The Black Theatre Network Conference

Maroon is attending the Black Theatre Network Conference for the 4th year in a row! This year’s conference is taking place July 24–27, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. Every year the BTN conference offers the opportunity to fellowship with likeminded artists, activists and scholars. It’s an excellent opportunity draw from and add to the culture.

We also join the theatre community in mourning the loss of Michael D. Dinwiddie, a brilliant writer, dramaturg, educator and advocate. Michael served as President of the Black Theatre Network from 2012–2014 and continued to guide the organization as a consultant. We first met Mr. Dinwiddie at the BTN Conference in 2021. He was always kind, welcoming, and incredibly generous with his time and his wisdom. His dedication, brilliance, and joy left an indelible mark on the field—and on us.

Michael Dinwiddie (December 13, 1954- July 4, 2025)

If you’re attending this year’s conference, please join our founder Lindsay A. Jenkins on Thursday, July 25th at 4pm for a presentation titled “Echoes of the Past, Visions for the Future: Building Sustainable Models for Black Theatre.” This session will explore how performance practices and production models of the past can inspire sustainable models for the future. Lindsay will also talk about our legacy project Sandbranch and how we hope to develop a nation-wide network in support of Black theatre.

We’ll be sharing reflections and highlights over on Substack—so be sure you’re subscribed to The Clearing to follow along!