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Kathryn Bentley, associate professor of theater at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, director of Black Studies and director of IMPACT Academy has a big week ahead of her. The Black Theatre Workshop (BTW), for which she proudly serves as artistic director is presenting its annual performance beginning Tuesday, February 20. This year’s production, “Legacy,” celebrates 25 years of Black theater voices and alumni. After 20 years of leadership, it is Bentley’s final Black Theatre Workshop production before her retirement in May.

BTW hosts a full week of performances, beginning Tuesday, Feb. 20 through Sunday, Feb. 25 in the Metcalf Theater. In addition to the performance, BTW will host two intensive workshops for students over the weekend, an improv practicum and a monologue masterclass.

 For the public, BTW is offering a workshop taught by alumnae Ashley Bland and Ashley Dozier: “Creative Toolkit for the Everyday Actor,” Saturday Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. It’s free for students, and $10 for everyone else who wants to participate.

“Some of our alums are artistic directors of companies,” said Bentley. “I want them to be able to support students. Having student monologues adjudicated by professionals builds incredible feedback. I have 21 alumni coming from California, Florida, Atlanta, Savannah, The Quad Cities, Chicago and Washington D.C.! We’re going to pay special tribute to BTW founder Lisa Colbert at the 3 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, Feb. 24, followed by an alumni panel.”

Bentley is especially proud about “Legacy” featuring the work of student directors Joshalynn Gibson and Eli Gasper.

“BTW is an opportunity for Black students to share their stories and our voices. The shows are either device pieces, pieces that the students write or pieces that are from the Black theater canon. This year it’s a mixture of both. It’s a lot of student-driven energy.”

For Bentley, her biggest goal is the celebrational aspect of “Legacy.”

“It's my last one. I want to have fun. I want us to celebrate. Rehearsal can get tiring and we're devising work. It still can feel scattered when we're recreating from scratch. I've asked the students, ‘Is there at least one scene that you're doing that brings you joy? Yes? Okay!’ I just want to make sure that we're having fun in this process. The students take pride in what they do,” Bentley said.

Discovering student identity is an integral part of the spirit of Black Theatre Workshop.

“That's the importance of Black Theatre Workshop,” Bentley emphasizes. “That's why it's centered on Black stories. It's as a place for those involved to be themselves.”

This importance becomes rapidly apparent when speaking to student director Gibson. The senior theater major began participating in BTW as a costume director. Soon after, she was writing scenes for “Legacy.” During rehearsals, her unamplified voice carries like a force of dynamic energy across the Metcalf Theater.

“I sat down and wrote all the things I was thinking about at the moment, and I feel a lot of that is generational because they were taught to me beforehand,” Gibson said. “I was exploring my thoughts and feelings on historical things and current issues with genocides. I wanted to write a piece that would speak to that.”

Gibson wrote a powerful scene for “Legacy” that portrays a group of protestors with bullhorns and resistance signs. The scene is featured in the first act.

“The training I received at SIUE helped me learn how to be seen,” Gibson continued. “Professor Bentley was my first director here. She worked with me during rehearsals and helped me to open up more on stage. She cares about other people so much, always willing to work with us and help us even in our personal lives. She’s a bright energy,” remarked Gibson.

The BTW students are excited to show their stories and elevate their voices. Ameeriya Lambert, a student studying theater performance, has a deeply personal solo dance piece in the second act of “Legacy.” In rehearsal her body flows like water above the stage.

“It’s a reflection of myself,” Lambert said. “I did a little African dancing when I was younger, did church stuff— I was always a performer. I always have something under my belt!”

Neshay “Shay” Sanders is studying criminal justice. She sings an a cappella rendition of Sam Cooke’s 1963 “A Change is Going to Come” as a duet with another BTW cast member. Her performance bores elements of soul, gospel and grace into the viscera of the audience. When asked what she hopes BTW will do for her, the response is filled with gratitude.

“You can’t really say what can it do for you, it’s what it has already done,” Sanders proclaimed. “I have a kid. I’m in school. This is my happy place.”

Justin Campbell is a third-year student studying theater and dance. This is his first year participating in BTW and he’s juggling acting, giving direction and being a choreographer.

“I’ve watched BTW before, but this is the first time I’m actually getting my hands dirty,” Campbell said. “It’s high-stress because we are figuring things out while meeting deadlines, but It’s a fun and liberating experience because we are unleashing an artform. It’s a workshop, so we’re all feeding off each other.”

“Legacy” is structured with allegory, symbolism, and movement from the students to the direction from Bentley. It’s aptly named as it symbolizes BTW’s transition to and from her direction. Recollecting on the work of founders Lisa Colbert and Bill Grivna, Bentley described how she molded the artistic clay for this year’s show.

“I wanted to make sure we did something to honor Lisa Colbert and her mom, who are both passed away now. We've invited alumni to come back to celebrate, some of the original folks who were here in 1999 when Black Theatre Workshop first started. The few Black students that were in the department at the time were so fired up because there was no representation of them on stage. They wrote out a manifesto and took it to Bill Grivna, who brought over Lisa Colbert as a visiting artist. That started Black Theatre Workshop. This was the way for them to get to express who they were on stage.”

For Bentley, retirement is not the last chapter of her legacy. She wants to expand her creative scope locally, she’s acting in a play at Shakespeare Festival and directing at St. Louis University in the fall.

“I’m going to exit stage left because I have things left to do! Re-invigorating myself as an artist, as a social justice 'art-tivist’ and consultant with EDI work. I’m not retiring from life. I’m stepping away from this and passing the baton to somebody who is going to take it to a different level that I may not have even seen. I’m excited! I want to see them take it and run with it!”

Kathryn Bentley’s legacy will be a tough act to follow.

Learn more about the contributions of Lisa Colbert. For more about BTW, visit the “Legacy” webpage on the SIUE website. To register for the acting workshop on Saturday, Feb. 24, contact Kathryn Bentley at kbentle@siue.edu. Showtimes for “Legacy” are Tuesday- Friday, Feb. 20-22, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m., Saturday Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday Feb 25 at 3 p.m. All performances will take place in the Metcalf Theater on the campus of SIUE. Tickets may be purchased at the online box office.

 PHOTOS
1: Kathryn Bentley; 2: Joshalynn Gibson and Justin Campbell ; 3: Ameeriya Lambert, 4: Neshay Sanders, 5: Black Theatre Workshop Rehearsal