Afrika Brown's HORIZONS AND HIGHER MOUNTAINS Will Have Reading at The Flea Theater

Playwright, director, and screenwriter Afrika Brown will present a special staged reading of her newest play, Horizons and Higher Mountains, on MLK Day, Monday, January 19, 2026, at The Flea Theater's Pete Theater in New York City. The event is free and open to the public, and will conclude with a talkback conversation, exploring the play's themes and its connection to the current social climate. RSVP is required for entry.

Horizons and Higher Mountains is the highly anticipated sequel to Brown's acclaimed play THE FIGHT, which was developed through The Apollo's New Works Program and featured in an industry reading at Open Jar Studios. While THE FIGHT explored the explosive tensions of 1971 Newark on the night of the Ali-Frazier fight, the new play shifts forward to 1981, diving into themes of grief, forgiveness, and the emotional aftermath of the Black Power Movement's decline.

Audiences at the MLK Day reading will experience the first public presentation of the work, performed by an ensemble cast, including 2X Tony Award winning producer/actor Lamar Richardson (Ragtime), Erika Degraff (Women Behind Bars), Willa Bost (Our Town), Daniel Williams, Wadiah Waliah (Black Narrative Theater Series), Matthew Martinez (NIGHT WATCH), Charles Massey, Michael Galat, Allen Enlow, and Daryl L.Stewart (Dear Tina: A Love Letter to Tina Turner).

Brown's other plays include THE FIGHT, A Thing of Beauty, Strange Fruit Redux, The Outing, and Slow Bullet, My Three Loves. In 2025, she celebrated a decade of work with her 10-Year Retrospective at The Flea Theater.