The Alchemy of Return

In a time when Black history, culture, and brilliance are being systematically banned, erased, and silenced, National Black Theatre affirms a simple but urgent truth: remembering is a revolutionary act.

The Alchemy of Return: Remembering is a Radical Act rises as a direct response to this era of sanctioned forgetting. To remember is to reclaim agency. To archive. To resist invisibility. To transform harm into possibility. This season is a bold call to remember what we are being conditioned to forget—and in doing so, to shape a more liberated future.

This year’s season is composed of two theatrical productions and three multidisciplinary community events. Together, they explore themes of heritage, humanity, motherhood, the prison-industrial complex, and intergenerational healing. Through developing new work, remounting vital stories, and creating space for community-based reflection, NBT affirms the transformative power of memory—both personal and collective—as a tool for healing and change.