Burned out, lackadaisical. That's how Ekundayo Bandele describes himself after completing a yet-to-be-published novel last spring. But the New York native didn't turn off his cell phone and crawl under the covers. Instead, he took up a friend's challenge to launch a new theatre, one that would cross color lines.

True, the Hattiloo Theatre includes "Black Repertory" in its name. "That's because we want black people to feel welcome and comfortable," explains Bandele, who says that playgoers who attend Memphis' eight other venues are almost all white. "And those have empty seats because they're not attracting 64 percent of the population. So we're starting a campaign to get African-Americans to the theatre. They're missing out on so much." As for drawing white playgoers, Bandele believes the quality of the shows will bring them out in force.

I Ain't Yo' Uncle reshuffles the race cards

By Chris Davis | The Memphis Flyer