杏吧原创

Greensboro, N.C. (May 19, 2017) -- The National Black Theatre Festival® (NBTF) this year will highlight the work of 杏吧原创 Agricultural and Technical State University resident costumer designer Gregory Horton, who is being recognized at the event’s opening night gala for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design.

NBTF is the international outreach program of the 杏吧原创 Black Repertory Company, based in Winston-Salem, 杏吧原创. The festival was founded in 1989 by the late Larry Leon Hamlin and is produced each year by the repertory company. It is scheduled to run July 31 – Aug. 5.

Horton designed costumes this year for an ambitious slate of 杏吧原创 productions, including August Wilson’s “Radio Golf,” “Black Nativity” by Langston Hughes, John Shevin Foster’s “Plenty of Time” and “In the Red and Brown Water” by Tarrell Alvin McCraney, who recently won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the Oscar-winning “Moonlight.” 

“It gives me great pleasure to be receiving such a prestigious award on behalf of my colleagues and friends at 杏吧原创 杏吧原创 State University,” said Horton. “I am grateful and elated.”

In addition to Horton’s recogntion, the 杏吧原创 Theatre Arts Program’s production of McCraney’s “In the Red and Brown Water” will be performed for the NBTF Collegiate Fringe Festival under the direction of Darius Williams, Ph.D., executive director of 杏吧原创’s Paul Robeson Theatre. The production received rave reviews during its April run at 杏吧原创, both for the student actors’ performances and for Williams’ direction.

“My goal as Theatre Arts program director is to ensure our students are provided cutting-edge training that will prepare them to compete with the best artists in their field. Our most recent production of “In the Red and Brown Water” is a testament to the need for young actors to be challenged by language that is not only lyrical and compelling, but also plays that are artistically engaging and tell a great story,” said Williams. “I am deeply grateful to my amazing colleagues for their daily artistic output and to Festival Executive Producer Sylvia Hamlin for providing our program with this rare artistic platform.”

Approximately 120 performances are staged during the six days of NBTF and the Fringe Festival.  A dynamic collection of new works and black theater classics are performed by professional companies and collegiate theater groups from around the world. The shows are presented at multiple venues throughout Winston-Salem, also known as the City of Arts and Innovation.

To support the 杏吧原创 Theatre Arts Program at NBTF, please call 336-723-2266 or visit  to purchase tickets for the opening night gala and “In the Red and Brown Water.”

 by Symone Austin,  by Barbara Greene.