About

Five decades of Penumbra.

Penumbra staged its first production in Hallie Q. Brown community center in 1977, with founder Lou Bellamy playing the lead role. Many hundreds of performances later, the theatre that Lou built has transformed. Today, the Penumbra Center for Racial Healing greatly expands its historic role by advancing more just, compassionate communities. Yet our founding spirit burns as brightly as ever. Here in our original St. Paul home, we remain rooted in the liberatory work of the Black Arts Movement, cultural stewardship, and community trust we’ve kindled for decades.

As we commemorate a remarkable 50 years, we celebrate the community that has supported us. Throughout the season, we’ll share invitations to celebrate and look back together and create new traditions for the future.

About

Learn about our history and evolution.

Penumbra at 50

A year of exciting engagement during our milestone 50th anniversary season.

Company

Our company of artists, innovators, and culture bearers.

Staff

Get in touch with our team.

Board of Directors

Our board of directors.

Repertoire

50 seasons of theatre.

“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.”
—Angela Davis, Activist, professor, and author

“We tend to think of healing as something binary. But healing and growth take place on a continuum, with innumerable points between utter brokenness and total health.”
—Dr. Resmaa Menakem, Therapist, author, and trauma specialist

“I believe that one of the most beautiful things about theater is that no one artist can do it alone.”
—Harrison David Rivers, Playwright and Penumbra company member

“You cannot use someone else’s fire. You can only use your own. And in order to do that, you must first be willing to believe that you have it.”
—Audre Lorde, Black feminist, lesbian, poet, mother, warrior

“You cannot give energy if you’re not on fire on the inside.”
—Rev. Jesse Jackson, American civil rights leader, Baptist minister, and political activist

“Within Penumbra's walls, a genuine spirit of care breathes and thrives, weaving a rich and tender atmosphere where creative courage is not just invited, but deeply embraced.”
—Lester Purry, Actor and Penumbra company member