Finding Inspiration
in Every Turn
Creating Theater that Matters
​
The idea for Brooklyn Tavern Theater emerged after early productions of Impossible But True in 2018 and 2019 at Franklin 820, a neighborhood bar in Crown Heights.
​
Playwright and musician Dan Furman, and his wife Kim Allen, PhD., shared a vision to create a theater company that would be:
-
Relevant by drawing themes from the lessons of history, literature, art and popular culture.
-
Entertaining through the use of musical theater as the vehicle to deliver original songs and stories.
-
Accessible by delivering performances in community theaters, public spaces, and—in a centuries-old tradition—local restaurants and taverns.
Associate Artistic Director Jerome Harmann-Hardeman was originally an actor in these productions and began to contribute as a choreographer and director as well. Over the past seven years, Brooklyn Tavern Theater has launched thrilling, powerful, and original productions, featuring shows such as Impossible But True, The Joe Hill Revival, and Walls and Windows.
​
Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Brooklyn Tavern Theater is rooted in its ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the immersive quality of its tavern productions.
Brooklyn Tavern Theater operates as a not-for-profit organization relying on community and foundation support to produce and present engaging plays, readings and other events every year. The theater draws a diverse audience from the greater Brooklyn area, with a broader impact that reaches throughout the metropolitan area.
​
New works are are constantly being developed with the continued support of a wide range of theater-goers, activists, art lovers, and cultural philanthropic organizations.
OUR FOUNDERS
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Artistic Director
DAN FURMAN
​
Dan hails from Old Hickory, Tennessee, just outside Nashville. He began playing piano and composing music at an early age and went on to study composition and jazz piano at Oberlin Conservatory. Following college, he spent 10 years as a political and union activist working in industrial jobs from steel fabrication to mattress making. After moving to New York in 2003 to pursue his career in jazz, he began writing for musical theater as well. He spent four years in the BMI Lehman Engels Musical Theater Workshop. In addition to being the founder of Brooklyn Tavern Theater, he has been the composer/lyricist/book-writer of its shows, both on his own and in collaboration with other creators. Dan lives in Brooklyn with neuroscientist Kim Allen and works as a jazz pianist and vocal accompanist at clubs and acting schools in Manhattan.
Associate Artistic Director
JEROME HARMANN-HARDEMAN
​
Jerome is a theater artist, writer, and educator. Some of his favorite theater performances are: The Notebook (Broadway), Swing (Broadway), Dirty Dancing (North American Tour), Kiss of the Spiderwoman (North American Tour). Dreamgirls (TdW), Waitress, Ragtime, Morning After Grace, Evita, (World Tour) Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Romeo and Juliet, The Full Monty, Kiss Me Kate, Once On This Island and Smokey Joe's Cafe. His television credits include: FBI, Law and Order, Let the Right One In, The Last O.G., Teenage Euthanasia, One Life to Live. Harmann-Hardeman’s narration credits include: The Penguin Book of Murder Mystery’s, The Book of Pirates, The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke, Four Hundred Souls and podcast work on Rude Grooms Theater Co. The Tempest, Inside Page to Stage, and The Code. His teaching and workshops experience includes: University of Florida, Phoenix Public Schools, Bryn Mawr College, Harcum College, Eliot Feld Ballet Co. The Singers Forum, New York City Public Schools, NYC Council on the Arts, the school at Stages St. Louis. He studied at Valley Forge Military Academy and College, Syracuse University, City University of New York, NY Film Academy (NY Campus).
ADMINISTRATION
_JPG.jpg)
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Madeline is a scenic designer and multimedia artist based in Brooklyn. Her theater work includes scene design for F*cking A by Suzan Lori-Parks, and Little Row Boat or, Conjecture by Kirsten Greenidge. She recently completed a year-long internship with The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Live Arts department. She is a proud Boston University alum and is dedicated to bringing performance to diverse audiences.
MADELINE RIDDICK SEALS
Production Coordinator
and Social Media Manager
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Born and raised in New York City, Karen has worked as a senior level development professional educational institutions including New York and Columbia Universities; The New School; the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center; CUNY School of Law; and the University of Saint Joseph. In these positions, she was responsible for major individual and institutional gifts and grants, special events and publications. Karen volunteers at a range of non-profits and has consulted to numerous educational, cultural and social service groups throughout New York City. She is dedicated to helping individuals in the worlds of art, education, and social achieve their goals and aspiration.
KAREN BUCK
Development
Carol explored musical theater as a teenager. She has worked extensively in New York City and regionally for more than three decades as a jazz vocalist and percussionist performing a repertoire including the American Songbook, Bossa Novas, and pop standards. Carol originally studied design and communications and had a four decade-long career as a creative director working primarily for social change organizations and in higher education. She provides guidance to BTT in the areas of marketing, design, and communications.
CAROL LEVEN
Communications
Phillip is the Chief Marketing Officer of Anatomie, a luxury travel apparel brand, and serves as a marketing advisor to BTT. With over two decades of experience driving growth for consumer brands, Phillip previously served as Chief Marketing Officer for TicketIQ, a leading direct-to-consumer platform for sports, concert, and theater tickets. His background spans digital strategy, brand development, and performance marketing, helping organizations connect audiences with memorable experiences on stage and beyond.