In honor of Al Hirschfeld’s 117th birthday, The Al Hirschfeld Foundation has launched its new online exhibition Lost In The Stars: Black Theatre Makers Drawn by Hirschfeld. The digital exhibition showcases a collection of over 25 drawings, paintings, and prints documenting nearly three-quarters of a century of Black theatre, featuring illustrations of Audra McDonald, Whoopi Goldberg, and more.

"Black actors, directors, composers, lyricists, playwrights, designers, and producers have long played a role in the American Theater, despite Broadway's nickname as The Great White Way," Al Hirschfeld Foundation Creative Director David Leopold explains. "The title of this exhibition comes from the musical of the same name that explored the racial injustices of the 20th century South Africa apartheid system. But it can also serve as a metaphor of the Black creative in a predominantly white theater world. Too often the contributions of Black artists have been minimized or co-opted, and the Al Hirschfeld Foundation wanted to look at many of the Black stars in all disciplines that make the American Theater what it is today. Lost In The Stars... will be the first of at least four exhibitions that will explore Black theater, film, dance and music over the next year. We believe that Black Lives Matter. Black Art Matters. And Black Theatre Matters."

Visit the Al Hirschfeld Foundation for the full online exhibition.