(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Crossroads Theatre Company, one of history's few African American theatres to rise to national and international prominence, will receive the prestigious Theatre Longevity Award at the 2024 International Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Â The festival takes place July 29th through August 3, 2024. Â Crossroads co-founder Ricardo Khan will be there to accept the award.
In 1999, Crossroads Theatre Company made history by becoming the first African American theater to receive the prestigious Tony Award® for Outstanding Regional Theatre in the United States. The institution continues to lead the nation with its commitment to works celebrating black culture and diasporic artistry while creating a cross-cultural bridge for understanding and appreciation for all people. This recognition by the International Black Theatre Festival celebrates Crossroads' enduring commitment to excellence in diasporic storytelling and its significant impact on the American theater landscape.
Since its founding in 1978, Crossroads has premiered over 100 new works, many of which have gone on to national acclaim; consistently challenged and expanded the boundaries of American theatre; collaborated with celebrated artists such as August Wilson, George C. Wolfe, and Ntozake Shange; provided a stage for future stars like Academy Award-winner Viola Davis, who performed in Crossroads' 1996 production of Coming of the Hurricane; established the Genesis Festival of New Plays, nurturing emerging playwrights; toured productions internationally, including in South Africa; hosted benefit performances by stars like Ray Charles and  Smokey Robinson; and honored industry icons such as Denzel Washington, who accepted Crossroads' first annual Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee Living Legends Award.
Ricardo Khan is a director, writer, educator, and Tony Award-winning Artistic Director who co-founded the Crossroads Theatre Company in 1978 with L. Kenneth Richardson. For two decades, Khan nurtured and guided the creation of well over one hundred new works that have enriched the canon of American theatre. He has worked with and provided a creative home for numerous renowned artists, including August Wilson, George C. Wolfe, and Rita Dove. Khan's directing credits span from Broadway to regional theatres across the country.
The International Black Theatre Festival® (IBTF) transforms Winston-Salem, NC, into a mega-performing arts center with over 100 theatrical performances in a number of the city’s venues. IBTF illuminates the spirit and extraordinary talent of theatre artists and practitioners from across the country and abroad. Mainstage theatre productions, workshops + seminars, cultural events, and family programming combine to create one of the largest global theatre festivals.
Founded in 1979 by Larry Leon Hamlin, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company (NC Black Rep) is the first professional Black theatre company in North Carolina. NC Black Rep is committed to exposing diverse audiences to Black theatre classics, the development and production of new works, and sustaining Black theatre internationally. The Company is universally recognized for its celebrated outreach program, the International Black Theatre Festival ® (IBTF).
