Ekundayo Bandele
In 2006, you might have thought Bandele was doing a “Hey, Kids, Let’s Put on a Show!” thing with his founding of Hattiloo Theatre. But his vision went way beyond staging a production — it was, and is, to establish an African-American repertory theater that inspires the community and does significant work, from plays to outreach to education. His leadership includes spearheading a $4.3 million capital campaign to build Hattiloo’s two-theater venue that opened debt-free in 2014, and raising another $900,000 in 2016 to build the Hattiloo Development Center. He’s not only created theater buildings, he creates theater itself: He’s directed many plays, including several of August Wilson’s, and played King in King Hedley II. He’s also author of the Christmas favorite, If Scrooge Was a Brother.
