Spunk

“I git to the git with some pain n’ some spit n’ some spunk.” The verdant, earthy language of Zora Neale Hurston (Their Eyes Were Watching God) is animated through the music of the blues in these three tales of love, revenge, and redemption. Adapted by George C. Wolfe (The Colored Museum) and featuring musical narration composed by blues artist Chic Street Man, Spunk breathes new life into these three remarkable short stories from the Harlem Renaissance.

The first of Spunk’s stories, “Sweat,” tells of a young washer woman who is abused and betrayed by her estranged husband, and her ultimate triumph over him. The second story, “Story in Harlem Slang,” is told in 1940’s Harlemese. It is the tale of two street lotharios trying to out-hustle each other. The third and final tale, “The Gilded Six Bits,” is a bittersweet story of an adoring husband’s betrayal by his loving but innocent wife.