Ask Gerry Patton, executive director of the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, what it’s like to plan the National Black Theatre Festival without its late founder, Larry Leon Hamlin, and Patton won’t skip a beat.

“We aren’t planning without him,” she promises. “Larry Leon Hamlin was so much a part of this, so integral to it, that we’ll never be ‘without him.’ Look at the players he gathered around him and this festival — he knew we’d carry it on. He put everything in place, we just have to keep the boat afloat.”

The 2009 National Black Theatre Festival is August 3–8. This year’s event marks 20 years since the festival’s founding. In that time, the festival has evolved into one of the largest networking weeks for the black theater industry.

“Performers, playwrights, directors, fans — people from all over the country come to discuss their projects, find resources for their challenges, and match employment opportunities,” Patton says.

Workshops and seminars — such as the Readers Theatre of New Works, where up-and-coming playwrights submit their work for review — help to prepare future generations of theater members.

And naturally, it’s also a stellar week of entertainment, boasting more than 100 performances of the best in black theater.

Maya Angelou, who was pivotal in starting the festival, will give her welcome on August 4 as the keynote speaker for the International Colloquium. Other celebrity guests include Juanita Moore (Imitation of Life), John Amos (Halley’s Comet), and Kim Wayans (A Handsome Woman Retreats).

“Truly, black theater is for everyone,” Patton says, quoting the Company’s new slogan. “In the past there has been a perception that because of our name, some in the community weren’t invited. It’s us telling our story in our voice, but black theater is intended for all audiences.”

The 2009 National Black Theatre Festival schedule is available online or at the festival office at 610 Coliseum Drive. Tickets for shows range in price from $7 to $42, and there are a number of free admission events. For more information, call 336-723-2266 or go to nbtf.org.