Sir Voza Rivers, founding member of Harlem’s New Heritage Repertory Theatre

Voza Rivers, founding member of Harlem’s New Heritage Repertory Theatre, NHRT, (est. 1964), is one of the country’s leading African American theater producers. Rivers’ involvement in the theatre dates back to 1964 when he met Roger Furman, a playwright/ director, and a member of Harlem’s American Negro Theatre (1940-1949), co-founded by Fred O’Neal and Abram Hill, which included actors Ruby Dee, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis, Alice Childress, Gertrude Jeannette, Clarisse Taylor, among many others. Rivers joined New Heritage with Furman’s encouragement and guidance which left an indelible impression on the importance of black theater and its role then and now in capturing the lifestyle and cultural lives of people of color locally and globally.

In 1997, playwright/director Jamal Joseph joined NHTG as Executive Artistic Director. They expanded and re-organized Furman’s New Heritage Theatre into New Heritage Theatre Group (NHTG). Currently, NHTG has three divisions: IMPACT Repertory Theatre - the Youth Division; New Heritage Films/Harlemwood Film Festival, producers of documentaries/short films and showcases for filmmakers of color in an annual festival; and Furman Theatre Rep, a select group of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural actors, writers, directors, technicians and designers who support works by emerging and established artists of color.