The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH), American Theatre Magazine and Venus Radio Theater are teaming up for ICONS 3: Prominent Figures in the Landscape, a series of audio plays produced by CTH and Venus Radio Theater highlighting four leaders and tastemakers whose work was central to the vibrant Harlem Renaissance. For the collection of plays, CTH commissioned Harlem-based playwrights to create monologues performed by Harlem-based actors, honoring the largely unsung voices of fascinating figures who were integral to the cultural movement.
‘Gwendolyn in Paris’: A Short Play About the Legendary Gwendolyn Bennett
As a special offering in our Offscript feed, we offer this monologue by Gethsemane Herron, performed by Candace Boahene, about Harlem Renaissance writer, artist, and journalist Gwendolyn Bennett.
December 11, 2025
November 13, 2025
October 10, 2025
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Credits
1. “God Loves a Sinner Like Me” – Alberta Hunter
- Icon: Alberta Hunter (1895-1984), legendary jazz and blues singer and songwriter, creator of “Downhearted Blues”
- Writer: Tanya Everett (Brooklyn College MFA, 2019-20 Playwrights’ Realm Fellow)
- Performer: Nedra Marie Taylor (Broadway: The Book of Mormon, Marvin’s Room; TV: Invasion, Orange is The New Black)
2. “Bumpy Johnson” – Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson
- Icon: The infamous Harlem crime boss (1905-1968) who controlled the neighborhood’s rackets
- Writer: Darnell Lamont Walker (Emmy-nominated writer for Karma’s World, director/producer of social impact documentaries)
- Performer: Keith Randolph Smith (Broadway: Jitney, Fences, Kin
g Hedley II ; TV: The Good Fight)
3. “Chez Zelda” – Zelda Wynn Valdes
- Icon: Zelda Wynn Valdes (1905-2001), pioneering fashion designer who created the original Playboy Bunny costume and became the first Black-owned business on Broadway
- Writer: Kevin Renn (New York Times Modern Love columnist, MacDowell Fellow)
- Performer: Marjorie Johnson (AUDELCO Award winner, DOT and HOODOO LOVE)
4. “Gwendolyn in Paris” – Gwendolyn Bennett
- Icon: Gwendolyn Bennett (1902-1981), Harlem Renaissance artist, writer, and journalist who contributed to Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life
- Writer: Gethsemane Herron (Columbia@Roundabout Reading Series winner, Helen Merrill Award recipient)
- Performer: Candace Boahene (Columbia MFA, Off-Broadway: To All the Black Girls Who’ve Waited)