Paul Green's Birthday Month is Busy
Here's the latest news
Green Anthology Reviewed in Goldsboro
A review of the Paul Green anthology from Blair Publishers recently appeared in the Goldsboro News Argus, where reporter Liz Meador explained that the collection of essays by NC writers about Green was the February read for the League of Women Voters Book Club there. Meador was especially interested to learn more about the playwright’s activism and the early influences, which led to his concern for civil rights and social justice.
Meador writes: “Green’s childhood friendship with a Black boy, Rassie McLeod, who died at age ten of typhoid fever, may have formed the social conscience of Paul Green, not only a playwright and writer but also a reformer who challenged the status quo. His life inspires and challenges us to be advocates for justice for all people.”
St. Matthews Faith and the Arts Series Features Hidden Voices
The Paul Green Foundation and grantee Hidden Voices recently made a presentation at St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Hillsborough, NC, about the connections between Paul Green’s historic activism and the work of Hidden Voices, a nonprofit that connects with families of incarcerated persons, helping them to share their stories through theatre and other community gatherings.
Kathryn Hunter Williams, chair of the UNC Drama Program and playwright Lynden Harris (both contributors to the recent anthology of essays about Green) joined Foundation director Georgann Eubanks for the program, which included music by singer/songwriter Mary Rocap. At a reception and book signing following the discussion, the Foundation offered copies of Paul Green: North Carolina Writers on the Legacy of the State’s Most Celebrated Playwright for anyone who made a donation to Hidden Voices. The group raised more than $1,000 that evening toward its work across North Carolina and beyond.
Paul Green/Richard Wright Film Soon to be Available on Apple TV
EbzB Productions’ critically acclaimed film, The Problem of the Hero will be distributed by Buffalo8 Distribution and made available on multiple streaming platforms this spring. The film based on North Carolina playwright Ian Finley’s play about the working relationship between Paul Green and novelist Richard Wright will be accessible to audiences worldwide on AppleTV, Amazon, and Tubi, among other platforms.
Key Release Dates:
March 14, 2025 – Preorders available on AppleTV
March 28, 2025 – Official release on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Hoopla, Verizon Fios/Vubiquity, Spectrum, Charter, Cox, Xfinity, and more.
April 25, 2025 – Streaming on Demand via Tubi, Plex, and more.
April 25, 2025 – Streaming on Broadway on Demand for subscribers
The film features J. Mardrice Henderson as Richard Wright and David zum Brunnen as Paul Green. Noted for its timely themes, it premiered at the Santa Fe Film Festival in February 2023 and has just completed its run at film festivals, including the RiverRun International Film Festival, the Harlem International Film Festival, and the Fargo Film Festival. Among the several awards the film has received are Best Feature Film at the Longleaf Film Festival and the Impact Award at the Naples International Film Festival.
“We are thrilled to partner with Buffalo8 to bring this important story to a broader audience,” said Serena Ebhardt, Executive Producer at EbzB Productions. “We’ve seen this film resonate with viewers and encourage meaningful conversations about our country and our world today. Just as the film’s characters ask— ‘Do we push for change and work through the structure— find who will listen?’ Or, do we ‘burn the whole scaffold down and stir the ashes?’
ReKindling: Voices of Restoration and Resilience
The Orange County Arts Commission and Orange County Arts Alliance, in partnership with End Solitary NC/Disability Rights North Carolina, Hidden Voices, Alamance Orange Prison Ministry, Orange County Justice Project NC, Human Kindness Foundation, Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department, OC Local Reentry Council, the Care Bear Foundation, NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, and the Orange County Department of Equity and Inclusion announce Rekindling: Voices of Restoration and Resilience taking place at the Eno Arts Mill Gallery in Hillsborough during April, 2025.
The exhibit will include artwork from formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, artwork from justice-impacted individuals from the local community, and installations centered around the carceral system.
The exhibit will open on Friday April 4, 7-9pm and will feature performances by NC Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green, poet and spoken word artist Nick Courmon, and music by Changed, a band formed while its members were incarcerated at Orange Correctional Center.
Rekindling partners have been working for more than a year on the project, with the goals of raising awareness, educating the community, and fostering an appreciation for the impacts of the criminal legal system and incarceration on human lives.
The Playmaker Film by Hannah Bowman Screens in Wilmington at Jengo’s Playhouse March 28
On March 28 at 7:30 pm Jengo’s Playhouse at 815 Princess Street Wilmington, NC will host a screening and discussion of THE PLAYMAKER, a biographical documentary of Paul Green. Tickets are $10. This screening is hosted by South Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium Presents, Cucalorus Film Foundation, WHQR, and Working Films. Come to the Social Hour at the Jengo's Backyard Bar at 6:30pm and stay after the screening for a Q&A with the filmmaker and local community members!
GIFTS to PGF are WELCOME!
The Paul Green Foundation has been supported by many theatre and human rights advocates over the years. While our grant programs are supported by the Foundation's modest endowment, our operations are largely supported by royalties and gifts from individuals. We keep our overhead very low and work hard to keep the values and legacy of North Carolina's Dramatist Laureate alive. We welcome your gifts. Every donation helps. To make a tax deductible gift, you can click this PayPal Link or you can send a check to:
The Paul Green Foundation
P.O. Box 2624
Chapel Hill, NC 27515
OUR WEBSITE IS