Story perspectives

Debbie Allen’s “Joe Turner’s” Opens, Boone and Hudson Praised

4/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

Debbie Allen directed “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at the theatre, opening April 25, 2026.
It features Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer running the Pittsburgh boarding house, Joshua Boone (Herald Loomis) arriving with daughter Zonia to find wife Martha, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson appearing as spiritual guide Bynum Walker.
Critics praised Joshua Boone and Ruben Santiago-Hudson and said nominations will be announced May 7, excluding Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer.

History

Historical Context

August Wilson first read *Joe Turner's Come and Gone* at the O’Neill Center in 1984, opened it at Yale Rep in 1986, and staged it on Broadway in 1988 for 105 performances. The second play in the Pittsburgh Cycle returns in spring 2026, directed by Debbie Allen and starring Taraji P. Henson and Cedric Entertainer, tying its Great Migration focus to today’s interest in Black stories.

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Story summary

Debbie Allen directed “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at the theatre, opening April 25, 2026.
It features Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer running the Pittsburgh boarding house, Joshua Boone (Herald Loomis) arriving with daughter Zonia to find wife Martha, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson appearing as spiritual guide Bynum Walker.
Critics praised Joshua Boone and Ruben Santiago-Hudson and said nominations will be announced May 7, excluding Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer.

1 / 2