African Company presents Richard III

The African Company Presents Richard III -

Presented by Rochester Community Players & Co-produced with {theater}+{náfsi}

By Carlyle Brown

Directed by Reuben J. Tapp

In 1821’s New York City, a white theatre owner tries to stop a Black theatre company’s production of “Richard III,” but their courage was a dye no tyranny could bleach.

About the Company

A Black repertory theater, {theater}+{náfsi} produces artistic performances that illuminate the human condition through the prism of people from the African Diaspora (African-American, African, Afro-Latino, etc.). Náfsi means soul in Swahili; therefore, its name is also its mantra: Theater with Soul! 

Rochester Community Players, now celebrating its 100th season in 2025, is the oldest community theatre in Rochester, the second-oldest in New York state, and among the oldest continuously operating community theatres in the United States.