Dyann Robinson and the Tuskegee Repertory Theater, 1991

Program for Tuskegee Repertory Theatre's presentation of “Booker T.’s Towns by Dyann Robinson," featuring a central image of Booker T. Washington surrounded by the crests of five historically Black Southern towns: Tuskegee, AL, Hobson City, AL, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, Grambling, LA, and Eatonville, FL

Dyann Robinson is the heart and soul of the Tuskegee theater scene. She founded the Tuskegee Repertory Theater in 1991 and established a permanent home for the theater company in the former post office in downtown Tuskegee. Robinson’s impressive career as a dancer and choreographer started with her casting in the original Broadway production of Bubbling Brown Sugar in 1976.   

The record cover for the recording of the Broadway show "Bubbling Brown Sugar: A New Musical Review."
Bubbling Brown Sugar, the album.

She also worked as a member of Maurice Bejart’s Ballet of the Twentieth Century, in Brussels Belgium. Check out this Huffington Post article on visual history of 20th century ballet to see how Robinson’s national and international peers of elite ballerinas looked in the 1970’s and 1980’s. For a special treat, you can go to the New York Public Library and track down photographs and a videotape of a young Dyann Robinson dancing in New York City. Robinson brings her world-class training and discipline to all her community theater work (writing, producing, directing, and acting) in Tuskegee, Alabama. She also sees the immense power of theater to transmit the cultural legacy of African Americans. We are proud to house filmed versions of several of Tuskegee Repertory Theater’s productions:

The program for the Tuskegee Reperatory Theatre's presentation of "The Broker: The Story of Lewis Adams, the True Founder of Tuskegee University by Dyann Robinson," with photographs of the multiracial, majority Black cast
“The Broker: The story of Lewis Adams, the true founder of Tuskegee Institute” sheds light on the little-known history of Tuskegee University.
Program for Tuskegee Repertory Theatre's presentation of "Royal Sistahs, A one woman play, celebrating the lives of four royal ancient Black African women (Sistahs). Written, Directed and Performed by Dyann Robinson," including photos of cast members in the roles of African queens from ancient eras.
“Royal Sistuhs” celebrates the lives of four ancient African queens.
Program for Tuskegee Repertory Theatre's presentation of "Toby's My Brother...and Beethoven Too! (Slave and Great Artist, both running Free) by Dyann Robinson." Featuring drawings of the busts of a shirtless Black person with long hair and a goatee and Beethoven, a white person with short hair and a raised white collar and black jacket.
“Toby’s my brother… and Beethoven too” juxtaposes American slavery and classical music to examine African diasporic identities.
Program for Tuskegee Repertory Theatre's presentation of "Tuskeegee Rising, written by Dyann Robinson," about Tuskegee, AL's history as a historically Black town, featuring images of Tuskegee Uniiversity and phoenixes.
“Tuskegee Rising” is an encyclopedia of important moments in Tuskegee’s history.
Program for Tuskegee Repertory Theatre's presentation of "Revolt! in Storyland: the Musical, adapted by Dyann Robinson from the play by Marie Moore Lyles," featuring images of members of the majority Black cast.
“Revolt in Storyland” – where rhythm and blues legend, Peggy Scott Adams, stars as Mother Goose in this twist on classic fairy tales.
Program for Tuskegee Repertory Theatre's presentation of “Tousssaint: The Story of Toussaint L’Overture, Father of the Haitian Revolution by Dyann Robinson,” featuring images of Toussaint L’Overture and the majority Black cast.
“Tousssaint: The Story of Toussaint L’Overture, Father of the Haitian Revolution” adds music and texture to an important historical event.

I can personally attest to the toe-tapping nature of Dyann Robinson’s lyrics and Bill Perry’s musical arrangements, from when I saw a live performance of “Booker T’s Towns” in Orlando, Florida during the Zora Festival earlier this month. The story is told from the perspective of husband/wife pairs of each town’s leaders during their attendance at the National Business League Conference in 1913. Isaiah T. Montgomery’s wife sings about “clearing the land” when explaining how town founders transformed a swamp into a bustling black town in 1898. Then Booker T. Washington sings about “getting new life” when he is spending time with these community leaders and learning about their accomplishments. The whole play builds a world where real people existed and made important contributions. It wasn’t lost on me that Hamilton was playing in same theater on the same night as Booker T.’s Towns. People that can turn history into musical theater are remarkable, and this post is a tribute to people doing it on every scale.

Program for Tuskegee Repertory Theatre's presentation of “Booker T.’s Towns by Dyann Robinson," featuring a central image of Booker T. Washington surrounded by the crests of five historically Black Southern towns: Tuskegee, AL, Hobson City, AL, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, Grambling, LA, and Eatonville, FL
“Booker T.’s Towns” tells the story about HBTSA’s (Historically Black Towns and Settlements Alliance) founding towns: Eatonville, FL, Tuskegee, AL, Mound Bayou, MS, Grambling, LA, and Hobson City, AL.