The 60th Anniversary Season of Four Women
Kindled By Nina
After Nina Simone's Four Women
In 1966, Nina Simone sang four women into existence and gave each of them a name that was never hers to keep. Sixty years later, Karen D. Moore answers her — a one-woman evening of film, poetry and original song in which each of the four women is given the floor a second time, in her own voice.
Send an inquiry- Running time
- 70 minutes
- Interval
- None
- Artists
- One on stage
- Rights
- Fully cleared
- Fees from
- $7,500
The Evening
What happens in the room
Kindled By Nina moves as a single unbroken arc. Moore's film Blues Born of Fire — her visual reinterpretation of “Four Women,” with an original score — is given to the audience in scenes rather than whole. After each woman, Moore steps into the light and performs a poem that expands her narrative: the same woman, speaking again, in a different tone and from a different vantage. What the film shows, the poem reopens.
One woman is not Moore's to speak for. Where the song turns to the woman whose skin bought her a different life, the voice that answers is a light-skinned woman's own, recorded, while Moore stands in the room and does not interrupt. The evening argues that these women were never interchangeable. It does not then hand them all to a single mouth.
Running between them are three further spoken works and three original songs written by Moore — delivered by voice and by track, so the evening plays as a musical work with no musicians to house or pay.
There is no interval and no panel. One woman on stage, a screen, and a score that never fully stops — including one long passage in which Moore says nothing at all and simply remains in the room.
- No FearSpoken. The evening opens before the screen does.
- Black Woman BluesOriginal song, with live poetry performed over it.
- Light Skinned BluesSpoken in a guest artist's recorded voice.
- I Am BrownOriginal song, performed live.
- Angry Is Not My NameOriginal song, with live poetry performed over it.
- The BanArchive sequence. In 1966, stations serving the audience the song was written for pulled it from the air.
- Reflect the TimesSpoken, on the far side of the ban.
- Final ReckoningSpoken. The last word belongs to the artist, not to a discussion.
The evening runs 70 minutes without an interval, and can be condensed to 55 for festival and double-bill programming.
For Your Audience
Why programmers book it
An entry point, not a prerequisite
The evening opens through a song most audiences already know. No prior conversation about colorism is required.
Built for a subscriber house
Contemplative and direct, written for general theatre audiences rather than specialist rooms.
Two seasons, one booking
Programs in Black History and Women's History seasons alike.
A dated hook
The 60th anniversary of “Four Women” gives marketing a reason and a deadline.
One artist, one fee
No touring ensemble, no company travel, no per diems beyond a single traveller.
Music without a band
Three original songs arrive by voice and by track. Nothing to house, nothing to pay.
Four women, four voices
The light-skinned woman's poem is performed in a light-skinned artist's own recorded voice. The casting is part of the argument, and it costs the venue nothing.
Clean rights
Original score, original songs, original text. Nothing to license, nothing to clear.
Booking
Fees
Fees are scaled to house size and are negotiable for multi-date regional runs. Presenters booking two or more performances in one region should enquire about block pricing.
| Engagement | Fee |
|---|---|
| Community, academic and studio housesUnder 300 seats | $7,500 |
| Regional and subscriber houses300–700 seats | $9,500 |
| Mainstage and anniversary-season700+ seats | $12,500 |
| Second performance, same dayAdded to any tier | +$3,500 |
| Moderated post-show conversation30 minutes, booked separately | +$1,500 |
| Masterclass or workshop90 minutes, students or community | +$2,000 |
Included
- Performance of the complete 70-minute work
- Film, original score and three original songs, fully cleared
- Cue sheet and playback files supplied in advance
- Press kit, images and approved copy
Provided by the venue
- Projection: screen, projector and playback source
- Full-range sound system with a dedicated performer feed
- Wireless handheld or headset microphone, plus backup
- An operator for film and audio cues
- Minimum 90-minute technical rehearsal before doors
- Travel, ground transport and one night's accommodation
Terms
- 50% deposit on signature, balance on performance day
- Contract and rider issued on confirmation
- Recording or streaming by separate agreement
Press
“Moore's raw talent and storytelling prove that a compelling narrative needs little more than a powerful voice.”
The Artist
Karen D. Moore is a filmmaker, author, songwriter and performer, and the founder of The Colour of Beautiful Media & Entertainment Group. Her work spans film, digital publishing, immersive installation and brand development, and centres Black women's interior lives across every form it takes.
Blues Born of Fire (2025), the film at the centre of this evening, has been an official selection at six film festivals from New York to Denver to Atlanta to Lagos, won Best Short Film at the Reel Women International Festival in Nigeria, and screened in the National Urban League's conference program.
Enquiries
Book the evening
Currently booking September 2026 – June 2027. Enquiries for anniversary programming are being scheduled now.
(445) 237-9688