THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Roberson graduated from Howard University's Theatre Arts Department in 2005, and became artistic director of Congo Square Theatre in 2013. Among other things, Roberson created Congo Square's signature conversation series, Owning Our Worth; and founded Congo Square's Education program, Y-BOOM ( Young Brothers Owning Our Mission )—a literacy-based leadership program that provides a safe environment for adolescent African-American men. He succumbed to pneumonia in 2017.

The McMullen & Kime Charitable Trust is funding the fellowship.

Each year, the fellowship will be focused on a particular area of concentration in theater arts—directing, artistic leadership or education, for example. The focus of the 2020 Samuel G. Roberson Jr Resident Fellowship Award is playwriting.

The artist and host theater recipients will work together toward a public performance of a play, performance piece or other performance endeavor. Each year, an artist will be awarded $20,000 for participation in the program. The host theater will be awarded $7,500 for its support of the artist.

Application and eligibility requirements can be found at LeagueOfChicagoTheatres.org/samuel-g-roberson-jr-resident-fellowship/ . Priority will be given to host theaters that have a stated mission to produce work by Black or BIPOC ( Black, indigenous and people of color ) artists.

The application deadline is Sunday, Sept. 13.