Photography project aims to document Black theatre culture

Black theater makers have long been integral to shaping the local arts scene.

 

Yet, much of their work has gone undocumented.

 

Actor and director Aaron Joshua recognized this gap and initiated a project to build an archive and legacy, one photograph at a time.

 

“So, the idea came from the fact that there were so many of us doing so many interesting things,” Joshua explained.

 

“There wasn’t really an archive that was collecting all the plays, all the musicals, all the things that we were doing.”

 

Joshua observed a lack of documentation for Black creatives in the theater space.

 

“I’ve seen so many people for many, many years do amazing, beautiful works of theatrical art here,” he said.

 

“And once it’s been done, then that’s it.

 

There’s no type of record, there’s no video.”

 

Determined to change that, he set out to capture these moments—one picture at a time.

 

For the past few years, Joshua has kicked off Black History Month with a photoshoot, highlighting individuals who contribute significantly to the local theater community but often go unseen.

 

“And one of the things that the photoshoot was inspired by was to give us that space to just say, you know, you just did this show, or you just did that—I saw it, and you were amazing,” he said.

 

The shoot also magnifies the work of people behind the scenes and behind the camera lens.

 

Willie David Short V joined as the photographer for each shoot.

 

“I remember it was the year before I actually took these pictures—we were here, and I remember sitting there and thinking, I could do that, and feeling like I wanted to be a part of this,” he said.

 

Willie helps to mint Black work across the theater industry, all while building on his own journey.

 

“And ever since then, I think I’m at close to 150 shows where either I’ve done lighting, I’ve done sound or I’ve helped build a set—and each one of those, I’ve done photography in it,” he said.

 

Willie adds that a network of encouragement from other Black creatives is what led him to the stage in the first place.

 

“So yeah, my wife, Angelique Nina Powell—I’ll throw a shout-out for her, she’s an amazing actress, and she’s the reason why I’m actually here right now,” he said.

 

“If not for her, I wouldn’t have met all these amazing people or felt free enough to express myself in my medium.”

 

Joshua emphasizes that this project is about magnifying the magnificence of people who look like him.

 

“That’s the first question I ask myself, ‘How is this magnifying the magnificence of people that look like me?’” he asked.