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BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARKOWITZ ANNOUNCES $900,000 TO RENOVATE BILLIE HOLIDAY THEATRE IN BED STUY

Photograph by Kathryn Kirk

In photo: Borough President Markowitz signs over giant check for $900,000 to the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. (from left) Joyce Sylvester, playwright, actress, and director; Colvin Grannum, President of Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration; Ruby Dee, theatre legend; Dr. A.R. Bernard, Senior Pastor of the Christian Cultural Center, and Ms. Marjorie Moon, Executive Director of Billie Holiday Theatre.

On Wednesday, October 26, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz joined the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation to celebrate The Billie Holiday Theatre’s more than 30 years of service to Central Brooklyn. At the event, Marty announced that he has allocated $900,000 from his capital budget to help renovate and restore The Billie Holiday Theatre. This will be the first renovation in its history. Theatre legend and board member Ruby Dee served as a special guest, and received seat plaques in her name, as well as one of her late husband Ossie Davis. These plaques will be permanently installed after the renovations.

“The Billie Holiday Theatre is more than a cultural cornerstone for Bedford-Stuyvesant — it has also played a leading role in creating the legacy that has made Brooklyn the creative capital of New York City today,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “I am proud to help the Billie Holiday Theatre continue to present landmark performances in one of the major African American cultural centers of the U.S.A. — Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation.”

The Billie Holiday Theatre has been a launching pad for the careers of many professional actors, directors, and playwrights. Samuel L. Jackson, Debbie Allen, and Tichina Arnold, among others, have all performed on its stage. The event also announced the launch of the 2005-06 season, which will begin on November 4 and run through June.