J. Quinton Johnson and Kimber Elayne Sprawl Photo by Joan Marcus

It is 1935 in a small, central Florida town and the performance opens with a couple of startlingly percussive numbers as men on stage, as they swing digging tools in a field, sing "Shove It Over." Spunk (J. Quinton Johnson) soon walks down the left theater aisle playing his guitar and singing, "This Old Hammer." He will be a newcomer to the community, populated by people of color. Nehemiah Luckett provides new songs, arrangements, and musical supervision for the presentation. Some thirty or so numbers are evocative, alluring, and either rigorous or sensitive according to situations. Hurston did provide some song titles and lyrics but not a score. If there were a soundtrack for the current Spunk, listeners would discover folk and work songs, spirituals, and ballads. Some are dynamic while others are far more nuanced. Hurston was an anthropologist, fiction writer, and playwright who also sang, danced, and was a musical instrumentalist. Luckett has said that he was able, through recordings, to hear Hurston's singing voice.

Spunk is, at its apex, a love story. Yes, a man named Hodge Bishop (Charlie Hudson III) is a conjurer, and a startling second act scene depicts actors wearing death-like masks. True enough, we get a feel for characters in the town and for some prisoners (in stripes, furnished by costume designer Kristen Taylor) who labor on a chain gang. There's a nifty, delightful vignette as people play croquet. But the crux of the story involves an intense, moving relationship between Spunk and the woman he meets, Evalina (Kimber Elayne Sprawl). The potential coupling is complicated and touching. She is already married to Jim, who might have had his own dalliances. The minor plotting is helpful but an observer must wait quite some time before the story locates its primary focus.

Catherine Sheehy is Chair of Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism at Yale's David Geffen School of Drama. She and Eric M. Glover are dramaturgs for Spunk. In 2001, a congressional librarian shared some of Hurston's unpublished papers with Sheehy, who became integrally involved in actualizing the play. Director Tamilla Woodard, choreographer nicHi Douglas, music director John Bronston, and composer Nehemiah Luckett add talents to fuel a vivacious and sometimes ecstatic group of actors. Scenic designer Karen Loewy Movilla, technical director Tom Minucci, lighting designer Gib Gibney, sound designer Justin Ellington, and projection designer Ke Xu come together to create atmosphere and feel. A rear screen's changing hues are pivotal mood indicators while various trees are positioned on stage. The effects proactively complement the actors.

Music is of paramount importance throughout. Cast members, in larger numbers, enliven all in the building, those on or off stage, with rhythm, voice, and flair. Sprawl, on "Weeping Willow," a quieter, touching song which Luckett newly arranged, provides the evening's luminous moment as she lifts her voice (occasionally with a harmonic accompaniment). This quiet scene tells all. Lina (as she is called) appears at a window frame amid flowers and sings from her heart.

J. Quinton Johnson's Spunk is a musical man favorably attached to his guitar. The adept Johnson is at home with the instrument, whether he is playing, carrying it upon his shoulder, or tuning the guitar from time to time. Johnson's film career (he was discovered by Richard Linklater) led to Broadway appearances in Hamilton and more. The inspiring Kimberly Elayne Sprawl portrays elegant Evalina as one who has experience and, subsequently, smarts. Sprawl has appeared on Broadway many times.

Spunk, imaginatively forceful, is enveloping and seems epic yet runs for just a bit more than two hours including intermission. Perhaps Hurston's great gift here is that her story is catalytic and therefore enables the current musical version the opportunity to bound forward with such vitality. Yale Repertory Theatre, creating its own challenge, brings a viewing audience, transcendently, to another time and place. This achievement encourages those watching to either vicariously participate, or at the very least, eavesdrop upon another culture. This innovative project ultimately respects and appreciates humanity through performance art.

Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk runs through through October 25, 2025, at Yale Repertory Theatre, University Theater, 222 York St., New Haven CT. For tickets and information, please call 203-432-1234 or visit Yalerep.org.