OTHELLO OF OVERTOWN to Make Museum Reading Debut at NSU Art Museum and PAMM

The life and legacy of Miami artist Purvis Young will take center stage this summer in Othello of Overtown, a new theatrical work blending art, history, live jazz, original music and archival footage.

Created and presented by Grace Arts Center, Othello of Overtown is an original full-play scheduled for readings on Thursday, July 2, 2026, from 1 to 3 p.m. at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale during the museum's Free First Thursday program, and Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) during Family Fun Day.

Inspired by the life of Purvis Young (1943-2010), the self-taught artist whose work chronicled the people, struggles and spirit of Miami's Overtown neighborhood, the production explores Young's artistic journey, his relationship with community, and the tensions between creative expression and the commercial art world.

The play was written by Miami-born playwright, director and actor Sefanja Richard Galon. The director is Carey Brianna Hart, a New World School of the Arts and Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University graduate whose South Florida theater work spans stage, backstage, directing and radio arts programming.

As the country prepares to celebrate America 250 and June's Black Music Month, jazz offers a powerful connection to Purvis Young's work and to the spirit of this production. Often called America's original art form, jazz frequently appeared in Young's paintings through images of musicians with halos. That cultural connection is one of the reasons M Ensemble looks forward to participating in the full 2027 production.

Founded on the University of Miami campus in 1971, M Ensemble is the oldest operating African American theater company in Florida. For more than five decades, its founders and artists have worked to preserve and present excellence in African American playwriting, including the works of August Wilson.

Producer Clare Vickery, Founder and Director of Grace Arts Center, began developing the project in 2020 after organizing one of Young's largest commercial exhibitions in 2007.

"Every two years we release an original Shakespeare adaptation," said Vickery. "Othello of Overtown is the first musical and first Othello project we have done."

Vickery said the play uses Shakespeare's tragedy as a dramatic frame for Young's artistic and personal struggle. 'These July performances at museums during their community open house days use original lyrics and music and rare archival footage of Miami's vibrant art scene during the 1970s through 1990s to encourage the audience to see the world Purvis painted with passion and to hear from the artist in his own words.'

The cast includes Andre Gainey as (Purvis/Othello), Chantal Mendoza (Purvis' Art/Desdemona), Sefanja Galon (Playwright), Kendall 'King' Friday (The Music), Celine Hakoun (The Curator), JohnBarry Green (The Man/Iago), Christine Chavers (The Librarian) and Carey Brianna Hart (Director).

The July readings are part of the continued development of Othello of Overtown, with a full production planned for 2027.
Partners and organizations contributing to the content of these readings include Miami-Dade Public Library System, M Ensemble, Glickman Media, Purvis Young Day founder Terrence Cribbs-Lorrant, and the Wolfson Archives with others to be announced. Funding is provided in part by the Broward Cultural Division as recommended by the Cultural Council to the Broward County Board of County Commissioners and Florida Division of Arts and Culture.

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