Tish James Vows To Help Troubled Theater, But With One String Attached

Councilwoman Letitia James, D-Fort Greene, vowed to secure city funds for the struggling on Greene Avenue.

But with one catch. According to Brooklyn Ink, James' offer is contigent on a change in management at the 30-year-old cultural institution named for the famed African-American actor and civil rights leader.

However, there's no indication that the theater's nonagenarian founder, Josephine English, is ready to step aside.

“We converted the building into a beautiful part of the neighborhood—people forget that!” . “We were here when the neighborhood was bad, we had [artistic] camps and took in the kids, some of them off the street.”

Despite English's opposition, the city designated the building as a landmark on Oct. 25.