Zora Neale Hurston News

Literature to Life will launch BOOKS UNITE, a series of free community events in Paterson, NJ, featuring performances, book clubs, and workshops aimed at fostering community engagement through literature.

The Hermitage Artist Retreat, in collaboration with the Philadelphia-based Greenfield Foundation, has announced visual artist Charisse Pearlina Weston as the winner of the 2026 Hermitage Greenfield Prize (HGP).

Passage Theatre, the only professional theatre company in Trenton, will open David Robson's Muleheaded, or Zora and Langston Write a Play, a world premiere.

Orlando Shakes, in partnership with the University of Central Florida and Arden Theatre Company, will commission a new stage adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright James Ijames will develop the adaptation through workshops, readings, and co-world premieres. The project continues Ijames’ longstanding collaboration with Arden Theatre Company.

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) announced that it has awarded $8.6 million to 44 Philadelphia-area cultural organizations and artists. Leanr more here!

See Collage Dance Collective at the Midwest Trust Center. Rooted in the heartland of Memphis, Tennessee, Collage Dance Collective embodies the greatness of American dance and is at the national forefront of inspiring the growth and diversity of ballet. Collage’s meteoric rise over the last decade is fueled by its dynamic programming, virtuosic company artists, and its talent for presenting what the Albany Times Union called “ballet made utterly, gorgeously human.”

See photos for the Quintessence Theatre Group's upcoming production of FIRE!!, adapted for the stage by Marilyn Campbell-Lowe and Paul Oakley Stovall.

The New York Historical will host The Guggenheim Fellowship at 100 from August 29–November 30, 2025, featuring letters, photos, and artifacts from a century of iconic Guggenheim Fellows including James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, and Martha Graham.

Exploring the theme of “chosen family,” the theatre’s upcoming 16th season presents Wallace Thurman’s Fire!!, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, Shakespeare’s Rare Accidents, and Moliere’s The Hypochondriac.

Passage Theatre Company has revealed programming and scheduling details for its upcoming 41st season, titled Season 41: Not Afraid, marking a bold return with two provocative mainstage productions and expanded community programming.

Passage Theatre Company has unveiled its 41st mainstage season—titled Season 41: Not Afraid. Opening the season is a daring double-bill presentation of Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman and The Slave.

Yale Repertory Theatre has revealed its 2025–26 season of five productions. The season opens with the world premiere of Zora Neale Hurston’s Spunk, a play with music, adapted by Hurston from her own short story in 1935. Learn more!

On Thursday, June 5 at 4:00 p.m., Classic American Tales to present “Tales from the ‘20s in Black and White,” for free at The Cape May Public Library, 720 Franklin Street, Cape May, NJ.

The Coterie Theatre has announced its 2025/2026 season which will entertain, engage, and become memorable experiences for all ages of the family. The line-up will expand The Coterie's reach beyond its mainstage into the Kansas City community with unique co-productions with multiple KC organizations.

Summer at The Shed offers a dynamic season showcasing new, groundbreaking artistic experiences across disciplines from leading and emerging talent. Learn more here!

Passage Theatre Company will present its second annual spoken word and music festival, WORD on FRONT: Return to Harlem Renaissance. Learn more and see how to attend.

The National Endowment for the Arts has canceled numerous grants to arts organizations following President Trump's proposal to eliminate the agency, impacting theaters and nonprofits across the U.S.

 Stacie McDaniel, Executive Director Midwest Trust Center Series, announced the 2025-2026 season offering something for everyone. Learn more about the full season lineup here!

Tennessee Shakespeare Company will host its 16th annual Children’s Literacy Gala in May, “American Celebrity Poetry-Slam” where the audience will decide the winners from our participating poets on the competitive runway.

Alley Theatre is one of 62 organizations nationwide selected to receive a 2024-2025 NEA Big Read grant. Learn more about the grant and about the organization.