The Hopkins Student Involvement Fair is overwhelming to say the least. It’s stuffy, you are elbowing your way through dozens of people and it seems like there is no end. By the 30-minute mark, the exhaustion hits and the clubs slowly become a blur. The point is, it is exhausting to find an organization where you belong, a club that is entirely unique. In this respect, the Dunbar Baldwin Hughes (DBH) Theatre Company sets itself apart from many.
DBH is a theater company that produces “cultural expressions of African descent into play, skits, monologues, poetry recitals and dance presentations.” Unique to itself, DBH is the only theater company on campus whose main focus is on representing Black identity and communicating their experience through art.
Last year, DBH worked to put on plays such as “Stick Fly,” “Is God Is,” a rendition of “Much Ado About Nothing” and, in conjunction with the Melanotes, a performance called “DreamGirls.”
I had the pleasure of meeting with DBH President Zari Newman, who gave me an inside look into the company and how they turn their ideas into productions.
About the process of selecting plays, Newman said there is “no rhyme and reason” to how plays are specifically selected, but she spoke about the new abundance of material from Black playwrights.
“Within the past 10 years, [it] feels like there's been a resurgence in the playwriting community, especially for Black folks, when it comes to writing stories,” she said.
“More and more of the conversations are becoming more nuanced and bringing in elements of intersectionality talking about what it's like to be black at a PWI and things like that, talking about colorism.”
A play that particularly caught my attention was “Much Ado About Nothing,” originally written by Shakespeare, and translated for performance by Ranjit Bolt. DBH premiered this play in April of 2023, titled: “Shakespeare on the Beach: Much Ado About Nothing.” This was especially interesting because DBH took a play that was initially played entirely by white men and changed it to reflect the Black experience.
When asked about this, Newman spoke about the emotional and cognitive labor involved in bringing this translated Shakespeare play to life.
“[It’s] a creative exercise, to take something that's been done so many times and put your own personality, your own culture and your own viewpoint in the world into it,“ she said. “I think a lot of it just comes from sitting down, talking through it with people at our company. And just being intentional and mindful throughout of what is the message that we're trying to send.”
DBH’s productions are not only a testament to the power of passionate storytelling, but also of the hard work it requires to take an idea and turn it into reality. Newman explained how it’s a very long process that isn’t completely linear. During this process, DBH needs to research plays that fit the actors and audience they want to attract, apply for licenses, repeat those first two steps if the license gets denied, host auditions, go through rehearsals and figure out sound and lighting. It’s hard work, but Newman talks about it all with a smile.
But what makes DBH so special? Hopkins has plenty of theater companies, from the Barnstormers to the Witness Theater. We aren’t short of talented people who can put on fantastic plays. What makes DBH any different?
From glimpses at its inner workings, it is abundantly clear that the company makes an effort to foster a sense of community and family among its members. In an email to The News-Letter, sophomore Amaka Chukwura wrote about why she loves being a part of the group.
“DBH is a community of Black and POC [people of color] creatives who are joined in our passion and love for theater. It means so much to me to be in a space of Black expression in the performance arts and taking charge of the sharing of our own stories through theater,“ she said. “The people that I have met in the year I have been with DBH have become a sort of ‘on-campus family’ to me.”
The sense you get is that, through dedication and hard work, DBH is able to create plays and a sense of belonging among their members, giving them a space to demonstrate their artistic abilities while unabashedly sharing with the world who they are.
DBH will be holding its 30th anniversary gala on Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. When asked about what we can expect from the gala, Newman made sure to assure us that food and abundant entertainment will be provided. Chukwura wrote about the aspect of the gala that most excited her.
“I am most excited for the performances of past DBH productions,“ she said. “There are some shows I know of and some that I have never seen, but I know that DBH always puts our own special energy and characteristics into our productions so each performance will be one of a kind.”
This gala will be an opportunity for DBH to display their talent through various performances, but also a celebration of the work the company has contributed to the Hopkins and Baltimore community for three decades.
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