Legends House<\/a>\u00a0has been helping Black girls find their voices through the arts.<\/p>\nNow, the Philadelphia-based theater summer camp is preparing to debut its newest original production, “KOLD: The Truth Behind the Tales,” a thought-provoking performance that blends fairytale storytelling with real-world conversations about immigration, identity and humanity.<\/p>\n
The performance will take place Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, at the Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center, with shows at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $64, including fees.<\/p>\n
The production is inspired by the word ICE, but asks audiences to think beyond politics.<\/p>\n
“It isn’t about politics. It’s about humanity,” one student said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Legends House founder Shayna Yvonne Rudd said the idea grew from what she witnessed while working as a school therapist.<\/p>\n
“I saw how young people were impacted by what was happening with ICE,” Rudd said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of those voices belongs to Dazani “Serenity” Lewis, who joined Legends House when she was just 3 years old. Now preparing to head to college, Lewis is helping bring this year’s production to life.<\/p>\n
“During my senior year, I led a protest against ICE for school,” Lewis said. “I led a lot of kids out of my school. We went through the boroughs and talked to lawmakers.”<\/p>\n
Her mother, Rasheeda Madrid Jones, said the program has helped shape her daughter’s confidence.<\/p>\n
“She was very confident. She believed in herself,” Jones said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The original production asks difficult questions through the lens of fairytales.<\/p>\n
“How come immigrants don’t get that happy ending?” Rudd asks. “How come we don’t have fairytales about Black girls from the ghetto?”<\/p>\n
Those conversations have become a signature of Legends House, which combines theater, dance and performance training with mental health support for young Black girls.<\/p>\n
Rudd founded the organization more than 20 years ago while attending Howard University. Today, the program continues to mentor young women on and off the stage.<\/p>\n
“They know exactly what they’re getting from me. They know I’m not fake,” Rudd said.<\/p>\n
Participant Makayla Miles said Rudd’s honesty has made a lasting impact.<\/p>\n
“She’s always going to tell you straight up,” Miles said. “She’s always going to push you to be your best.”<\/p>\n
The families are just as involved. Makayla’s mother, Sabriya Miles, even photographed this year’s social media campaign, including a special mother-daughter photo shoot celebrating generations of women.<\/p>\n
“We do not want to give our great-grandmothers and grandmothers flowers after they’re gone,” Rudd said. “We want them to have their flowers now.”<\/p>\n
Rudd hopes every girl who walks through the doors of Legends House leaves believing in her own power.<\/p>\n
“We needed to see a Black woman be very clear about who she is and why she’s here\u2026 take Philadelphia and the world by storm,” Rudd said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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