Stevie Walker-Webb: Artistic Leadership Rooted in Community

Stevie Walker-Webb, the artistic director of Baltimore Center Stage (BCS), has always been driven by the relationship between theater and its community. His journey in leadership began in 2010 when, as a self-described "20-year-old, fresh-faced baby," he founded Jubilee Theater in Waco, Texas. He recalled not knowing the formal definition of an artistic director, but simply knowing he loved making theater and that his childhood community lacked a professional venue.

The Call Back to Community

After those "formative" years in Waco, Walker-Webb pursued a successful career as a freelance director, which included a Tony nomination and an Obie award for directing Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’ in New York. He also directed Fat Ham at the Huntington in Boston and a popular Our Town at BCS. However, the transient nature of freelance life—"constantly going from one community to the next"—left him missing a sense of permanence. He yearned for a place where he could establish roots, grow, and truly measure the impact of his work.

Following the Broadway closing of Ain’t No Mo’, a "dizzying" period that saw the show garner six Tony nominations in a short run, Walker-Webb began to rethink his understanding of "show business." He felt compelled to move beyond the rehearsal room and stage to address the "business" part, aiming to ensure that every aspect of the organization—from boardroom decisions to how artists and audiences are welcomed—matched the quality of the art presented. His focus shifted to impacting the entire community.

Baltimore: A Cultural Mecca

Now 15 months into his leadership at BCS, Walker-Webb views his role as a chance to realize this vision. When reflecting on Baltimore, he is unequivocally enthusiastic: “If people don’t know yet, they’re going to find out: Baltimore is where it’s at, baby.” He praises the city for resisting the "bleaching of culture" and celebrates it as a Black cultural mecca thriving with innovation in fashion, cuisine, live performance, and strong DIY, spoken word, poetry, and ballroom scenes. Baltimore's rich and eclectic cultural ecology—including strong Indigenous, Latinx, Jewish, and Irish populations—allows him to program a truly diverse season that reflects the city's complex heart. He embraces those who call his seasons "all over the place," asserting that the plays are meant to be "as disparate and eclectic as the people who call Baltimore home."

Creating a "Virtuous Circle" of Impact

For Walker-Webb, the work of BCS extends significantly beyond the main stage. He describes the theater as creating a “virtuous circle,” where the main stage serves as an ambassadorship to the nation, testifying to Baltimore’s cultural greatness, while simultaneously going deep into the community. The goal is to take the "surplus energy, the surplus resources" generated by national attention and pour them directly into local programs.

A key effort in this commitment is the Juvenile Justice Theatre Program, launched in October in partnership with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. Walker-Webb is a very hands-on artistic director, weekly visiting the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center to run a program for young men aged 13 to 18. The program’s mission is to empower these young men to be agents of change in their own narratives, allowing them to sit in the playwriting, acting, or director's chair and cast themselves as protagonists.

Drawing on his personal history—including a brother who was wrongfully incarcerated—Walker-Webb calls this the "most rewarding and the most important work" he does. This permanent program is set to expand to young women’s detention centers and will include paid internships to create pathways for these young artists to employment in the arts. He is driven by the conviction that art saved his life and is committed to paying that forward.

Investing in Tomorrow and Fighting Darkness with Love

To stay on the cutting edge, Walker-Webb believes in investing in the next generation. He proudly highlights the Young Playwrights Festival, a free program in its 40th year that goes into Title One schools across Baltimore, culminating in the production of plays written by elementary and middle school students on the BCS main stage. He sees these young people as the future of American theater and listens to their voices to inform his artistic direction.

Addressing the national uncertainty surrounding nonprofits and a volatile political climate, Walker-Webb strongly believes that theaters need to be the answer to society's questions. Referencing Zora Neale Hurston’s idea of "years that ask the question" and "years that answer the question," he stresses the need to answer with love, inclusion, and human compassion. Quoting Toni Cade Bambara, he asserts, “The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.” His vision is not to "reach across the aisle," but to "dance in the aisle," creating spaces of joy and fighting "back the darkness with love."

Looking toward the end of his tenure, Walker-Webb hopes that BCS will be nationally recognized for producing some of the most "avant-garde, some of the most cutting-edge theatre and storytelling" coming out of Baltimore. Locally, he wants the community to feel deep ownership. Initiatives like their pay-what-you-can community nights, which include a free meal and bring diverse people together in the lobby, are helping to build that feeling. He wants people to be able to say, “Baltimore Center Stage is my theatre. It belongs to me.”

If he could offer advice to his younger self, Walker-Webb would simply repeat the wisdom of his grandmother:

"Don’t change who you are, because your personality is going to take you through the world."