eta Creative Arts Foundation Records

Biographical / Historical

The Ebony Talent Agency/Creative Arts Foundation, Chicago's largest cultural arts complex in the African American community, was started by performers Abena Joan Brown and Okoro Harold Johnson with journalist Al Johnson and attorney Archie Weston in 1969. A licensed talent agency, with franchises from both the American Federation of Television and Radio Arts and the Screen Actors Guild, eta branched out in 1971 to provide training and performance opportunities for adults, teens and children.

Like many theaters without a permanent space, eta spent their earliest years performing in available auditoriums and theaters around town until 1971, when they settled at the Harris YWCA where Ms. Brown was on the executive staff. From 1971 through 1978 eta Creative Arts held classes and workshops at the Harris and staged productions such as El Hajj Malik, Up from the Ashes and Second Coming-Last Chance among many others.

In 1978, Ms. Brown began looking for investors to help eta renovate an abandoned storm window factory at 76th and South Chicago. With the help of an advisory board (which became the official Board of Directors in 1984), an extensive network of community and volunteer support and a challenge grant from the National Endowment, the renovation of the factory was completed in 1988. The 16,000 square foot building at 7558 S. Chicago Avenue holds a state-of-the-art 200-seat theater, a library, a gallery, a student theatre, classrooms and workshop space and offices.

Over the years, eta has offered subscription series and produced dramas and musicals by both local and national playwrights, such as Charles Michael Moore, Ray Aranha and Rob Penney. eta has also featured readers' theater for new playwrights called Playwrights Speak and Showfolk, a series of original plays for children such as Useni Perkins' The Black Fairy and Runako Jahi's Song and Dance.

eta provided an extensive training program for all aspects of performing arts and stagecraft for all ages, in addition to sponsoring several summer programs such as Chicago on the Nile for 6 to 12 year olds and Arts for Youth Empowerment, collaboration with the Muntu Dance Company and the Chicago Housing Authority.