THE HUNTINGTON ANNOUNCES THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM OF WORLD PREMIERE FOLK OPERA ADIA & CLORA SNATCH JOY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Gabrielle Choi, Associate Director of Publicity
617-273-1520
PHOTOS available for download here
Members of the press, RSVP here
THE HUNTINGTON ANNOUNCES THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM OF WORLD PREMIERE FOLK OPERA ADIA & CLORA SNATCH JOY
The final chapter in Mfoniso Udofia’s nine-play Ufot Family Cycle brings Boston’s two-year, citywide theatrical festival to a close on the stage where it began at The Huntington
(BOSTON) – The Huntington announces the cast and creative team of the world premiere of Mfoniso Udofia’s joyous Ufot Family Cycle folk-opera finale, Adia & Clora Snatch Joy, directed by Awoye Timpo (The Grove), with original music composed by Michael Ellis Ingram. The ninth and final play in the Ufot Family Cycle, Adia & Clora Snatch Joy runs at The Huntington from Tuesday, November 24 – Sunday, December 13, 2026 at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115).
The celebrated Ufot Family Cycle concludes its epic, citywide, two-year, nine-play journey where it began – here at The Huntington – with Mfoniso Udofia’s rousing folk opera Adia & Clora Snatch Joy.
In the marshes of South Carolina, Clora Abernathy opens her front door to a stranger from Massachusetts – Adiaha Ufot – and something unnamed stirs within them. Both are dutiful daughters who’ve devoted their lives to their parents – but as the sparks fly, a life-changing question takes shape: What might happen if they dare to be good to themselves? To wholly experience desire, pleasure, and joy as grown-ass women – for the very first time.
Soaringly composed for a cappella voices by Michael Ellis Ingram, Adia & Clora Snatch Joy breaks new ground while bringing the Ufot Family Cycle to a joyous, musical finale. Awoye Timpo, who brilliantly directed The Grove, returns to helm this landmark production that you can enjoy whether it’s the first play you are seeing in the Ufot Family Cycle or your ninth.
“The Ufot Family Cycle has been a wild, beautiful, one-of-a-kind, citywide odyssey – one that you’ve been on with us from theatre to theatre, falling in love with Abasiama, her children and their journeys as deeply as we have,” says Huntington Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director Loretta Greco. “Adia & Clora Snatch Joy is the Cycle’s jubilant, heartfelt finale. Mfoniso Udofia’s rich, captivating language meets Michael Ellis Ingram’s extraordinary music in a rite of passage that feels both personal and expansive. This production is a radiant celebration of spirit, legacy, and the joy that can emerge when we dare to imagine more for ourselves and for one another.”
Called “one of the most exciting things to happen in Boston theatre in a long time” by The Boston Globe, the Ufot Family Cycle marks the first time all nine plays are completed and performed in their intended order. In addition to producing some of the plays, The Huntington also has served as a resource and connection-maker to bolster the creative process and success of all the productions mounted through 2026 by and with arts organizations, universities, social organizations, non-profits, and a host of community activation partners. The past eight Ufot productions produced in Greater Boston and via podcast include: Sojourners, The Grove, runboyrun, Her Portmanteau, Kufre n’ Quay, The Ceremony, Lifted, and In Old Age. The Cycle has also received twenty Elliot Norton Award nominations, winning three, including Outstanding New Script for The Grove.
To helm this final chapter, director of The Grove, Awoye Timpo, returns to The Huntington to reunite with Mfoniso Udofia. “Adia and Clora continue the fierce, messy and necessary work of becoming—wrestling with who they have been and moving toward their destinies,” says Timpo. “It is a joy to travel through time in song and text as we arrive at this luminous final chapter of the Ufot Cycle.”
Since the launch announcement at Boston City Hall in 2024, the Cycle has seen 48 sold-out performances across productions and reached 150,000 listeners of the audio play adaptation of runboyrun. 350 audience members became Ufot Cycle pass holders, following the Cycle across neighborhoods and venues over two years, generating 2,500+ tickets claimed throughout the festival. The Cycle performed in 11 neighborhoods via ticketed and free pop-up productions. The scope of the storytelling echoed this breadth of outreach, covering one family’s story across three generations over 100 years.
“Adia & Clora Snatch Joy closes out 100 years of storytelling and, by the time it opens, will mark the culmination of 17 years of writing,” says Emmy-nominated and Elliot Norton Award-winning playwright Mfoniso Udofia. “I am so honored that The Huntington, along with producing partners across the city, made it possible – from the very beginning – for these plays to be seen. I cannot fully express what it means to have produced all of the Ufot Cycle plays – from the earliest, most tender ‘baby’ play to the tried-and-true works – and now to return to The Huntington to mount the final piece: a folk opera. It feels right to me that the Ufot story ends in love and hope, and that Boston will be the first community to experience this final installment. I am deeply grateful, beyond words. I hope you’ll come, share in the joy, and carry a little of it with you.”
The folk opera format is particularly unique to this final Ufot chapter. Music has been part of prior Ufot plays, but this is the first to put music at the center. The original music has been composed for a cappella voices by Michael Ellis Ingram.
Composer Ingram describes the music, “In Adia & Clora Snatch Joy, rich mouthfuls of Geechee Gullah soul meet the ancient rhythms of the Ibibio as two women and two worlds collide.” Audiences can look forward to hearing an original score that uplifts, inspires, and brings a joyful conclusion to the Ufot Family’s story.
The cast of Adia & Clora Snatch Joy includes:
April Armstrong as Abasiama Ufot, the Ufot family matriarch. Credits include: the Broadway national tours of Ragtime and Carousel, The World According to Micki Grant Off Broadway, and Sister Act at The Geva.
Nicole Michelle Haskins as Clora Abernathy Sr., a Black Southern American woman. Credits include: Cell Off Broadway, The Color Purple at the Goodman Theatre, the Muny Theatre, and the Drury Lane Theatre, and Caroline, or Change at Firebrand Theatre.
Kojo as Aniekan Abernathy, the only son of Adiaha and Clora Abernathy. Credits include: The Grove at The Huntington, Origins on HBO, and Caribbean Calling Roots & Resurgence at Billie Holiday Theatre.
Shannon Lamb as Elder Clora Abernathy, a Black Southern American woman. Credits include: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and Common Ground Revisited at The Huntington, Pendemonium Off Broadway, and The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer at Chester Theatre Company.
Tracey Conyer Lee as Elder Adiaha Ufot, a Nigerian-American woman. Credits include: Chasing Grace and Sistas Off Broadway, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (10 productions), and On the Grounds of Belonging at Long Wharf Theatre.
Zonya Love as Clora Abernathy a Black Southern American woman. Credits include: The Color Purple and Beetlejuice on Broadway, Avenue Q Off Broadway, and Kiss Me Kate at Shakespeare Theatre Company.
Ebony Marshall-Oliver as Adiaha Ufot, a Nigerian-American woman. Credits include: Fat Ham at The Huntington, In Old Age at Front Porch Arts Collective / ArtsEmerson, and Ain’t No Mo’ and Chicken & Biscuits on Broadway.
Phoenix Noelle as Young Clora Abernathy, a Black Southern American girl. Credits include: The Bandaged Place and Wedding Band Off Broadway, The Photograph on Netflix, and Hunters on Amazon Prime.
Nelly Santos-McKenzie as Young Adiaha Ufot, a Nigerian-American girl. Credits include: The Gender Reveal and Mexican Folk Tale at Artes Culturales / Hyde Square Task Force, and school productions of The Lion King Jr and The Wizard of Oz Jr.
Elena Rose Taveras as Young Clora Abernathy, a Black Southern American girl. Credits include: A Christmas Carol at Trinity Repertory Company, The Sound of Music at Theater by the Sea, and Matilda Jr. at Rhode Island Stage Ensemble.
Ginaylah Nunes Teixeira as Young Adiaha Ufot, a Nigerian-American girl. Credits include: Everyday Speech Productions and a promotional video for Hasbro.
Wood-whittling spirits, Adiaha’s ancestors: April Armstrong, Kay Patterson, Lorraine Victoria Kanyike, Ebony Marshall-Oliver, and Arielle Rogers-Wilkey.
Basket-weaving spirits, Clora’s ancestors: Daveda Browne, Nina Evelyn, Nicole Michelle Haskins, Zonya Love, and Regina Morgan.
Understudies include: April Armstrong, Becky Bass, Daveda Browne, Bobby Cius, Aimée Coleman, Melynda Davis, Nicole Michelle Haskins, Lorraine Victoria Kanyike, Regina Morgan, Abria Smith, and Elena Rose Taveras.
The creative team for Adia & Clora Snatch Joy includes scenic design by Jason Ardizzone-West (The Grove at The Huntington), costume design by Sarita P. Fellows (The Grove at The Huntington), lighting design by Reza Behjat (Oedipus El Rey at The Huntington), and sound design by James Cannon (The Band’s Visit at The Huntington). The assistant director is Farai Williams, the music director is Brendon Shapiro, the choreographer is Adesola Osakalumi, the wig, hair, and makeup design is by Earon Chew Nealey, the dramaturgs are Donnetta Lavinia Grays and Charles Haugland, the intimacy coach is Dr. Ayshia Mackie-Stephenson, and the voice and text coach is Dawn-Elin Fraser. The production stage manager is Emily F. McMullen and the stage managers are Lauren J. Burke and Ashley Pitchford. NY Casting is by Janet Foster. Local casting is by Brett Duffy.
Boston’s Ufot Family Cycle is supported by The Huntington with funding from Amy and David Abrams, the Barr Foundation, the Boston Foundation, the Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation, the Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation, and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture.
Partners in the Ufot Family Cycle include: Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Amy and David Abrams, AfroDesiaCity, ArtsEmerson, The Barr Foundation, Boston Arts Academy, The Boston Foundation, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Boston Public Art Triennial, Boston Public Library, Boston Public Schools, Boston University, Central Square Theater, Coolidge Corner Theatre, DiasporaMass, Embrace Boston, Facing History & Ourselves, The Footlight Club, Front Porch Arts Collective, GBH, The Huntington, Kligerman Productions, The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Laurents Hatcher Foundation, Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation, McCoy Audio Systems, the National Endowment for the Arts, Next Chapter Podcasts, Nigerian Professionals Group, Northeastern University, Prior Performing Arts Center, Riverside Theatre Works, Roxbury Community College, Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, Wellesley College, Wellesley Repertory Theatre, West End House, Wheelock Family Theatre, and ZUMIX.
More information about the Ufot Family Cycle, including the 40 partners and funders involved in bringing the Ufot story to life, can be found at bostontheatrescene.com/ufotboston
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Mfoniso Udofia (Playwright) is a first-generation Nigerian-American storyteller and educator. From 2024-2026, a consortium of theatre companies and activation partners across Boston are producing all of Mfoniso’s 9-play Ufot Family Cycle. Productions of her plays Sojourners, The Grove (Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding New Script), runboyrun (Signal Award for Best Sound Design of a Limited Series), Her Portmanteau, The Ceremony, Kufre N’ Quay, and In Old Age have been seen at The Huntington, ArtsEmerson, CHUANG Stage, Boston Arts Academy, Central Square Theatre, Front Porch Arts Collective, Wellesley Repertory Theatre (Lifted), Round House Theatre, NYTW, A.C.T., Playwrights Realm, Magic Theater, National Black Theatre, and Boston Court. She’s the recipient of the 2024 Steinberg Playwright Award, the 2021 Horton Foote Award, the 2017 Helen Merrill Award, the 2017-18 McKnight National Residency and Commission, and is a member of New Dramatists. Mfoniso has written for TV shows like Things Fall Apart, Pachinko, A League of Their Own and Lessons in Chemistry. mfonisoudofia.com
Michael Ellis Ingram (Composer) is Chief Conductor of the Staatsoperette Dresden, where he conducts and composes opera, operetta, ballet, and musical theater. Guest engagements have led him to Des Moines Metro Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, and the opera houses of Boston, Portland, New Orleans, and Kansas City. Michael has collaborated with composers such as Rhiannon Giddens and Dominik Argento, and he has taught conducting in Leipzig, Dresden, Hamburg, and Salzburg. His recent composition commissions include the opera JUBILEE with librettist Tazewell Thompson (Seattle Opera), the musical The 35th of May (Theater Bremen), and the ballet Ich, Eurydike (Staatsoperette Dresden). Michael has published poetry and prose, lectured on literature, film, and theology, and moderated for NPR. In his free time, he enjoys folding origami in a windowsill.
Awoye Timpo (Director) The Huntington: The Grove. Recent credits include Windfall by Tarell Alvin McCraney (Steppenwolf), The Swamp Dwellers by Wole Soyinka (Theatre for a New Audience), The Wash by Kelundra Smith (New Federal Theater), Leroy & Lucy by Ngozi Anyanwu (Steppenwolf), Syncing Ink by NSangou Njikam (Apollo Theater), Elyria by Deepa Purohit (Atlantic Theater), Wedding Band by Alice Childress (Theatre for a New Audience). Other projects: concert performances for independent artists and the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, Ndebele Funeral (59E59, Edinburgh, South African Tour), “Black Picture Show” (Artists Space/Metrograph), and Bluebird Memories (Audible). Awoye is a Creative Arts Consultant for the African American Policy Forum and a Founding Member of Classix, a collective created to explode the classical canon through an exploration of dramatic works by Black writers and Black performance history, theclassix.org.
INSPIRATION FOR THE UFOT FAMILY CYCLE
When nationally acclaimed playwright Mfoniso Udofia grew up in Southbridge, Massachusetts and attended Wellesley College, she rarely saw stories about Africans and African Americans that felt like her family. Inspired in part by August Wilson’s Century Cycle, she set out to create an emotionally engrossing cycle of nine plays that follows one Nigerian American family through three generations: parents, children, grandchildren. Each play stands alone brilliantly, yet together forms a stunning tapestry that will resonate with everyone.
“I’m writing these plays for myself, for my immediate family, for my extended family, for the Ibibio community,” says Udofia. “I’m writing us — so we can see us. I believe my work incites community action. When one cares about a character so much they are crying for them, they usually cannot meet a similar person in life and instantaneously judge them. A dramatic telling of an immigrant story, when done well, can cause an audience to change irrevocably in the moment. These audience members will then leave the building and enter their own communities with newfound empathy.”
Mfoniso’s own experience informs the Cycle as her parents immigrated to Texas from Nigeria in the 1970s, had children, and then moved to the Boston area because of the educational opportunities available. Mfoniso went to Wellesley College, during which time she had her first experience with The Huntington through her Africana Studies class when Professor Selwyn R. Cudjoe took students to see Gem of the Ocean and introduced her to playwright August Wilson (1945-2005). To see herself onstage, reflected in Wilson’s ten-play American Century Cycle, with each set in a different decade of the 20th century about Black American life, was influential years before she would pursue her career in playwriting and return to Wellesley as a faculty member of the Albright Institute.
The New York Times states, “While building empathy is important to Ms. Udofia, as she continues to work on the rest of the ‘Ufot’ plays, she is also unapologetic about the fact that she isn’t writing the Cycle for a traditional theatre audience.” Mfoniso spoke about this during several Boston community meetings in 2023, stating her intentions to be an active participant in meeting community members where they are to inform the making of the remaining Cycle plays.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION FOR ADIA & CLORA SNATCH JOY
WHEN
Performances: November 24 – December 13, 2026
Evenings: Tues – Thurs at 7pm; Fri and Sat at 7:30pm; Sun at 7pm
Matinees: Select Wed, Sat, and Sun at 2pm
Days and times vary; see complete schedule above.
Press Opening: Wednesday, December 2 at 7pm (RSVP here)
WHERE
Huntington Theatre
264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
TICKETS
Tickets start at $29. Season ticket packages and FlexPasses are also now on sale:
- online at huntingtontheatre.org
- by phone at 617-266-0800;
- or in person at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave) or Calderwood Pavilion (527 Tremont Street)
Select discounts apply:
- $25 student tickets (valid ID required)
- Active US Military and their immediate family can enjoy 50% off tickets valid ID required)
- Patrons age 40 years and younger can enjoy 50% off tickets (Huntington Young Patron Events) (valid ID required)
- Limited number of Pay-What-You-Wish tickets (not available online, please call or visit the box office to inquire using the contact info above)
Please note that a digital recording of this production will be available for online viewing. More information to be shared online at a later date.
The Huntington asks that any patron experiencing illness stay home and contact ticketing services for more information about exchanges.
ACCESS PERFORMANCES FOR ADIA & CLORA SNATCH JOY
Tickets are $20 for each patron and their guests. To reserve tickets please Email access@huntingtontheatre.org, call ticketing services at 617-266-0800, or visit in person at the Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston or the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont St, Boston.
Accessible performances are supported in part by the Liberty Mutual Foundation.
OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE: Tuesday, December 8 at 7pm. The Huntington offers open captioning at designated performances for any patron who benefits from having the text of spoken dialogue visible in time with the play.
AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE: Saturday, December 12 at 2pm. The Huntington offers audio description for patrons who are blind or low-vision at designated performances. Please visit huntingtontheatre.org/visit/accessibility for information.
Large Print and Braille Programs will also be available for patrons at performances.
BOSTON FAMILY DAYS
The Huntington is proud to be a part of Mayor Wu’s Boston Family Days, a program that provides students who live in Boston and their families free access to many of the City’s world-class cultural institutions.
The Huntington will host one Boston Family Days performance for Adia & Clora Snatch Joy on Tuesday, December 1 at 7pm.
For more information on Boston Family Days and to register for the performance lottery, please click here and scroll down to the section “HOW TO SIGN UP FOR TICKETS TO PERFORMANCES.”
ADIA & CLORA SNATCH JOY SPECIAL EVENTS
“Stage & Screen” Daughters of the Dust at Coolidge Corner: Monday, November 23 at 7pm
The Huntington and Coolidge Corner continue their “Stage & Screen” collaboration with an event on Monday, November 23 at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA. After a 7pm showing of the 1991 film by Julie Dash centering a multi-generational story following a family in the Gullah community off South Carolina, guests connected The Huntington’s production of Adia & Clora Snatch Joy will host a post-screening discussion.
Tickets to the Stage & Screen film and post-screening discussion can be purchased here: coolidge.org/programs/stage-screen
Student Matinee performance: Friday, December 4 at 10am
The Huntington Education Department hosts a student matinee of Adia & Clora Snatch Joy on Friday, December 4 at 10am at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave).
For more information on Student Matinee Series and to request a school booking please visit huntingtontheatre.org/education/student-matinees
Humanities Forum: Sunday, December 6 at 2pm
The Huntington hosts a post-show discussion to discuss themes and questions in Adia & Clora Snatch Joy after the 2pm matinee performance on Sunday, December 6 at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave).
Actors Forum: Wednesday, December 9 at 2pm
The Huntington hosts a moderated, post-show discussion with members of the cast after the 2pm matinee performance on Wednesday, December 9 at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave). Hear actors from Adia & Clora Snatch Joy reflect on their roles and nuances of each character.
Actors Forum: Thursday, December 10 at 7pm
The Huntington hosts a moderated, post-show discussion with members of the cast after the 7pm performance on Thursday, December 10 at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave). Hear actors from Adia & Clora Snatch Joy reflect on their roles and nuances of each character.
Ufot Documentary Screening and Cycle Celebration: Sunday, December 13
The Huntington hosts the very first screening of a behind-the-scenes documentary that showcases and celebrates the Ufot Family Cycle’s two years of citywide collaboration and impact. This event will be held after the final 2pm matinee performance of Adia & Clora Snatch Joy on Sunday, December 13 at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave). Experience the screening, enjoy live entertainment, and toast to the joyful close of this unprecedented Cycle.
MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA
Media interested in interviewing artists involved with Adia & Clora Snatch Joy should contact Associate Director of Publicity Gabrielle Choi at gchoi@huntingtontheatre.org or 617-273-1520.
Press night for critics is Wednesday, December 2 at 7pm. Please RSVP here for press night or other available performances.
Production photos will be available for download online, and b-roll footage can be requested.
PHOTOS available for download here
**Photo and video assets from all nine of the Ufot Family Cycle plays are available upon request. Please reach out to gchoi@huntingtontheatre.org with inquiries.
ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON
Celebrating over 40 years of outstanding theatre, The Huntington is Boston’s leading professional theatre company. On our stages and throughout our city, we share enduring and untold stories that spark the imagination, amplify diverse voices, and connect communities. Since 1982, The Huntington has welcomed more than 3.5 million audience members, produced over 250 plays (including more than 140 premieres, with 18 moving to Broadway or Off Broadway), earned the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, and served more than half a million students.
Led by Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director Loretta Greco and Executive Director Christopher Mannelli, The Huntington welcomes broad and diverse audiences, provides life-changing opportunities for students through our education and community programs, is a national leader in the development of playwrights and new plays, and serves as a hub for Boston’s cultural community at the beautifully restored Huntington Theatre and the state-of-the-art Calderwood Pavilion/BCA.
From 2024-2026, The Huntington catalyzed the ambitious two-year Ufot Family Cycle in Boston, a landmark nine-play series by Emmy-nominated and Massachusetts-born playwright Mfoniso Udofia, activating a citywide effort supported by 40 organizations and reaching thousands of live and digital audience members across Greater Boston and beyond. In Summer 2026, Olivier-nominated playwright John Kolvenbach’s Stand Up if You’re Here Tonight (part of The Huntington’s 23/24 season) reached international audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And, coming up in 2027, The Huntington will open a new wing of the Huntington Theatre on Huntington Avenue. This storied venue’s expanded facilities reflect a bold vision for the future, allowing us to innovatively expand our services to audiences, artists, and the community for generations to come.
For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.
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