Adia & Clora Snatch Joy
Adia & Clora Snatch Joy is the world-premiere finale of Mfoniso Udofia’s Ufot Family Cycle, a nine-play, two-year journey presented across the city. This folk opera brings the cycle back to The Huntington, where it began, for a musical story about desire, self-discovery, and choosing joy later in life.
Set in the marshes of South Carolina, the play follows Clora Abernathy after she encounters Adiaha Ufot, a stranger from Massachusetts. Both women have spent their lives caring for their parents, but their meeting leads them to consider what it might mean to prioritize themselves and fully embrace pleasure, desire, and joy as grown women. The score, composed for a cappella voices, is by Michael Ellis Ingram. The production is directed by Awoye Timpo, who previously directed The Huntington’s The Grove. It is designed to stand on its own for newcomers as well as audiences who have followed the entire cycle.
When: November 24–December 13, 2026
Venue: The Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
Tickets: Price not available
Creative team: Book, libretto, and lyrics by Mfoniso Udofia; music by Michael Ellis Ingram; directed by Awoye Timpo
Notable dates: Press opening on December 2 at 7:00 PM
Accessibility: Open-captioned performance on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, at 7:00 PM. Audio-described performance on Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Cast: Kojo as Aniekan Abernathy; Tracey Conyer Lee as Elder Adiaha Ufot; Shannon Lamb as Elder Clora Abernathy; Nelly Santos-McKenzie and Ginaylah Nunes Teixeira as Young Adiaha Ufot; Phoenix Noelle as Young Clora Abernathy; Elena Rose Taveras as Young Clora Abernathy and understudy for Young Adiaha Ufot; Kay Patterson as Wood-Whittling Spirit 1; April Armstrong as Abasiama and Wood-Whittling Spirit 2, with understudy duties for Wood-Whittling Spirit 1; Ebony Marshall-Oliver as Adiaha Ufot and Wood-Whittling Spirit 3; Lorraine Victoria Kanyike as Wood-Whittling Spirit 4 and understudy for Adiaha Ufot; Arielle Rogers Wilkey as Wood-Whittling Spirit 5; and Nina Evelyn as Basket-Weaving Spirit 1
Music: The production features soaring a cappella vocal music and is presented as a folk opera.
Content advisories: Advisories were listed as forthcoming.
Run time: Not listed.
Additional information: The Huntington describes this production as the concluding installment of the Ufot Family Cycle. Audiences may attend without seeing the earlier plays, while a separate guide is available for those wishing to catch up on the complete cycle.