Kamilah Forbes on the Apollo Theater, Hip Hop Theater, and Building Culture That Lasts
How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield · How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield
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Show Notes
Kamilah Forbes was supposed to be a doctor. She went to Howard University with a plan to study medicine and act on the side. Freshman biology changed that. She walked across campus to the theater department, and the rest is a story of hip hop theater festivals, Def Poetry Jam, HBO, and eventually becoming the Executive Producer of the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
Key Takeaways:
- The clear career path does not always exist in arts and entertainment; sometimes you have to create the lane and build the audience for it yourself.
- Your biggest collaborators are often already sitting next to you; Kamilah's Howard classmates became her lifelong creative partners and co-builders.
- Moving a legacy institution forward means shifting from reverence to relevance while honoring everything that came before.
- Saying yes to a job while seven months pregnant taught Kamilah that there is never a "perfect time" to step into your purpose.
- The people you build with early in your career often become the people you build with for life.
In this conversation, Dreena Whitfield sits down with Kamilah Forbes inside the Apollo Theater to talk about growing up as a first-generation Jamaican American theater kid in Chicago, pivoting from pre-med to fine arts at Howard, and co-founding the Hip Hop Theater Festival to create a space that didn't exist for young voices. Kamilah shares how a job interview to be an assistant to Stan Lathan turned into her first role in television on Def Poetry Jam for HBO, how she rose from talent executive to executive producer, and how a consulting gig at the Apollo eventually led to the opportunity to help shape its future.
Topics covered in this episode:
- Why Kamilah chose Howard University and how HBCUs create spaces for Black identity and creative growth
- How hip hop theater was born from young artists who didn't see themselves reflected on existing stages
- The path from Def Poetry Jam to directing and producing across theater and television
- How the Apollo Theater transitioned from a commercial venue to a mission-driven nonprofit
- Adapting Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Between the World and Me" from book to stage to HBO film
- What it means to lead a 90-year-old institution through expansion, including two new theaters at the Victoria
- Producing the upcoming Soul Train musical with Questlove and Dominique Morisseau
- Navigating work-life balance as a working mom at a demanding cultural institution
- Advice for young Black artists: your biggest assets are sitting right next to you
Who Should Listen: If you are a creative professional navigating arts and culture, a Black woman in leadership at a legacy institution, someone figuring out how to bridge passion and profession, or anyone interested in the intersection of art, activism, and community building, this episode is for you.
About Kamilah Forbes: Kamilah Forbes is the Executive Producer of the Apollo Theater. A Howard University graduate, she co-founded the Hip Hop Theater Festival and has directed and produced across theater and television, including Def Poetry Jam and the HBO adaptation of "Between the World and Me." She is currently producing the Soul Train musical alongside Questlove and Dominique Morisseau.
Learn more about the Apollo Theater: https://www.apollotheater.org Follow Kamilah Forbes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamilahf
Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you prefer audio. Watch the full video episode on Substack: https://howigotherewdreenaw.substack.com Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@howigotherewdreenaw
Subscribe to How I Got Here with Dreena Whitfield for more conversations on purpose, leadership, and reinvention.
- (00:00) - Dreena Whitfield welcomes Kamilah Forbes, Executive Producer of the Apollo Theater
- (01:11) - How did growing up as a first-generation Jamaican American theater kid in Chicago shape Kamilah Forbes' career?
- (03:57) - Why did Kamilah Forbes switch from pre-med to theater at Howard University?
- (05:47) - How do HBCUs like Howard University shape Black creative professionals?
- (08:18) - What is hip hop theater and how did Kamilah Forbes help create the movement?
- (11:12) - How did a failed assistant job interview lead Kamilah Forbes to Def Poetry Jam on HBO?
- (15:15) - How did a consulting gig at the Apollo Theater turn into an Executive Producer role for Kamilah Forbes?
- (18:09) - What is the vision for moving the Apollo Theater from reverence to relevance?
- (20:11) - How did Kamilah Forbes adapt Between the World and Me from book to stage to HBO film?
- (27:10) - What advice does Kamilah Forbes have for young Black artists breaking into the industry?
- (28:16) - What is next for the Apollo Theater including the Soul Train musical with Questlove?
- (29:41) - How does Kamilah Forbes balance being a working mom and leading a cultural institution?
- (34:14) - Quickfire: favorite musical, personal mantra, and what is next for Kamilah Forbes