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Newark Symphony Hall President and CEO Taneshia Nash Laird expresses passion about company-in-residence Yendor Theatre Company and the upcoming livestream production of Black Terror

Taneshia Nash Laird is the President and CEO of Newark Symphony Hall
Doug Doyle/Zoom
Taneshia Nash Laird is the President and CEO of Newark Symphony Hall

Newark Symphony Hall, New Jersey's largest Black-led arts and entertainment venue, recently announced Yendor Theatre Company (YTC) as its first company-in-residence. YTC's first production with the venue will be Richard Wesley's "Black Terror," co-produced by WACO Theater Center, which is based out of Los Angeles' North Hollywood neighborhood.

The livestream production of Black Terror is coming to Newark Symphony Hall this summer
NationalBlackGuide.com
The livestream production of Black Terror is coming to Newark Symphony Hall this summer

The production will be directed by WACO's Co-Artistic Director, Richard Lawson, and will live-stream online this summer.

Newark Symphony Hall President and CEO Taneshia Nash Laird joined WBGO News Director Doug Doyle for a Zoom chat about the new partnership and the upcoming production of "Black Terror" this summer.

"What's so exciting is to be able to support Yendor Theatre Company and to really give them the opportunity to grow and to do a little matchmaking between mentor and mentee, especially since the Artistic Director of Yendor, Andrew Binger was originally my mentee thanks to Rutgers, and I thought we could level up a bit. I thought we could get him some incredible mentors that are also have five decades of professional experience on stage and screen to support him."

YTC will also be the first resident of the The Lab at Newark Symphony Hall, a career accelerator and business incubator focused on the performing arts. The program is being launched with financial support from Newark Arts. YTC is a 2021 Black Seed grant winner - the first national initiative providing financial support for Black theatre companies across the country.

Many of the greats of all-time have performed at NSH
NSH
Many of the greats of all-time have performed at NSH

Nash Laird says there were many reasons she wanted the job at Newark Symphony Hall.

"Newark Symphony Hall was opened in 1925. Musicologists back up my claim that its probably the most musically-storied venue in the state of New Jersey. To be able to steward it to its next hundred years, because we're going to be celebrating 100 years in 2025, is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One of the other things I recently found out is that I am the sole black woman running a performing arts center in the entire State of New Jersey, something I want to change. I'm probably the sole black woman running a historic performing arts center such as Newark Symphony Hall in the country. To be able to do that and to be inclusive of our community which is predominantly black and brown, reflecting new programming that draws on our heritage in opera, ballet and orchestra, but looking a little bit differently and reflective of what the State of New Jersey is going to be in 2028, we're going to be the majority people of color, that is Black, Latinx and Asian, I'd like to point out that's what our staff is as well, why not? This is a dream job!"

Wesley, the award-winning playwright, screenwriter and New York University professor, wrote "Black Terror" when he was just 26 years old. the gripping and militant depiction of Black revolution was originally staged as part of the Shakespeare Festival in New York City in 1971. A New York Times review hailed it as a "remarkable and provocative ply - the kind of political play that needs to be written and demands to be seen by Black and white alike."

"Black Terror" was one of my first plays but continues to resonate both culturally and historically. I very much look forward to seeing it staged for an entirely new generation," said Wesley, who also serves on the NSH board. "I'm grateful to the teams at Yendor, Newark Symphony Hall and Waco Theater Center for making this happen. I believe this is an important work, thematically, for audiences in Newark, L.A., and across the country."

Nash Laird agrees.

"The theme resonates today 50 years later. It is an incredible story to contextualize and even today's calls for social justice. I feel an incredible responsibility to reflect the community that we're in. Newark is probably is one of the most diverse communities in the state."

Richard Lawson will serve as director and will mentor and advise YTC's Co-Founder, Andrew Binger. Nash Laird originally met YTC's Binger in the Victoria Emerging Leaders Program at Rutgers Business School's Institute for Ethical Leadership. She served as Binger's mentor in the training program.

Taneshia Nash Laird speaks with WBGO's Doug Doyle on Zoom
Doug Doyle/Zoom
Taneshia Nash Laird speaks with WBGO's Doug Doyle on Zoom

You can see the interview with Taneshia Nash Laird at https://fb.watch/5jCgHZQBxM/.

Doug Doyle has been News Director at WBGO since 1998 and has taken his department to new heights in coverage and recognition. Doug and his staff have received more than 250 awards from organizations like PRNDI (now PMJA), AP, New York Association of Black Journalists, Garden State Association of Black Journalists and the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists.