American Stage Announces Production of Pulitzer-Winning Play "The Hot Wing King"

St. Petersburg, FL - American Stage has announced its upcoming production of The Hot Wing King, the 2021 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by acclaimed playwright Katori Hall. The play will run June 3 - 28, 2026.

Set in Memphis, Tennessee, during the city’s annual Hot Wing Festival, The Hot Wing King follows Cordell Crutchfield and his close-knit group of friends as they prepare for the high-stakes culinary competition. As tensions rise and personal challenges emerge, the story explores themes of black queerness, masculinity, belonging, and chosen family. The Hot Wing King received the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and has been recognized for its “funny, deeply felt consideration of Black masculinity” and contemporary American life. (americantheatre.org)

Kenny Moten will direct American Stage’s production, which blends humor and emotional depth in a story that examines the complexities of relationships and community. Moten’s previous American Stage credits include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and HAIR –  the 2024 and 2025 American Stage in the Park productions, respectively.  While The Hot Wing King is not a musical, it is deeply rooted in its setting of Memphis, Tennessee – a city known for its musical legacy. Like Moten’s earlier work in HAIR, The Hot Wing King is saturated with music in spirit and reference, evoking artists like Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, and Kirk Franklin.

Playwright Katori Hall is widely known for her award-winning body of work across stage and screen, including The Mountaintop (produced in American Stage’s 2024-2025 season), Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and the television series “P-Valley.” Her work often centers underrepresented voices and explores the nuances of identity and connection.

Performances of The Hot Wing King will take place at American Stage (163 3rd St. N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701). Tickets are now available and can be purchased online at: www.americanstage.org .

Performance Details:
The Hot Wing King
June 3 - 28, 2026
American Stage
St. Petersburg, Florida

AMERICAN STAGE
American Stage Theatre has operated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) in the heart of St. Petersburg, Florida,

providing live theatrical productions as a professional regional equity theatre since 1977. As Tampa Bay’s longest-running, most critically acclaimed professional theatre company, its vision is to be a vital arts leader, connecting its community to world-class productions that celebrate the most powerful stories of the moment and the most defining stories from our past.

American Stage’s year-round accessible programming brings the power of quality live theatre to each

generation. American Stage believes that through the telling of dynamic stories, the theatre has the power to unite us in our shared experiences and to deepen our connection to one another through the illumination of diverse perspectives.

Powerful Stories. Boldly Told. 

Web: americanstage.org │Phone: (727) 823-7529│Email: BoxOffice@americanstage.org