MILWAUKEE, WI — September 17, 2026 — Accomplished Milwaukee-based actor, director, and producer Dimonte Henning has joined Black Arts MKE (BAMKE) as Artistic Director, starting with the 2027–28 season. Henning will work alongside BAMKE’s business leader and inaugural Executive Director, Barbara Wanzo.
Henning will deliver on the mission to increase the quality and quantity of African American arts and culture by adding an exciting new season of theatrical and arts education programming, in addition to BAMKE’s annual signature events, Black Nativity by Langston Hughes and the BAMKE Theatre Festival. Jacqueline Herd-Barber, BAMKE Co-Founder and Chair of the Programming Committee adds, “we’re excited that Dimonte is joining us. His presence as Artistic Director allows us to accelerate and deepen our artistic programming, and it positions us for our exciting growth plans in 2027 and beyond.”
Dimonte brings his expertise and passion for creating Black theatre and developing talent. This new leadership role will enable BAMKE to significantly expand its theatrical offerings, including a year-round subscription season featuring new plays, adult and youth training programs, playwright development, masterclasses for professionals, and supplementary media programming to grow BAMKE’s overall audience and earned revenue. “The goal is to create a local talent pipeline, raise overall performance standards, and produce actors for future company productions — a cyclical development-to-casting model,” says Henning.
Together, these initiatives mark an exciting new chapter for BAMKE and a more vibrant arts scene for the community.
Henning brings nearly 20 years of experience as an actor, director, producer, and theatre arts educator. As a producer, he co-founded Lights! Camera! Soul! and the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival at MCT. He received his formal theater training from UW-Milwaukee, with additional training through Milwaukee Rep’s Emerging Professional Residency. “I’m grateful to the BAMKE Board of Directors for entrusting me with this responsibility, and I look forward to working with the entire BAMKE team, stakeholders, and volunteers,” says Henning.
