World premiere of ‘Eyes Were Watching God' play postponed a year
Audiences will have to wait an extra year for the world premiere of “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” a new stage adaptation of Eatonville literary luminary Zora Neale Hurston’s masterpiece.
Orlando Shakes announced today that the play, previously scheduled to debut in January, will be pushed to the 2027-28 season to give playwright James Ijames more development time.
“At Orlando Shakes, our priority is always to serve both the work and our audience at the highest level," said executive director Cheryl Collins in the announcement. "When a project needs additional time, we support that process so the final production can have the impact it deserves. We're proud to continue developing ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ with James Ijames and look forward to sharing it with our community in the 39th season."
Ijames won the Pulitzer Prize for his play “Fat Ham,” which Orlando Shakes produced this year. The Orlando theater will premiere his adaptation of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” in partnership with Philadelphia-based Arden Theatre Company, which has a long working relationship with Ijames.
Hurston, who grew up in Eatonville, became a key player in the Harlem Renaissance explosion of Black culture, centered in New York City in the 1920s and ’30s. “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” which celebrates African American culture and identity through a woman’s journey of self-discovery, was published in 1937.
"This is a story rooted in the legacy of Eatonville and the lived experiences of Black communities that deserve to be honored with care, specificity and intention," said Roberta Emerson, director of new play development for Orlando Shakes. "Taking the time to continue developing this piece alongside our playwright ensures that when it reaches the stage, it does so with the depth, authenticity and cultural integrity the story and our community deserve."
The postponement has led Orlando Shakes to rearrange its season schedule.
“Richard III: The Bottled Spider,” a Shakespeare history play that will conclude the theater’s “Fire & Reign” series tracing the War of the Roses, will now be presented Jan. 13-24, 2027. It will be followed by Shakespeare’s comedy “As You Like It” from Feb. 17-March 14.
A new addition to the lineup is “The Mountaintop.” Katori Hall’s play imagines the final night of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. In his Memphis motel room, the civil rights activist is visited by Camae, a motel employee who is more than she appears. It was last produced in the area by the former Garden Theatre in Winter Garden in 2022.
"’The Mountaintop’ is a remarkable piece of theater - dramatic, humorous and deeply human," said Jim Helsinger, Orlando Shakes artistic director. "It invites audiences to see Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. not just as a historical figure, but as a man grappling with purpose, doubt and legacy. It's the kind of bold, thought-provoking work we're excited to bring to our stages."
The season will still open Aug. 26 with “Come From Away,” the hit hope-filled musical about a small Canadian town’s role in the aftermath of the 9-11 terror attacks, followed by “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors,” a spoof of the vampire tale, from Sept. 23-Nov. 8.
For more information, go to orlandoshakes.org.
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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 5:11 AM.