Playwrights, Actors, Directors Revealed For Harlem9’s 48 Hours in Harlem Festival

The lineup of creatives has been revealed for this year’s 48 Hours in Harlem Festival. The Harlem9 festival unites six playwrights, six directors, and 18 actors to create six 10-minute plays inspired by the New Federal Theatre’s catalogue. 

This year’s festival honors 15 years of championing Black voices in theatre, and pays tribute to Woodie King, Jr., founder of NYC’s New Federal Theatre, who passed away earlier this year. The plays within the New Federal Theatre canon that will inspire the short plays are: In the New England Winter by Ed Bullins, Hospice by Pearl Cleage, Black Girl by Jennie Elizabeth Franklin, Long Time Since Yesterday by P.J. Gibson, When the Chickens Came Home to Roost by Laurence Holder, and James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire by Howard B. Simon.

There will be two performances on Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 7 PM and 9:30 PM at Jacques d’Amboise Center for Learning & the Arts at National Dance Institute, 217 W. 147th St in Harlem. 

The six playwrights for the 2026 festival are Kristen Adele Calhoun, Zachariah Ezer, Kermit Frazier, Mya Ison, Naomi Lorrain, and Andres Santiago Piña.

The six directors are Oz Scott, Ken-Matt Martin, Tiffany Nichole Greene, Clinton Turner Davis, Kimille Howard, and Raecine Singletary.

The 18 actors are: Antonyio Artis, Tyrese Shawn Avery, Thomas Walter Booker, Mario Brown, Lamar K. Cheston `), Jasmine T. R. Gatewood, Paige Gilbert, Portia, Marla Lou, Aja Mahogany, Sharina Martin, Nadege Matteis, Jada Alston Owens, Greg Alverez Reid, Celeste Sena, Calvin M. Thompson, Nathan Onaje Tolliver, and Shawn Williams.

Belynda M’Baye continues as Stage Manager and is also an Associate Producer. Jacq Gregg and Bernard J. Tarver are also associate producers, and have served over the last several Harlem and El Bronx festivals.

Since 2011, Harlem9 has commissioned Black playwrights to tell their stories in the annual 48 Hours in Harlem play festival. For over a decade, the producers have continued to highlight and uplift writers, directors, and actors at various points in their careers, including Jocelyn Bioh, Brandon Michael Hall, Dominique Morisseau, Tonye Patano, Tonya Pinkins, Aurin Squire, Marcel Spears, and Benja K. Thomas.

For tickets and more information, visit here.