CROSSROADS INC

CROSSROADS' PRIMARY EFFORT HAS BEEN ITS FOUR-PLAY MAIN STAGE SEASON, WHERE THE MANY TIMBRES OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE HAVE BEEN GIVEN VOICE IN FULL PRODUCTIONS. SINCE IT'S FOUNDING, CROSSROADS HAS PRODUCED OVER 100 WORKS, MANY OF WHICH WERE PREMIERE PRODUCTIONS BY THE WORLD'S LEADING AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTIST. THROUGH BOTH ITS MAIN STAGE PRODUCTIONS AND THE COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS, CROSSROADS REACHES AUDIENCES OF DIVERSE ORIGINS WHO WERE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE LIVE PERFORMANCES OF PLAYS THAT ILLUMINATE THE MANY COMPLEXITIES OF BLACK LIFE. FOR A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT REASONS, CROSSROADS' FY 2024 WAS AN NOTABLE YEAR. FIRST, IT BEGAN WITH THE LAUNCHING OF A NATIONAL SEARCH FOR A MANAGING DIRECTOR, HEADED BY THE CHICAGO-BASED SEARCH FIRM, GATES CONSULTING GROUP AND SUPPORTED BY A MAJOR GRANT FROM THE MACMILLAN FAMILY FOUNDATION, ALSO RECEIVED IN THAT YEAR. BY MARCH 1, 2024, EZRA EZZARD HAD BEEN PLACED AS CROSSROADS THEATRE COMPANY'S MANAGING DIRECTOR, ITS FIRST IN OVER A DECADE. SHORTLY AFTER, EZRA BEGAN AN EXAMINATION OF THE ORGANIZATION'S STRUCTURE, PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES WHICH WAS THEN REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED AT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES' ANNUAL RETREAT ON JUNE 1 IN NEW BRUNSWICK. AT THAT SAME BOARD MEETING, STEPS TO FURTHER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS GOALS AND PLANS WERE AGREED TO, REFLECTIVE OF THE BOARD'S PRIORITIES. ONE IMPORTANT PRIORITY WAS THE CONTINUED BUILDING OF INFRASTRUCTURE. HOWEVER, BY THE START OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, ONLY ONE MONTH LATER, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THEIR PLANS COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY BE IMPLEMENTED DUE TO THE LOSS OF A MAJOR GRANT THAT HAD BEEN EXPECTED AND COUNTED ON. BY THE END OF FY 2024, HOWEVER, WHILE THE ORGANIZATION'S CASH FLOW WAS NOT AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED, CROSSROADS HAD SUCCESSFULLY ELIMINATED ITS CUMULATIVE DEBT. THE 2023-2024 SEASON WAS ALSO A SUCCESS IN THAT IT PRODUCED WORKS THAT UPHELD THE CROSSROADS MISSION AND CREATIVE GOALS IN A NUMBER OF AREAS: 1) ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE, 2) GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS, 3) DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW AUDIENCES, 4) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. PROGRAMMING STARTED WITH A NEARLY SOLD OUT COMMUNITY-BASED HOMECOMING EVENT IN SEPTEMBER, A REVIVAL OF A CROSSROADS ORIGINAL IN DECEMBER- "ELLA, FIRST LADY OF SONG" STARRING AUDIENCE FAVORITE FREDA PAYNE, AN EXPANSION OF THE GENESIS FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS TO THE CAMPUS OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY FOR ONE WEEK IN MARCH, A GLOBALLY INSPIRED REVIVAL OF AUGUST WILSON'S CLASSIC, "FENCES", AND A ONE WEEK CELEBRATION OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA BORN IN 1994, WITH A PRODUCTION FEATURING INTERNATIONAL STARS, SOMI AND BONGI DUMA, PERFORMING THE MUSIC OF MIRIAM MAKEBA AND HUGH MASEKELA. THE YEAR WAS COMPLETED ON JUNE 19 WITH THE COMPANY'S PERFORMED PARTICIPATION IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY'S JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS.