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Hang Time

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  3m

A deeply moving and subversive work, Hang Time is an exploration of intergenerational bonds among three brothers as they chew the fat under an old, wide tree.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
Three brothers chew the fat under an old, wide tree. In this exploration of intergenerational bonds, we peek into the interiority – the great loves and bitter blues – of Black men in America. Hang Time is a deeply moving and subversive work by Pulitzer Prize Finalist Zora Howard.
History
Hang Time premiered off-Broadway at The Flea Theater on 15 March 2023. Directed by playwright Zora Howard, the production featured Cecil Blutcher, Dion Graham and Akron Watson.
BIRD – Male, Black, 60s. Has seen some things. Knows to keep his head down.
SLIM – Male, Black, 40s. The pontificatin’ type. Quick to tell you the way of the world.
BLOOD – Male, Black, 20s. Just coming into himself.
  • Setting Underneath an old, wide tree. Anytime. All the time.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Cautions
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Strong Language

Media

“Undoubtedly moving... a masterwork of small intricacies.” – The New York Times

“In Hang Time, lynched men tell finely tuned tales... Zora Howard’s new play catches three men during a few moments of their breathless eternity.” – The New York Times

“A bruising statement about the systemized dehumanization of Black men... a stunning picture of the ‘strange fruit’ that Billie Holiday sang about, of Black bodies swinging from trees... The writing is bleak and colorful and gorgeous enough for poetry.” – Lighting & Sound America

“A startling and stunning tableau... an absolutely heart-wrenching and hauntingly beautiful experience.” – The Front Row Center

“In terms of its words, Hang Time, by Zora Howard, is a very subtle play. Its language is rich, and the themes that its characters usher forth chime suggestively, like harsh but precisely rung bells, never quite settling on a resolution. Its imagery, however, is awful and overt: even before the show starts, as the audience files in, three Black men are hanging in midair, their legs dangling, the motion of their bodies almost stilled.” – The New Yorker

“A powerfully evocative performance piece... Hang Time is filled with the magic of theatre.” – New York Theatre Wire

Videos

  • Zora Howard on Hang Time youtube thumbnail

    Zora Howard on Hang Time

  • The Cast of Hang Time at the Flea Theater youtube thumbnail

    The Cast of Hang Time at the Flea Theater

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

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Authors

Zora Howard

Zora Howard is a Harlem-bred writer and performer. Plays include STEW (2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist; Page 73 Productions); THE MASTER’S TOOLS (Williamstown Theatre Festival); BUST (2022 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Finalist; 2022 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award Finalist); ...

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