Harlem’s New Heritage Theatre Group (NHTG), New York State’s oldest Black nonprofit theater (est. 1964), in partnership with The City College of New York (CCNY), proudly announces the FIVE WINNERS of the VOZA RIVERS LEGACY SERIES for playwrights and screenwriters, as well as the dates of the winners’ full-length reading presentations.
December 15, 2025: David Wright; Sango (A Yoruba Dance Drama)
January 26, 2026: Sydnie Helsop; Little Girl Blue
February 23, 2026: Eric Richardson-Hagans; If Only Yesterday
March 23, 2026: Allison Shillingford; At the Table
April 27, 2026: Daisy Dumas-Featherstone; Mast/Mask
NHTG is grateful for our esteemed panel of judges: Voza Rivers; G. Keith Alexander, New York’s radio legend and HarlemAmerica’s Founder; Maria Grazia Cavenaghi, international journalist and TV producer; Charlene Jean, playwright; and Jamal Joseph Jr., screenwriter and director.
The Inaugural Voza Rivers Legacy Series honors a visionary whose six-decade career has transformed Harlem and the global arts landscape. Known for his humility, generosity, and tireless dedication to emerging new talent, Voza Rivers has made remarkable contributions to theater, film, music, dance, and social justice, creating vibrant, safe, and inclusive spaces for creativity, and empowering generations of artists to share their stories both locally and globally. This annual series will carry his legacy forward by nurturing new multidisciplinary voices from underserved communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and artists with disabilities with accessibility and inclusion at its core. Rivers has received numerous accolades including Tony Award® nominations, the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award (Biden), the Gandhi-King Foundation Scholarship in his name, and numerous proclamations from NYC and NYS officials.
The Voza Rivers Legacy Series producers are Irene Gandy, Amy Sprecher, Aaliytha Stevens, and Voza Rivers.
All events are free and open to the public.
