Hattiloo Theatre

Tonight is my first time at the Hattiloo Theatre watching Carmen Jones. The show is sooooo good that if you closed your eyes, you would forget that you were in Memphis, This feels like Broadway!

What an awesome place!!! I came to see "Blues In The Night" with sorority sisters! The host for the evening was hilarious and made us feel right at home. The musical was entertaining! We had a blast and welcome more opportunities to come visit!

Hattiloo Theater - Season 17 - I can't wait to this live performance of The Color Purple, which is one of my favorite movies! Ekundayo'a leadership is to be commended as Hattiloo is celebrating 19 years of existence. This adaptation of The Color Purple exceeded my expectations. The music really touched my soul. I highly encourage people to go see it. I also can't wait for "A Raisin in the Sun" next month!

Went to see "Tumbling Down" written by Ekundayo Bandele Great play. Enjoyed it. Nice theater experience.

Love the Hattiloo! Our work just hosted a reception here. It was an amazing space for our event and it looked so elegant and classy. The staff is so helpful and friendly.

I went over the river and through the woods to visit the Hattiloo Theatre this past weekend to see August Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean", and it was so worth it! The theater and its staff are lovely. There were beautiful paintings of black playwrites and authors in the lobby. The set was really well done and the seating in the theater was very intimate and the front row is right on the stage! The sound quality was great and you can't beat the price!The costuming could have been a bit more in line with the time period of the play and a few lines were flubbed here and there, but still not a bad production at all. Nonetheless, the acting was still very good.

Such a well needed staple in the community. They also host such wonderful events. The new design is beautiful.

I had the distinct pleasure of witnessing the ground breaking and grand opening performance at the new Hattiloo Theatre!The venue is not only used for Hattiloo's custom-made plays and children's theatre, it's also a prime spot for receptions and community forums. The 11,041 square foot space is centrally located in midtown Memphis' Overton Square. It has an open, wall-to-wall-window reception area. According to the building engineering firm's website, the main stage setup can be reconfigured depending on need and can seat up to 180 people. The other black box theatre stage, that can seat as many as 58 people, is a cool setup where the seats circle the stage. It gives you an incredibly intimate feel that I haven't experienced in other theatre venues. The actual plays can range from the Anansi the Spider children's play to Hattiloo's own rendition of A Christmas Carol: If Scrooge was a Brother.Parking is usually not a problem, as three of the theatre's walls are surrounded by a parking lot and nearby paid parking garage. The theatre founder, Ekundayo Bandele, is a transplant from Brooklyn, New York who established Memphis' first black repertory company years back, but the theatre relocated to Overton Square in 2013 and opened in 2014, after a $4.3 million capital campaign. Locals feel very strongly about the success of the theatre and put a lot of private money into it. The theatre recently unveiled its H.Y.P.E. (Hattiloo Young Professionals Experience) program to encourage young people to become stakeholders in the theatre. The original theatre had an educational component: Classes for young playwrites, actors, and directors.Fun tidbit: The theatre's name is a combination of the founder's two daughters' nicknames: Hatshepsut Bandele (Hatti) and Oluremi Bandele (Loo.)The theatre's original mission statement:"Our mission is to develop a Black theatre that is accessible to, relevant to, and reflective of a multicultural community."Your Memphis experience wouldn't be complete without a visit to Hattiloo.

I am 100% in support of the performances at Hattiloo Theatre. However, they have the most deplorable customer service I've ever experienced. Recently, I called the ticket office to see what shows were available. The first time at around 3 and provide my credit card information for the show the rep said was available, the rep called back about 30 mins later to state there were no tickets available. I asked if she had processed anything on my credit card and the response was NO. (my card was charged $103.00 - I was not aware at that time.) Called back around 5 and was told that tickets for the following week were available. (Card charged $33, the correct amount.) I the received the email confirmation. Then checked my account and saw the two charges and called immediately to inform them of the charge made it error. I was told that there was no way that they did it and to contact my bank. There was nothing they could do and if there were two charges they didn't do. Tried to explained that both charges indicated Hattiloo Theatre. The next morning my bank confirmed the charge at 3 and charge at 5. Called Hattiloo to speak with manager, again they stated their system didn't make errors and they did not make the charge. Conf. call with bank to provide exact transaction information - again Manager stated there was nothing could do and they had not record of the transaction. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER - DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION - BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN CHARGES. Don't let me forget - manager was very rude and acted as if I was trying to get something for nothing. WOW!THEY FOUND THE MISTAKE AND CORRECTED IT!! THE MANAGER EXPRESSED HER SINCERE APOLOGY AND GAVE TWO TICKETS TO A SHOW IN FEBRUARY! ALL IS WELL!!!

Wonderful experience again. I recently attended the play"A House that Stands" it was great. I love the small theater or playhouse feel. The actors are top rate and very professional. The atmosphere is very nice and the pictures in the entrance way or beautiful. I can't wait to go back.