Human Race Theatre Will Present Pulitzer Prize-Winning HOT WING KING
Katori Hall's comedy will run at The Loft Theatre, directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin.
The Human Race Theatre Company has announced the full cast and creative team for its production of The Hot Wing King, the Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy by Katori Hall.
The production will close the company’s 40th anniversary season and run June 3-14, 2026 at The Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton.
Set during Memphis’ annual “Hot Wang Festival,” the play follows Cordell Crutchfield and his culinary team, The New Wing Order, as they compete for the festival crown while navigating family tensions and personal relationships at home.
“There is something healing about laughing in the same room with your neighbors,” said Artistic Director Emily N. Wells in a statement. “THE HOT WING KING brings joy but it also brings real tenderness. Katori's gem of a play celebrates chosen family – the people who show up for us, feed us, challenge us, and love us anyway.”
Making his directing debut with The Human Race, Darnell Pierre Benjamin leads the production alongside a creative team that includes Tamara L. Honesty (scenic design), Mike Gaynor (lighting design), Kelsey Gallagher (lighting design advisor), Darryl Harris (costume design), Derek Graham (sound design), Sarah Gomes (props design), Isabella Myers (stage manager), and Ana Sofia Gomez (assistant stage manager).
The cast will feature resident artists Andrew Ian Adams as Cordell Crutchfield and Rico Romalus Parker as T.J., joined by Eustace J. Williams as Dwayne, R. DeAndré Smith as Big Charles, Je'Shaun Jackson as Isom, and Wright State University student Rogerick Fields as E.J.
COMMUNITY EVENT
A community conversation featuring director Darnell Pierre Benjamin, Artistic Director Emily N. Wells, Dayton Metro Library Community Impact Specialist Jordan Ostrum, and Human Race Engagement and Learning Coordinator Tiffany Countryman will take place May 21, 2026 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
THE HOT WING KING
THE HOT WING KING will perform June 3-14, 2026 at The Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton.
Tickets are available through The Human Race Theatre Company or by calling the Dayton Live box office at 937-228-3630.
The company will continue its accessibility initiatives throughout the run, including $20 seating sections available through the box office and ten $10 rush tickets released 60 minutes before each performance, subject to availability.
SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE LOFT
A Pay What You Can final dress rehearsal benefiting PFLAG Dayton and The Foodbank will take place Tuesday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Additional events include an Inside Track pre-show discussion on Thursday, June 4 at 6:45 p.m.; post-show discussions following the June 7 and June 14 matinees; a $10 Sawbuck Sunday performance on June 7 at 7:30 p.m.; and Parent’s Day Out activities for children ages 5-12 on Sunday, June 14 at 2:00 p.m.
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