Screen Time with the Forest Theater's new executive director
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Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: The Forest Theater
South Dallas' historic Forest Theater is on track to reopen next year, with a new executive director at the helm.
The intrigue: Nijeul X is from the Houston area and spent 15 years in Los Angeles, where he worked as a director at a theater and art gallery space co-founded by Tina Knowles. Yes, Beyoncé's mom.
Catch up quick: The Forest was once a bustling venue in South Dallas but has been closed for over a decade.
- A community-led initiative is converting the theater into a 500-seat performance space, black box theater, coffee shop, rooftop event space and sound recording room.
What they're saying: "Restoring the Forest Theater is about more than bricks and mortar — it's about reimagining what this landmark can mean for South Dallas and beyond," X said in a statement.
- He will serve as the Forest's executive and artistic director, overseeing the venue's arts, performance and community building events.
Here's how he clicks…
Device of choice: Google Home, which wakes me daily, gives me the weather, a Black history fact for the day and reviews my daily schedule.
First tap of the day: The SPILL app and its daily "What's the Word" game challenge. It's an alternative to X, Instagram or TikTok and reminds me to always stay grounded and that the people have the answer.
Go-to news sources: Axios Dallas, KBLA Talk 1580 with Tavis Smiley, and the family and friends group chat.
On rotation: The album "Soul of a Hustler" by AI artist Nick Hustles.
- I'm fascinated by the technology utilized to create the project. The album has prompted me to ponder the question, "How do Black artists benefit when their culture serves as the blueprint for AI?"
Podcast of choice: I'm revising the Institute of Black Imagination's episodes from 2024. It's been motivating to hear leaders from around the world speak on the future of possibility.
Most used app: Voice Memos
Reading list: "My Grandmother's Hands" by Resmaa Menakem, "The Black Jacobins" by C.L.R. James and "Salvation," a short essay by Langston Hughes.