festival gives us a chance to bring the BTMR Family together and celebrate what we’ve created.” – Tyrone Brown

The BTMR Festival grows out of Black To My Roots: African American Tales from the Head and the Heart, the play by Kathya Alexander and Reneschia Brown. Following its 25th Anniversary production at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in Seattle in November 2024, the BTMR Project expanded its work, including a presentation of Black To My Roots at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland in August 2025, where it received strong reviews and a Black Excellence Award.

What began as a play has grown into a broader creative project spanning theatre, music, film, literature and visual art. Across four days, the BTMR Festival will bring that work together through performances of:

  • BLACK TO MY ROOTS: African American Tales of the Head and the Heart by Kathya Alexander and Reneschia Brown (theatre)
  • HAIR’S BREATH: Music Inspired by BTMR by Adra Boo and Blake Madden (music)
  • BLACK D*CK MATTERS by Kathya Alexander (theatre)
  • MWEUSI MPAKA MIZIZI, Swahili adaptation of BTMR by Muso Simekha (staged reading)
  • DAVID & JONATHAN, by Kathya Alexander (staged reading)
  • NEGRO PASSSION PLAY by Kathya Alexander (community reading)

The BTMR Festival will also include:

  • KATHYA ALEXANDER HONORS (reception, ceremony, book reading and signing)
  • BTMR and BDM Film Previews, produced and directed by Muso Simekha
  • BTMR Photo Exhibition, photography by Justice Beitzel
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL BTMR PRESS RELEASE.
FOR TICKETS, SCAN THE BTMR QR CODE OR CLICK BELOW!
Tickets

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Event Fresh | SEATTLE – 12/3/2025

ajusticenetwork and Splinter Dance will be part of Event Fresh this year, and YOU are invited! Come experience the magic, in-person on December 3. Together with our showcase partners, we are creating a beautiful space to connect, relax, and build community. 

Enjoy sweet and savory bites, fresh drinks, live performances and all flavors of party fun, while you discover some incredible new partners for your next event production.

Event Fresh amplifies small businesses with diverse ownership, in a collective showcase and networking party. We are showing up for one another, pooling our resources and our talent to create an event that elevates the most positive things we see in the events industry today. We are in it together, on the right side of history. Join us!

Wednesday, December 3, 5 PM to 7:30 PM

Ederer Hall, 2931 1st Ave S. Seattle, WA 98134

FREE Registration at https://www.eventfreshseattle.com

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BTMR Performance 7/26 & 7/27 @ Common OBJECTS

Join us at Common OBJECTS this weekend for two shows!

Saturday, July 26th, at 7pm

Sunday, July 27th, at 3pm

BLACK TO MY ROOTS: African American Tales from the Head and the Heart is a full length performance exploring the cultural significance of African American and African heritage through stories that center on the personal, social, and political meaning of Black women’s hair.

Tickets available at: https://btmr_cam.eventbrite.com

#thebtmrproject#supportblackart#whatsyourhairstory#seattletheater #commonOBJECTS @Common_area (CAM)

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Sunday 7/20; Hair’s Breath; Music Inspired by Black Women and their Hair

Join us at Studio 2 + U in Seattle at 3pm!

HAIR’S BREATH is an electrifying, intimate performance that explores the profound connection between Black women and their hair. Through soulful music and powerful storytelling, Adra Boo and Blake Madden will take you on a journey that delves into the social, political, and personal significance of Black women’s hair—an emblem of beauty, pride, and identity.

What to Expect:

  • Live performances by Adra Boo (soul singer & community leader) and Blake Madden (multi-instrumentalist & composer)
  • A behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process of this evolving project
  • A chance to be part of the journey as the show prepares for the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

This isn’t just a performance; it’s a celebration of culture, identity, and the art of Black women’s hair. Whether you’re drawn to powerful music, storytelling, or simply want to experience an incredible cultural exploration, this is the event for you!

https://BTMR_HairsBreath.eventbrite.com

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Sunday 7/13/25 – MWEUSI MPAKA MIZIZI, Sista-hood Lounge & Storytelling Workshop at Studio 2+U in Seattle.

MWEUSI MPAKA MIZIZI, will host a powerful and intimate Sisterhood Lounge & Storytelling Workshop at Studio 2+U in Seattle.

Free with RSVP – space is limited!

https://BTMR_Sistahood.eventbrite.com

This two-hour gathering invites Kenyan, African, and Black women to come together in a warm, intentional space to reflect, create, and share stories rooted in identity, memory, and lived experience.

This event builds on the impact of the June 1 staged reading and talkback of MWEUSI MPAKA MIZIZI, where women spoke openly about personal and collective experiences around beauty, loss, joy, hair, migration, and resistance. The upcoming lounge continues this tradition of community-centered storytelling, honoring what we carry, what we’ve survived, and what we’re reclaiming.

Participants are invited to bring a personal expression—a poem, drawing, photo, memory, object, or journal entry—to share with others. The workshop will feature themed creative stations and guided prompts on topics such as:

The impact of the school system on self-image

Trauma and Hair

Religious and cultural pressure around hair and beauty

Family expectations, generational trauma, and texturism

Migration, assimilation, and identity shifts in the diaspora

Colonialism, misogyny, and resistance through self-expression

The space will also include a community collage table, a “Dear Younger Me” letter station, and an open reflection circle where participants may share stories if they choose.

This is a non-performance space—participants are encouraged to come as they are. This is not just a workshop. It’s a remembering. We’re creating space to reflect on how we became who we are—and how our stories shape the next woman who walks through the door.

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7/6/25 – What’s Your Hair Story? Networking and Social Media Event

This is a time for Black women to gather and share their hair stories. Childhood hairdos, a style that marks your adolescence, the time you were allowed to make your own hair choices. What hairstyle helped you on your self-love journey?

Come and share in community, and choose one story to share with the world and we’ll include your story on The BTMR Project’s social media.

FREE RSVP HERE: https://BTMR_HairStory.eventbrite.com

In-Person at Studio 2 + U in downtown Seattle at 1203 2nd Avenue. Free event with RSVP via link in bio.

Online / Zoom option will also be available; Please email TheBTMRProject@gmail.com for link.

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Performance 6/28; Black to My Roots: African American Tales from the Head and the Heart

The BTMR Project Presents: BLACK TO MY ROOTS

BLACK TO MY ROOTS: African American Tales from the Head and the Heart is co-written by Kathya Alexander and Reneschia Brown

In honor of its 25th anniversary, this award-winning play returns with a bold new production directed by Tyrone Brown. Join us for a powerful evening of storytelling that explores identity, resilience, and cultural legacy through the lens of Black women’s hair.

Date: Saturday, June 28, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM (doors at 6:30 PM)
Location: Rainier Arts Center, 3515 S Alaska St, Seattle, WA

Tickets: bit.ly/BTMRRainierArtsCenter

Featuring performances by Adra Boo, Brenda Melrose, Muso Simekha, Giavonna White, and Tonya White.

Presented in partnership with @thrsdynxt Brownbox Theatre, and @ajusticenetwork

See less

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When The Moment Comes – June 19th, 20th, 21st

When the Moment Comes is a powerful play about resilience, faith, and justice.

Touring from Anchorage, AK, DramaforaChange presents this moving production at the Rainier Arts Center, June 19-21, 2025.

Directed by Tamara Rothman the play tells the true story of Ruhi Jahanpour, an Iranian Bahá’í woman imprisoned for her beliefs after the 1979 revolution. Her journey, alongside ten cellmates executed in 1983, highlights the intersection of gender equality, religious freedom, and human rights.

Part of the global #OurStoryIsOne campaign, it honors those fighting for justice worldwide. Don’t miss this poignant reflection on courage in the face of adversity.

Join us for an informal pre-show reception, one hour before each performance, to view a display outlining the personal history of each of the imprisoned martyrs and connect with community members. Each performance will be followed by a Q&A led by Ruhi Jahanpour.

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MWEUSI MPAKA MIZIZI – June 1st, 3pm

Join us on June 1st (Madaraka Day)* for MWEUSI MPAKA MIZIZI – a Swahili/Sheng adaptation of the award-winning play Black To My Roots: African American Tales from the Head and the Heart, originally written by Kathya Alexander and Reneschia Brown.

Translated by Nairobi-born playwright and producer Muso Simekha, MWEUSI MPAKA MIZIZI draws striking parallels between Black hair stories in the United States and in Kenya. These connections across the diaspora hold special significance for Muso, who uses Sheng—a dynamic blend of Swahili, English, and other Kenyan languages—to reflect the cultural and linguistic resonance of the African American Vernacular English (AAVE) used in the original script.

Both Sheng and AAVE are vibrant vernacular languages born from marginalized communities, and in this production, they become vehicles for preserving culture, healing colonial trauma, and celebrating the reinvention of identity. Through this lens, the adaptation not only amplifies the lived experiences of Black women, but also fosters a deeper understanding of the connection between African-American and African hair stories.

Tickets are donation-based (pay what you can), a model designed to ensure the event is as accessible to the community as possible, thanks to the generous support of Inspiration Lab.

https://MweusiMpakaMizizi.eventbrite.com

*Madaraka Day commemorates the moment Kenya attained internal self-rule, marking a critical step toward full independence from British colonial rule. This adds layers of meaning to the staged reading, as it speaks directly to resistance and reclamation at the heart of the play.

Doors Open at 2 pm, Show Starts at 3pm. See you there!

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The BTMR Project; Hair’s Breath, April 27th, 5pm

Performance alert! 🌟 HAIR’S BREATH: Music Inspired by Black Women and Their Hair 🌟

🗓️ Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025

⏰ Time: 5:00 PM (Doors Open at 4:00 PM)

📍 Venue: The Rabbit Box, 94 Pike St, Seattle, WA (Pike Place Market)

HAIR’S BREATH is coming to Seattle, and you won’t want to miss it! 🎤🎶

Join us for a special preview of this incredible performance by two of Seattle’s most exciting artists, Adra Boo and Blake Madden. This powerful evening of music, storytelling, and live performance explores the cultural significance of Black women’s hair—an emblem of beauty, identity, and pride. 💇🏽‍♀️✨

The event will offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process of this work-in-progress, delving into the social, personal, and political layers of Black women’s hair. This is more than just a performance; it’s a celebration of culture, identity, and art. 🎨🌍

What to expect:

Live performances by Adra Boo (soul singer & community leader) and Blake Madden (multi-instrumentalist & composer)

A chance to be part of the creative journey as this project evolves ahead of its debut at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe 🌟

Intimate, electrifying experience at one of Seattle’s hidden gems, The Rabbit Box

🎟️ Get your tickets now! Link in bio!

$20 Advance | $25 At The Door

All Ages Welcome (Under 21 welcome until 10:00 PM)

👉 Tickets available at: www.therabbitboxseattle.com

#HairIsBreath#AdraBoo#BlakeMadden#MusicPerformance#BlackWomenAndTheirHair#SoulMusic#Culture#Art#SeattleEvents#PikePlaceMarket#HairAndIdentity#EdinburghFringe#TheRabbitBox#BlackArtMatters#Community#IdentityAndCultur