top of page

FESTIVAL

HOME
ABOUT
UPCOMING EVENTS/TICKETS
FESTIVALS
VOLUNTEERS
CONTACT

Thanks - FTB Stakeholder_s Meeting Presentation (1).png

Current Playwright Winners

FTB RS2026 - Winners.png

Coming January 2026

Please help us welcome debuting director Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway to the Fade To Black Reading Series stage! She directs “The Coming Out (Out) Play,” by Sheldon Shaw.

Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway is an award-winning director, producer, and executive leader driving innovation across theatre, film, and publishing. With work spanning the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally, she has directed acclaimed productions at the Goodman Theatre, Young Vic, Gate Theatre, and National Theatre, alongside award-nominated film projects such as “Ride Share,” a London Directors Award nominee in 2024.

As Founder of Beyond The Canon Ltd, Simeilia champions global majority playwrights, redefining the cultural canon through productions, publications, and educational initiatives. She also co-founded the Black Lives, Black Words International Project, directing large-scale multidisciplinary works that amplify underrepresented voices. A recognized industry change-maker, she established Artistic Directors of the Future, the United Kingdom’s first organization dedicated to diversifying theatre leadership, earning The Stage Innovation Award in 2020. Her editorial and publishing collaborations with Bloomsbury and Methuen Drama have produced globally recognized anthologies that shape the next generation of artists and educators. Listed in Who’s Who, The Stage 100 Power List, and named a TED and Google Emerging Innovator in 2019, Simeilia continues to merge artistry and advocacy, creating platforms that transform representation.

Come experience Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway’s vision and help us celebrate her debut with Shabach Enterprise.

Opening Night, Friday, January 23, 2026
Location, MATCH Houston, 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX 77004
Tickets, available now at https://matchouston.org/events/2026/fade-black-reading-series

www.FadeToBlackFest.com

Please help us welcome debuting director Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway to the Fade To Black Reading Series stage! She directs “The Coming Out (Out) Play,” by Sheldon Shaw.

Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway is an award-winning director, producer, and executive leader driving innovation across theatre, film, and publishing. With work spanning the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally, she has directed acclaimed productions at the Goodman Theatre, Young Vic, Gate Theatre, and National Theatre, alongside award-nominated film projects such as “Ride Share,” a London Directors Award nominee in 2024.

As Founder of Beyond The Canon Ltd, Simeilia champions global majority playwrights, redefining the cultural canon through productions, publications, and educational initiatives. She also co-founded the Black Lives, Black Words International Project, directing large-scale multidisciplinary works that amplify underrepresented voices. A recognized industry change-maker, she established Artistic Directors of the Future, the United Kingdom’s first organization dedicated to diversifying theatre leadership, earning The Stage Innovation Award in 2020. Her editorial and publishing collaborations with Bloomsbury and Methuen Drama have produced globally recognized anthologies that shape the next generation of artists and educators. Listed in Who’s Who, The Stage 100 Power List, and named a TED and Google Emerging Innovator in 2019, Simeilia continues to merge artistry and advocacy, creating platforms that transform representation.

Come experience Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway’s vision and help us celebrate her debut with Shabach Enterprise.

Opening Night, Friday, January 23, 2026
Location, MATCH Houston, 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX 77004
Tickets, available now at https://matchouston.org/events/2026/fade-black-reading-series

www.FadeToBlackFest.com

Help us welcome powerhouse artist Ilyasa Singleton to the Fade To Black stage. Ilyasa makes her debut in “A Tear in Time,” by Joe Lewis, directed by Melita Washington.

Ilyasa Singleton is an emerging actor from Brooklyn, New York, now based in Houston. A graduate of the University of Houston, she made her film debut in 2023 as Aunt Ja’nee in “Killer Zaddy” and first appeared on stage as Charity Haze in “The Butler Did It.” Since then, she has taken on supporting roles in feature films including “BASH,” “Rain for Christmas,” “Trade Secrets,” “Through Sickness and Hell,” “Fatal Fraud,” “Becky 2,” and “Hidden Agenda,” many of which are now streaming. Her stage credits also include multiple performances in “JAIA (Just As I Am)” as Rachel.

Ilyasa has also appeared in commercials and background roles for major brands and networks such as Netflix, The CW, and Paramount, with brands including Toyota, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dave and Buster’s, and Academy Sports. Most recently, she completed her first principal role in a KHOU commercial for Rodney Jones Law Firm and will star as Dr. Athena Hart in the upcoming feature film “Her Last Patient” (2026). Passionate and driven, Ilyasa is committed to growth and storytelling, with a goal to captivate audiences and make a lasting impact in the entertainment industry.

Come show Ilyasa love and experience her debut performance on the Fade To Black Reading Series!

Opening Night, Friday, January 23, 2026
Location, MATCH Houston, 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX 77004
Tickets, available now at https://matchouston.org/events/2026/fade-black-reading-series

www.FadeToBlackFest.com

#ftbrs2026 #blackartmatters #fadetoblackreadingseries

Help us welcome powerhouse artist Ilyasa Singleton to the Fade To Black stage. Ilyasa makes her debut in “A Tear in Time,” by Joe Lewis, directed by Melita Washington.

Ilyasa Singleton is an emerging actor from Brooklyn, New York, now based in Houston. A graduate of the University of Houston, she made her film debut in 2023 as Aunt Ja’nee in “Killer Zaddy” and first appeared on stage as Charity Haze in “The Butler Did It.” Since then, she has taken on supporting roles in feature films including “BASH,” “Rain for Christmas,” “Trade Secrets,” “Through Sickness and Hell,” “Fatal Fraud,” “Becky 2,” and “Hidden Agenda,” many of which are now streaming. Her stage credits also include multiple performances in “JAIA (Just As I Am)” as Rachel.

Ilyasa has also appeared in commercials and background roles for major brands and networks such as Netflix, The CW, and Paramount, with brands including Toyota, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dave and Buster’s, and Academy Sports. Most recently, she completed her first principal role in a KHOU commercial for Rodney Jones Law Firm and will star as Dr. Athena Hart in the upcoming feature film “Her Last Patient” (2026). Passionate and driven, Ilyasa is committed to growth and storytelling, with a goal to captivate audiences and make a lasting impact in the entertainment industry.

Come show Ilyasa love and experience her debut performance on the Fade To Black Reading Series!

Opening Night, Friday, January 23, 2026
Location, MATCH Houston, 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX 77004
Tickets, available now at https://matchouston.org/events/2026/fade-black-reading-series

www.FadeToBlackFest.com

#ftbrs2026 #blackartmatters #fadetoblackreadingseries

We are overjoyed to produce the new work reading of playwright Deon Barksdale Jr., “Ibanujẹ,” directed by Devinaire Barnes.

“Ibanujẹ” (“sorrow” in Yoruba). Still carrying the weight of a recent loss, a young man moves through his days emotionally shut down, until an unexpected encounter cracks open what he has been trying not to feel. In that moment, grief stops whispering and starts asking for an answer.
__________

Deon Barksdale Jr. is a Tampa, Florida native and a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, where he earned a B.A. in Theatre Performance. A multi-talented artist, performer, director, and playwright, he expresses himself through a wide range of creative mediums. His directing credits include the world premiere of “The Preacherman,” “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” and, most recently, serving as assistant director for “The SpongeBob Musical.” As a performer, he has appeared in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “Carmen in San Sebastián,” “King Hedley II,” “The Exonerated,” and more. As a playwright, Deon’s work is rooted in the African diaspora and guided by questions of memory, legacy, identity, and love. His writing includes “Ibanujẹ,” which explores grief through a young man’s profound encounter with ancestral presence, and “Negatory,” an original musical set in a metaphysical purgatory where Black souls confront truth and accountability. He continues to develop new works that explore the emotional, cultural, and generational landscapes of Black life, creating stories that are raw, complex, and unapologetically human, honoring resilience while amplifying voices too often left unheard.

Come experience Deon Barksdale Jr.’s powerful writing in “Ibanujẹ,” and see why his voice is one to watch.

Opening Night, Friday, January 23, 2026
Location, MATCH Houston, 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX 77004
Tickets, available now at https://matchouston.org/events/2026/fade-black-reading-series

www.FadeToBlackFest.com

#ftbrs2026 #blackartmatters #fadetoblackreadingseries

We are overjoyed to produce the new work reading of playwright Deon Barksdale Jr., “Ibanujẹ,” directed by Devinaire Barnes.

“Ibanujẹ” (“sorrow” in Yoruba). Still carrying the weight of a recent loss, a young man moves through his days emotionally shut down, until an unexpected encounter cracks open what he has been trying not to feel. In that moment, grief stops whispering and starts asking for an answer.
__________

Deon Barksdale Jr. is a Tampa, Florida native and a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, where he earned a B.A. in Theatre Performance. A multi-talented artist, performer, director, and playwright, he expresses himself through a wide range of creative mediums. His directing credits include the world premiere of “The Preacherman,” “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” and, most recently, serving as assistant director for “The SpongeBob Musical.” As a performer, he has appeared in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “Carmen in San Sebastián,” “King Hedley II,” “The Exonerated,” and more. As a playwright, Deon’s work is rooted in the African diaspora and guided by questions of memory, legacy, identity, and love. His writing includes “Ibanujẹ,” which explores grief through a young man’s profound encounter with ancestral presence, and “Negatory,” an original musical set in a metaphysical purgatory where Black souls confront truth and accountability. He continues to develop new works that explore the emotional, cultural, and generational landscapes of Black life, creating stories that are raw, complex, and unapologetically human, honoring resilience while amplifying voices too often left unheard.

Come experience Deon Barksdale Jr.’s powerful writing in “Ibanujẹ,” and see why his voice is one to watch.

Opening Night, Friday, January 23, 2026
Location, MATCH Houston, 3400 Main Street, Houston, TX 77004
Tickets, available now at https://matchouston.org/events/2026/fade-black-reading-series

www.FadeToBlackFest.com

#ftbrs2026 #blackartmatters #fadetoblackreadingseries

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

Follow Us

OFFICES

16370 Angel Island Ln

Houston, TX 77053

+1 (800) 350-FADE

CONTACT US

© 2026 by SHABACH ENTERPRISE

bottom of page