Langston Hughes

Playwright, Theatre Founder, Activist

Langston Hughs was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. An early innovator of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. Langston worked as the playwright and author with Karamu House, the Federal Theatre Project, Harlem Shakespeare, The Crisis, The Brownies' Book, Skyloft Players and many more organizations and projects. In addition to his expansive amount of works for adults, including "Not Without Laughter", Langston wrote plays including, "Soul Gone Home" (1937) which was also published in "TYA Around the World in 21 Plays" by Lowell Swortzell, "Black Nativity" (1961, commissioned by Karamu House) and "The Gold Piece: A Children's Play"(Published in the 1949 publication of SADSA Encore).