Orlando Shakes To Commission Stage Adaptation Of THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD By James Ijames

Orlando Shakes, in partnership with the University of Central Florida and Arden Theatre Company, will commission a new stage adaptation of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright James Ijames.

First published in 1937, Zora Neale Hurston’s novel is widely regarded as a landmark work of American literature. The story follows Janie Crawford’s search for independence and identity through three defining relationships, set in Eatonville, Florida—the first incorporated all-Black municipality in the United States and a central influence on Hurston’s creative life. Ijames’ adaptation will bring Janie Crawford’s journey to the stage.

Over the next year, Ijames will collaborate with Orlando Shakes and Arden Theatre Company on the development of the play. The process will include a workshop, a reading, and co-world premiere productions at both theatres.

The commission builds on Ijames’ longstanding relationship with the Arden Theatre Company, where he has been an artistic collaborator since 2007. Most recently, he directed the theatre’s 2025 production of August Wilson’s King Hedley II.

“My commitment to this project feels like a life force. Zora Neale Hurston is the first writer I encountered that wrote characters that spoke with the kind of musical language that my family used,” said Ijames. “Here it was, the sound of my family, my community, printed and celebrated. I was never the same. So to be given the opportunity to bring this story to a new audience is a dream come true.”

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