In June 2020, during white America’s so-called racial reckoning, a group of more than 300 theater makers of color formed the group We See You, White American Theater and published a letter excoriating the industry for inequitable practices and pervasive racial bias. The local response to that was mixed, with some organizations performing some world-class pandering. OZ Arts has stood out from the pack, bringing American and internationally acclaimed performing artists to its warehouse for shows that have attracted the most diverse audiences I’ve seen in Nashville’s theater scene. The 2021-22 season saw Ronald K. Brown, Rennie Harris Puremovement, Miwa Matreyek and more visiting acts, plus community-centered shows like Dave Ragland and Shabaz Ujima’s moving Steal Away. Under the leadership of artistic director Mark Murphy, OZ has come into its own as the performing arts powerhouse that Nashville needs.
Best Overall Season
OZ Arts
Miwa Matreyek's Infinitely Yours at OZ Arts
