Black History Month Hartford Theatre Guide

Savannah Brooks ’26

Managing Editor

If you are looking for ways to observe Black History Month this February, the Hartford theater scene has plenty of ways to uplift and celebrate Black stories and artists. To help you in this celebration, the Tripod has collected all the information you need if you are looking for a local night out at the theater that features Black voices.

Hartford’s most acclaimed regional theater, Hartford Stage, is currently staging a production of “Two Trains Running,” by the iconic Pulitzer-prize winning playwright August Wilson (author of “Fences,” “The Piano Lesson” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”). The 1992 play, which features Trinity’s very own Visiting Lecturer in Theater and Dance Godfrey Simmons, Jr. as Memphis, runs until Feb. 16. “Two Trains Running” follows Memphis and the employees and regulars at his diner in Pittsburgh in 1969 as they grapple with the civil rights movement and the threat of the city’s renovation project. For $20 student tickets to this Pulitzer-shortlisted play, use the code “COLLEGE” on www.hartfordstage.org.

Chances are, if you watch films, read books or study politics or human rights, you have encountered legendary author and activist James Baldwin (author of “Giovanni’s Room,” “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”). Local black box theater HartBeat Ensemble is currently staging “Citizen James: Or the Young Man Without a Country” by Kyle Bass as a part of their 2024-25 “James Baldwin Season” celebrating the centennial of Baldwin’s birth. This one-man show depicts Baldwin as a 24-year-old, before he had published his first novel, while he waits for the plane that will take him to Paris to escape American racism. “Citizen James” runs in the evening Feb. 13-15 as well as for one matinee on Sunday, February 16. HartBeat Ensemble offers $25 student tickets and a pay-what-you-want program on hartbeatensemble.org. HartBeat Ensemble offers a more intimate experience with its tiny theater space at the Carriage House Theater as well as its often socially and politically evocative offerings. HartBeat is great for students on a budget, and this particular performance offers a short runtime as well as an opportunity to explore the life of a prominent author who is currently having a bit of a renaissance. 

Another Hartford regional theater, TheaterWorks Hartford, is staging “King James” by Pulitzer-Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph until March 2. The play follows two friends over 12 years as they discuss their love for NBA superstar Lebron James. Tickets are available at twhartford.org or at the box office. Email, call or visit the box office to get $5 student tickets for an upcoming performance, or visit the box office on the day of the performance to get a free student ticket. 

For those looking for experiences they can share with the children in their life, the Bushnell, Hartford’s favorite performing arts venue, is hosting an event called “HERO: The Boy from Troy” on Feb. 21 is a story about Jayden, a young student who learns about civil rights activist John Lewis through a musical journey. Ticket information can be found at bushnell.org or by visiting or calling the box office.