Willy Bobo Selected for Readers'Theatre

Layon Gray's Willy Bobo Selected for the International Black Theatre Festival Readers' Theatre

Award-winning playwright Layon Gray has been selected to present his powerful new two-man play, Willy Bobo, as part of the Readers' Theatre Series at the prestigious International Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Inspired by Lorraine Hansberry's iconic A Raisin in the Sun, Willy Bobo explores the question never answered: What if Willy Harris disappeared with Walter Lee Younger's liquor store money- but never left Chicago?

Trapped in a rundown motel room, Willy waits for Bobo... and the truth that never came home. Blending suspense, psychological drama, and the timeless theme of a dream deferred, Willy Bobo offers a bold new perspective on one of American theatre's most enduring stories. The intimate two-man drama promises an emotionally charged theatrical experience that explores guilt, brotherhood, betrayal, addiction, and redemption.

Willy Bobo will have a FREE public reading during the International Black Theatre Festival, taking place July 30–August 1, 2026. The official reading date and time will be announced soon.

One of Layon Gray's most compelling and suspenseful new works, Willy Bobo continues his tradition of creating thought-provoking theatre that honors the past while challenging audiences to see familiar stories through an entirely new lens.