Black Anthology performers rehearse before their opening show. (Eran Fann | Staff Photographer)

“At Black Anthology, we really try to produce the encouragement that your skills matter, your passions matter,” Adrianne Gott, a first-year publicity and philanthropy intern, said. “No societal dilemma is bigger than the power that you have to change your community.” 

The 2025 Black Anthology (BA) show, titled “Echoes of Her,” runs from Friday, Feb. 7 through Feb. 8 in the Edison Theatre. The details of the show are kept secret until the opening performance, but will live long after the curtains have closed. 

“The stories that we’re portraying — they don’t end on the stage,” junior Avery Melton-Meaux, this year’s BA director, said. “They might [end] for the actors, but they’re very much living, breathing things and experiences that people have in real life.”

Each year, Black Anthology aims to highlight the lived experiences of Black people across the African diaspora. BA also selects a philanthropy partner every year that connects their work to the greater St. Louis community. Their goals are multifaceted, and different BA shows over the years have featured far-ranging subject matters and emotions through mixtures of theater, dance, and music. Doing so invites the difficult task of translating lived experiences into art.

“The most difficult part is the balance … of being representative of such an important topic and also making sure that we’re creating a great show for people,” sophomore Alana Taylor, a dancer in this year’s show, said.

Senior and BA actor M.J. Brown has acted in two previous Black Anthologies, only missing last year’s show since he was abroad. Brown described “Echoes of Her” as “more serious” than past iterations of the BA. He found that the heavier nature of this year’s show challenged him as a performer. 

“I think this is the first time that, for me specifically, I played a character as very serious,” he said. “I feel like this [show is] much more of a drama than in the past … I had to tap into different acting styles.”

The work that goes into BA begins well before February, when it is performed annually during Black History Month. Preparation for this year’s show began in spring of 2024 with the election of a new executive board and playwright — and they didn’t take a break over the summer.

“The summer is pretty much all writing, revising, polishing the script,” Melton-Meaux said. “Our choreographers, they choreograph during the summer too … and then we hold auditions the first couple weeks of the school year.” 

Set designer and junior Obike Anwisye had his first draft of the set done by September. The whole process took intense planning, from building and painting to coordinating the structural elements of the show. Anwisye hinted at the final design. “I’d say it’s very echoey, it’s a little bit conceptual,” he said.

When the actors, dancers, and first-year interns join the team in the fall, BA hits the ground running. By December, the BA cast can do full run-throughs of their show, and after Winter Break they shift to weekend rehearsals, complete with costumes and makeup. From acting to dance, each facet of the show uniquely conveys larger messages of the production.

“I feel the dances this year will definitely make everyone feel something,” sophomore Anijah Lloyd, assistant choreographer of BA, said. “That’s the biggest goal that I have with creating my pieces.” 

Black Anthology performers rehearse before the opening night of “Echoes of Her.” (Eran Fann | Staff Photographer)

The show represents a year-long process of creativity and cooperation between students from all different academic divisions and expertises. For many, BA is a source of great pride.

“I’ve learned the power of collaboration and putting creative minds together,” senior Temi Akinwuntan, BA Publicity and Philanthropy Chair, said. “We start with a little seed, and to see it performed in Edison is honestly so powerful and makes me excited for the future.”

For many, BA is just as much about the community as it is about the show. Cast and executive members work together both on stage and behind the scenes — their efforts culminating in this annual event. 

“I think there is so much talent that is showcased within our shows, but then also within our meetings,” Gott said. “I feel like we’re such a well-rounded team that we’re unstoppable in everything that we do.”

The BA community stretches far beyond the Edison Theatre. Several cast members described the community as “a family,” and emphasized the close, accepting nature of the organization. 

“It’s so amazing to just be in a space where I feel like I can be myself, express myself creatively in a way that really matters to me, and then also make an impact,” Taylor said. 

Each year, BA partners with a local organization to raise money and awareness, expanding their impact beyond WashU’s campus. This year, their partner is Jamaa Birth Village, Missouri’s first Black-owned midwifery clinic.

“When we pick a philanthropy partner, it’s so that we can help uplift them in any aspect,” Akinwuntan said. “We meet with them and we ask them, ‘What would you like from us? How can Black Anthology help your mission?’”

In partnership with the clinic, BA held a Black maternal health disparity panel and a kit-making event where students built postpartum kits for Jamaa.

Members of BA build postpartum kits for local midwifery and their philanthropy partner, Jamaa Birth Village. (Eran Fann | Staff Photographer)

Each year, the completely original show captivates audiences made up of students, alumni, and St. Louis community members alike, functioning as a celebrational, educational, and social-impact minded space.

“Be inspired to make a difference in any way that you can,” senior Sarah Aliche, the producer of BA, said. “I think that’s kind of a common theme in a lot of our shows. It’s kind of a call to action, especially in this show.”

As Black Anthology adds another year to its storied history, its members encourage WashU students to attend with an open mind, ready to think about the issues raised by the show in this iteration. 

“I do think [this show] is some of our best work,” Melton-Meaux said. “Even at the beginning of this year, before we cast anyone, I knew this was gonna be something special.”

The show runs from Friday, Feb. 7 through Saturday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. on both nights. Each show has a pre-show panel that begins at 6:15 p.m. You can purchase tickets via this link or by visiting the box office at Edison Theatre.

Additional reporting was done by Avi Holzman, Nina Giraldo, Laurel Wang and Elizabeth Grieve