By Liz Eichler, ATCA
As part of its 40th season exploring the many forms of family, Human Race Theatre Company presents Katori Hall’s Hot Wing King, the 2021 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama that blends comedy, competition, and an exploration of masculinity, parenthood, and belonging. I attended a preview performance on June 3, 2026.
Why Hot Wings?
Hot Wing King centers on Cordell Crutchfield (Andrew Ian Adams), who has left behind his former life in St. Louis to build a future with his partner, Dwayne (Eustace J. Williams), in Memphis. Unemployed and struggling to find his footing in a household that is no longer solely his to lead, Cordell pours his energy and culinary talents into an upcoming hot wing competition. Alongside friends Isom (Je’Shaun Jackson) and Big Charles (R. Deandre Smith), the self-proclaimed “New Wing Order” hopes to claim both bragging rights and prize money.
The weekend becomes more complicated when TJ (Rico Romalus Parker), the widower of Dwayne’s late sister, arrives searching for his son EJ (Rogerick Fields). As old wounds and new responsibilities collide, Hall explores what makes a family—and who gets to define it. The play tackles the Black queer experience, masculinity, parenthood, and found family, all while keeping one eye firmly on the hot wing competition that drives the action.
Performances
One of the production’s strongest scenes arrives in Act Two, when TJ and EJ finally confront the distance between them. The emotional timing is authentic and moving, revealing the heart of Hall’s script. At the preview performance, this father-son exchange was already fully realized, while some of the larger ensemble scenes were still finding their rhythm. Given the caliber of the cast, those laughs and transitions will likely continue to sharpen as the run progresses.
Je’Shaun Jackson nearly steals the show as Isom, delivering many of the evening’s biggest laughs while bringing infectious energy to every scene. R. De’André Smith brings easy charm and grounded humor to Big Charles. Rogerick Fields is impressive as EJ, balancing youthful vulnerability and need for belonging with confidence on the basketball court. Eustace J. Williams brings a steady warmth to Dwayne. As the show’s central figure, Andrew Ian Adams effectively communicates the character’s frustrations, but the show’s energy often gravitates toward the supporting players.
The story unfolds over roughly 24 hours, from Friday evening through the competition itself. Director Darnell Pierre Benjamin captures the loose, celebratory feeling of a Friday night among friends. These men sing, dance, tease one another, and occasionally erupt into impromptu performances that feel like genuine moments of release after a long week. The musical interludes showcase the cast’s talents while reinforcing the show’s sense of community and joy.
There is plenty of playful banter and plenty of messiness among these men. Yet few plays place a house full of Black gay men at the center of conversations about fatherhood, responsibility, grief, and basketball. Hall’s script feels human and broadly relatable, no matter what your gender.
Creative Leadership and Culinary Demands
The production is also an impressive feat of stagecraft. There is a lot to look at on stage, with a huge set, colorful costumes, as well as the action. Tamara Honesty’s expansive set includes a kitchen, living room, bedroom, front porch, backyard grill, basketball hoop, and even glimpses of the tree in the front yard. The slightly angled design fills the Loft Theatre’s large playing space while creating a lived-in home with an eclectic but approaching mid century modern feel. The kitchen occasionally feels crowded when everyone is cooking, but that congestion ultimately adds to the realism.
Mike Gaynor’s lighting design, advised by Kelsey Gallagher, effectively guides the audience through the various playing spaces and smoothly transitions between indoor and outdoor environments.
In a brief conversation, Costume Shop Manager Erin Eva Butcher described the production as a “ballet of wings,” crediting Prop Designer Sarah Gomes for helping orchestrate the show’s considerable culinary demands. The production uses real chicken supplied by Dana’s Soul Food Kitchen, along with working appliances, a functioning sink, and countless food-related details that make the environment feel authentic. Special recognition is due to Stage Manager Isabella Myers and the backstage team for coordinating such a complex production.
Costume designer Daryl Harris, a Cincinnati area icon, comes out of retirement to create a wardrobe that ranges from practical workwear to vibrant expressions of Afro-futurist style. The clothing choices help define each character, particularly EJ and TJ, while Dwayne’s polished shirts and Isom’s memorable ensembles further establish each friend’s personality through design.
Music and basketball are both important elements of the story. Additional sound cues including the the squeak of sneakers might help some audience members identify the televised sport as basketball. While the performers are miked, some audience members around me still had a hard time understanding the fast-paced dialogue, often directed to the upstage kitchen.
Overall
Hot Wing King emerges as a warm, funny, and deeply human exploration of chosen family. Hall’s script celebrates Black queer joy while asking thoughtful questions about responsibility, fatherhood, and what it means to build a home. By the final buzzer, the competition matters far less than the team relationships forged around it.
Human Race Theatre Company’s Hot Wing King runs through June 14, 2026, at the Loft Theatre in Dayton. Get tickets HERE.
