Zora Neale Hurston: A Biography
Posted on: May 13, 2021
From the first day that Spunk, a charismatic, guitar-playing wanderer, sets foot in his new home, his bravado and musical talents make him the talk of this rural Florida town.
Spunk immediately catches the eye of the lovely, young, and married Evalina Bishop, and their love affair sets off a chain of extraordinary events that none of their gossip-loving neighbors will ever forget.
This play is based on Hurston’s short story Spunk which was published by Opportunity Magazine in June 1925. Ten years later, Hurston wrote this theatrical adaptation, which was never published and was considered to be lost for many years until the text was located in 1997.
Note: This is not the 1989 George C. Wolfe play of the same name, based on three Hurston stories.
Spunk Cast
- Blue Trout/Various
- Melvin Abston
- Mrs. Georgia Watson
- Melody A. Betts
- Hodge Bishop/Singing Liner
- Sean Blake
- Daisy
- Melanie Brezill
- Oral/Various
- JC Brooks
- Willie Joe/Various
- Gilbert Domally
- Evalina (Lina)
- Nicole Michelle Haskins
- Teazie
- Brittney Mack
- Jim Bishop/Various
- Evan Tyrone Martin
- Stage Directions
- Shannon Matesky
- Nunkie/Various
- Nygel D. Robinson
- Spunk/Various
- Kelvin Roston, Jr.
- Ruby
- Adrienne Walker
- Boss/Capt. Hammer/Admiral
- Sean Walton
- Special Appearance by
- Melody Angel
Spunk Creative
- Playwright
- Zora Neale Hurston
- Director
- Lili-Anne Brown
- Music Director
- Jermaine Hill
- Assistant Director/Dramaturg
- Ken-Matt Martin
- Stage Manager
- Jereme Kyle Lewis
- Assistant Stage Manager
- Tia Harewood-Millington
- Composer for “Baby Child”, “Please Don’t Drive Me”, “She Used to Rock Me”, “Whip-Poor-Will”, “Whip-Poor-Will (Reprise)”
- Masi Asare
- Arranger for “Evalina”, “Evalina (Reprise)”
- Masi Asare
- Guitar Interludes
- Melody Angel
- Percussion
- Okai, Mike Ramsey
Running time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Musical Numbers
| Act 1 | |
| 1. Let’s Shake It | Singing Liner, Men |
| 2. Shove It Over | Singing Liner, Men |
| 3. Mule on the Mount | Spunk |
| 4. Act 1 Scene 2 | Instrumental |
| 5. I’m Gonna Make Me A Graveyard of My Own | Spunk, Men |
| 6. Sale of Toes/ Polk County Blues | Instrumental |
| 7. Ring Play/Baby Child | All |
| 8. Helimuhfack | Spunk, Evalina |
| Act 2 | |
| 9. Psalm 19:14 | Ruby |
| 10. Get On Board That Ship of Zion | Oral, Blue Trout, Nunkie, Willie Joe |
| 11. It May Be So But I’m ‘Bliged to Doubt It | Oral |
| 12. Please Don’t Drive Me Because I’m Blind | Men |
| 13. Oh Lulu, Oh Gal | Spunk, Men |
| 14. She Used to Rock Me | Spunk |
| 15. Whip-Poor-Will | Evalina, Ruby |
| 16. Gethsemane | Instrumental |
| Act 3 | |
| 17. Evalina | All |
| 18. Conjure Scene | Instrumental |
| 19. Whip-Poor-Will (Reprise) | Ruby |
| 20. Hark From the Tomb a Doleful Sound Mine Ears Attend a Cry | All |
| 21. Evalina (Reprise) | All |
For information on producing SPUNK, please contact refocus@roundabouttheatre.org.
WE WISH TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE PERFORMERS’ UNIONS:
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS
AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS
SAG-AFTRA
THROUGH THEATRE AUTHORITY, INC. FOR THEIR COOPERATION IN PERMITTING THE ARTISTS TO APPEAR ON THIS PROGRAM.
Leadership support for The Refocus Project is generously provided by the Ford Foundation.
Additional funding provided by
