We are excited to announce the launch of our newest picture book, Bina’s Harvest. Written by acclaimed playwright Lloyd Suh and beautifully illustrated by Nicole Kang Ahn, this heartwarming story is the 2024 Mayor’s Summer Reading Club book selection, marking the sixth collaboration between the MSRC and the Alliance.
About the Mayor’s Summer Reading Club
The Mayor’s Summer Reading Club is a program dedicated to fostering a love of reading among children from birth to age five and their families. Each summer, the program distributes a city-wide book choice at no cost, engaging young readers through a variety of enriching activities across Atlanta. Libraries, museums, farmers’ markets, childcare programs, and other institutions host “book club reads,” where children and their families experience the story through arts and crafts, drama exercises, and other interactive methods.
The Story of Bina’s Harvest
Set against the backdrop of an apple orchard, Bina’s Harvest follows young Bina as she eagerly joins her family in harvesting apples for the first time. Throughout her journey, Bina learns that patience and timing are essential parts of the process. This beautifully crafted story imparts valuable lessons about growth and understanding.
From the Author, Lloyd Suh
Lloyd Suh, known for his poignant play Bina’s Six Apples, has infused Bina’s Harvest with personal and cultural significance. Reflecting on this project, Suh shares:
“It’s such an honor to work with Nicole Kang Ahn and the team at Alliance Theatre on this book, which means so much to me as a story inspired by my family’s history, and motivated by my family’s future. I’m so grateful to the Mayor’s Summer Reading Club for making it possible to share this story with my kids, my parents, and the city of Atlanta.”
Insights from the Illustrator, Nicole Kang Ahn
Nicole Kang Ahn, a celebrated Atlanta artist whose work often explores themes of cultural identity and motherhood, has brought Bina’s world to life with her vibrant illustrations. Reflecting on her experience, Ahn says:
“Bina’s Harvest is one of the most joyful projects I have taken on as an artist. I loved working with Lloyd Suh and bringing Bina’s story to life. His ability to guide and direct in his writing gave me the freedom to imagine Bina as a character that is a part of who I am. I reflected on my experiences, my mother’s, and my grandparents’, and drew inspiration for the characters from my own daughter and husband. As a second-generation Korean American, this book is a gift to my child and to my community. I am deeply grateful to the Alliance Theatre for another opportunity to illustrate and dream up these stories through my art.”
Join the Celebration
As summer unfolds, families across Atlanta are invited to join in the celebration of Bina’s Harvest. Through community events and hands-on activities, children will not only enjoy a delightful story but also engage in experiences that promote literacy and a love for reading.
The Round 10 cohort features a woman’s homage to her family through physical theatre, an exploration of identity and relationships via soft drinks, and a family show using puppets to celebrate environmentalism.
ATLANTA, May 2024 — The Alliance Theatre is proud to announce the three artistic projects chosen for development in its tenth annual Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab. The projects will be presented as free presentations in Spring 2025.
Day
Day is one woman’s deeply funny journey through traumatic grief, chronic illness and the untamable joy discovered while she huddled in the darkest recesses of her worst nightmares.
Reiser Lab Artists:
*Emma Yarbrough, Playwright/Actor
Cait Greenamyre, Producer
Melissa Word, Movement Director
Peps! Cola Bitch
A new play taking on Heteronormativity and Beverage Bias from a very Atlanta, very Black, and very Fem Queer lens.
Reiser Lab Artists:
*Dalyla Nicole, Playwright/Lead Producer
K. Parker, Director/Co-Producer
Amanda Washington, Intimacy Choreographer/Co-Producer
Plastic Bottle Genie
The genie in the plastic bottle that Meeka finds on the beach has the best of intentions, but the wishes he grants have unexpected consequences.
Reiser Lab Artists:
*Vynnie Meli, Playwright
Jimmica Collins, Actor/TYA Dramaturg
Cedwan Hooks, Actor/Puppeteer/Master Builder
*Indicates the Lead Artist
The Preacher’s Wife weaves a tale of faith, love, and divine intervention. In the heart of Harlem stands a 1920s African American Baptist church, a testament to generations of faith and community. But this sacred space faces an uncertain future—a threat that resonates with our mission at The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Reverend Henry Biggs, pastor of this struggling church, grapples with dwindling membership, financial woes, and the relentless pressure from real estate developer Joe Hamilton. Hamilton’s vision? Luxury condominiums on the church’s hallowed grounds. The stakes are high, and the congregation’s heritage hangs in the balance.
Our organization, committed to safeguarding Georgia’s historic treasures, recognizes that historic preservation is more than bricks and mortar—it’s about saving the intrinsic value of a place and community. The Georgia Trust works to achieve this by preserving and revitalizing Georgia’s diverse historic resources and advocating for their appreciation, protection, and use.
When it comes to historic Black churches, our national counterpart, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, puts it perfectly: “As the oldest institutions created and controlled by African Americans, Black churches are a living testament to the achievements and resiliency of generations in the face of a racialized and inequitable society.” Recognizing this significance, the National Trust has developed an excellent grant program to aid these historic churches. In Georgia, we work to meet the needs of these and other resources of underrepresented history via targeted programs like our African American Preservation Program and the West Atlanta Preservation Initiative. Through educational and hands-on assistance, we provide historic African American resources with successful tools for preservation. We also work with the National Trust and partners around the state and the country to aid historic resources, whatever their specific needs may be.
We are honored to partner with the Alliance Theatre to shine a light on the challenges and opportunities for historic preservation in Georgia. Like Dudley, the witty angel in The Preacher’s Wife, we believe in the transformative power of collective action. Together, let’s write a new chapter—one where historic churches thrive and where legacies are preserved. Discover more about The Georgia Trust and how you can get involved at www.georgiatrust.org.
Above: The Historic West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, best known for its connection with Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy, who served as its pastor from 1961 to 1973. Currently owned by the Ralph David Abernathy III Foundation, the property received funding from the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund African American Civil Rights Program and restoration efforts are currently underway. The Georgia Trust protects the building for future generations through a conservation easement and provides annual inspections and recommendations for its preservation.
In 2015, Vogue photographer Carolyn Drake took photos of the parishioners of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, the home church of Martin Luther King Jr., and the meeting place of the ATL branch of the NAACP during the Civil Rights Movement. Men and women pose in their Easter outfits, sporting bright colors and the classic Sunday Best silhouette. Some women wear carefully tailored and pressed jackets and skirts, a pair of tights, heels, and a church hat. Some wear a business casual dress with high heels. There is a distinct, generational gap between these two styles. What caused it?
As time has gone on, the mission and initiatives of the church have moved with the needs of the people. Trends, ideologies, and sociopolitical climate change constantly, and the Black church, as a figure of the community, must walk alongside it. This is where we see a shift in fashion.
According to a 2021 study by the Pew Research Center, “Black Millennials… and Generation Z are… less religious and less engaged in Black churches than older generations”, a problem church leaders are looking to amend by making changes to the culture, teachings, and offerings of the church– while also maintaining their current, older population.
Various pastors reached out to their youth groups and found that “young adults… prefer dressing casually to wearing their Sunday best to services” and “shorter services”. In response, they implemented alternative services with a casual dress code and shorter run time to attract young worshippers, but maintained their longer, Sunday-best-expected services for their older congregants.
A scroll through various “Get Ready With Me For Church” videos on Instagram and TikTok shows the current trends worn by young black women in the church. Many of them don a satin slip dress, a turtleneck knit sweater on top, and a pair of boots. Some wear fashionable and versatile bodycon dresses with high heels. Others wear matching pantsuits, flowing skirts or dresses, and even jeans. You might even see a graphic t-shirt. There is no set uniform, formula, or silhouette among young women’s dress. This is simply a result of time. Trends cycle through as each decade passes, but the intention remains the same. Each of these women have put time and effort into their look as an expression of faith, a dedication to look their best for God. What is considered your Sunday Best has evolved to allow the needs of a specific time and person. Younger generations are able to express their individual styles while attending church.
In The Preacher’s Wife, we witness this distinct difference between the styles of Margueritte and Julia. Margueritte dresses in our classic Sunday Best, equipped with the ever iconic church hat. Julia dons our modern style, reflecting the satin fabrics, flowing or snug dresses, and high heels we see on young women today.
Humans are not static creatures. Therefore, our communities cannot be either. In having grace and space for future generations, we guarantee the continuation of support, stewardship, and society. As we exist in our spaces, we must consider what is necessary to make us grow.
HTTPS://WWW.VOGUE.COM/SLIDESHOW/EASTER-SUNDAY-EBENEZER-BAPTIST-CHURCH HTTPS://WWW.PEWRESEARCH.ORG/RELIGION/2021/02/16/FAITH-AMONG-BLACK-AMERICAN