The Theatre Communications Group’s honored playwright David Henry Hwang and the National Black Theatre Festival of Winston-Salem at its 2020 Gala at the Edison Ballroom February 3. The event featured playwright Nambi E. Kelley and producer Stephen Byrd, who saluted NBTF Artistic Director Jackie Alexander and Board President Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin as well as performances from Off-Broadway’s Soft Power and A Strange Loop.

Hwang won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Play for M. Butterfly. His additional works include Golden Child, FOB, and, most recently, Soft Power. In addition, he co-authored Aida with Elton John and Tim Rice and revised the book of Flower Drum Song for the 2002 revival. The two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist serves on the board of the Lark Play Development Center, as head of playwriting at Columbia University School of the Arts, and as chair of the American Theatre Wing.

The National Black Theatre Festival, founded by Larry Leon Hamlin, is a program by the North Carolina Black Repertory Company. Presented every other year, the festival mounts over 100 performances, attracting 65,000 visitors to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The festival and company aim to produce innovative programming that resonates across the community and challenges social perceptions.

“It’s always wonderful to connect with friends old and new, to lift up the remarkable work of our honorees, and raise important funds for TCG,” said Teresa Eyring, TCG executive director. “We’re also grateful to be able to feature scenes from these two heralded productions of musicals that premiered in TCG member theatres.”