The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones at PlayMakers
Rep Is a Handmade One-of-a-Kind Piece of Art,
Crafted with Love by Local Playwrights

It's always exciting to attend the premiere of a play. PlayMakers Repertory Company has mounted the world premiere of Howard L. Craft and Mike Wiley's The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones, a heartwarming holiday play and part of their 2024-25 "American Dream" season. This critic attended the Sunday, Dec. 1st, matinee performance of this production in the Paul Green Theatre, located in the Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.

PlayMakers Rep producing artistic director Vivienne Benesch greeted the Sunday, Dec. 1st, matinee audience with excitement, welcoming us to opening day of a commissioned work by celebrated local playwrights Howard Craft and Mike Wiley. The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones is the second play funded in part by the PlayMakers New Commissions Fund, established to build a culture of play development that will establish a destination for artists to create new work.

The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones stars Jadah Johnson and Trevor Johnson as Harriet and Hezekiah Jones (photo by HuthPhoto)

The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones begins at the North Pole. It's 30 days until Christmas, and the workshop is humming with seriously busy elves making toys. Suddenly, a spotlight catches a sign held up by the Head-Elf-In-Charge, Silver Bell Sparkle Dash (played by Rasool Jahan). The sign says DANCE BREAK. Hip-hop DJ Ginger Nuts Brown (played by Jamar Jones) cues the track, and the elves begin waacking, popping, locking, and what could be described as "elfin' freestyle" to Ginger's rap song.

After the dance break, Silver Bell holds up another sign: PLAY TIME OVER. Back to work they go. And when a toy truck wheel falls off and rolls across the floor, we meet the elf responsible: Dizzle Jollyworth (played by Reez Bailey). Of course he gets called to The Office.

Trevor Johnson (left) and Reez Bailey star as Hezekiah Jones and Dizzle Dollyworth at PlayMakers Rep (photo by HuthPhoto)

Community members from the Triangle area make up the Elf ensemble, and are a joy to watch as they go about their day: making toys, packing boxes, relaxing at the bar, and working the DJ booth.

Cut to the North Side -- an historically Black neighborhood in Chapel Hill. Lights up on the We Sell Real Toys Emporium. Local toymaker Hezekiah Jones (played by Trevor Johnson), famous for his one-of-a-kind handcrafted creations, is struggling. The holiday season is approaching, but Hezekiah is still grieving over the loss of his beloved wife. His once-bright spirit has dimmed: "I ain't got much Christmas left in this old heart."

Jamar Jones (left) and Rasool Jahan star as Ginger Nuts Brown and Silver Bell Sparkle Dash (photo by HuthPhoto)

Hezekiah's daughter Harriet (played by Jadah Johnson) enters in her blue UNC Carolina sweatshirt. Between her studies and helping her dad make handcrafted toys at the shop, she is stressed, but determined to help her dad keep the shop afloat, knowing that her mom would have wanted it that way.

Cut to The Office where Ginger is trying to teach Silver Bell how to dance. (Did I see some sparks -- a hint of a budding romance?) Dizzle enters forlornly, and confesses to wanting a more challenging and fulfilling job. His idea: to be transferred to Middle Earth, where elven craftsmanship is in high demand. Instead, Silver Bell offers him an equally challenging quest: to travel to Chapel Hill to bring some Christmas cheer to the toymaker.

Mengwe Wapimewah stars as Dani Green in The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones at PlayMakers Rep (photo by HuthPhoto)

Along the journey, we meet members of the elven and human communities. Fred Fizzle-Moss, the local elvin bartender, played by PlayMakers 30-year vet Jeffrey Blair Cornell, is ready to draw an ale and lend advice to the lovestruck Ginger. Matthew Donahue deftly plays multiple roles including a British Elf named Pennysworth and The UPS Man.

Dani-with-an-I, an "ElfTok" social media influencer who roams the streets of Chapel Hill, is played with great energy and comic chops by Mengwe Wapimewah.

The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones stars Jadah Johnson as Harriet Jones and Reez Bailey as Dizzle Dollyworth (photo by HuthPhoto)

Surly teenager Topher (played by ZuZu Bersley) and overwhelmed mom Karen (played by Elizabeth Dye) enter the toy shop with all the baggage we've come to expect between parent and teen.

Last but certainly not least, Nate John Mark plays David, a handsome neighborhood hairdresser with an urgent special request for a handmade toy for his father. (And did I see some sparks fly between David and Harriet?)

The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones stars Elizabeth Dye (left) as Karen and ZuZu Bersley as Topher (photo by HuthPhoto)

Dizzle shows up at the toy shop as "Dean Williams Jordan" in a Carolina Blue business suit to apply for a job as a helper. And the magic begins.

I won't give away the ending, but the story blends humor, joy, and a soupçon of Christmas Magic, reminding us of the importance of community, compassion, and togetherness. There are tons of local references in the show, including locations like Forest Theatre, Franklin Street, and shout outs to various local establishments.

Jamar Jones (left) and Jeffrey Blair Cornell star as Ginger Nuts Brown and Fred Fizzle-Moss at PlayMakers Rep (photo by HuthPhoto)

Playmakers Repertory Company member Kathryn Hunter-Williams directed a superb cast with a joyful energy, slowing only briefly to emphasize and acknowledge an important moment or event. And resident movement coach Tracy Bersley has created some wonderful and lively group dances that go beautifully with original music by composer Kate Marvin, who is also the sound designer.

Pamela A. Bond's costume designs are colorful and clever, with a definite nod to "Elf" the motion picture, when it comes to the striped stockings and the footwear. Bond's close attention to items like the toy maker's old apron and Dizzle's blue suit, heighten the story.

Lighting designer Abigail Hoke-Brady must have had a ball with all of the lighting cues and effects, injecting magic and whimsy, beat after beat.

The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones stars Trevor Johnson as Hezekiah Jones and ZuZu Bersley as Topher (photo by HuthPhoto)

A big shout-out to scenic designer Lawrence E. Moten III. The functionality of the set was excellent, and big kudos to the "Christmas Spirit Meter" and other clever bits of signage.

The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones is, indeed, a handmade one-of-a-kind piece of art, crafted with love by local playwrights.

PlayMakers Repertory Company will stage the world premiere of Mike Wiley and Howard L. Craft's The Christmas Case of Hezekiah
Jones, directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams, on Nov. 26-Dec. 15 in the Paul Green Theatre at UNC-Chapel Hill (photo by HuthPhoto)

Howard L. Craft and Mike Wiley's THE CHRISTMAS CASE OF HEZEKIAH JONES (world premiere) (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4-8 and 11-15), directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams and starring (in alphabetical order) Reez Bailey as Dizzy Jollyworth, ZuZu Bersley as Topher, Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Fred Fizzle-Moss, Matthew Donahue as Pennysworth/Devon/UPS Man, Elizabeth Dye as Karen, Rasool Jahan as Silver Bell Sparkle Dash, Jadah Johnson as Harriet Jones, Trevor Johnson as Hezekiah Jones, Jamar Jones as Ginger Nuts Brown, Nate John Mark as David, Andrew Wade as Santa, and Mengwe Wapimewah as Dani Green, plus Community Members Annmarie Brown, Calvin Brown, Emily Brown, Quinn Campbell, and Gabrielle Knapp (PlayMakers Repertory Company in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC-Chapel Hill's Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://issuu.com/playmakersrep/docs/hezekiah_playbill_1. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/wPBMdoVkPbo. FEATURETTE: https://youtu.be/eWSldcq6L_Y. PRESENTER: https://playmakersrep.org/, https://www.facebook.com/playmakersrep, https://www.instagram.com/playmakersrep/, https://twitter.com/playmakersrep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayMakers_Repertory_Company, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO7crv41zzCYf9HxRDUEVdw. 2024-25 SEASON: https://playmakersrep.org/season/2024-2025/. PRC BLOG: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/our-blog/. VENUE: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/paul-green-theatre/ and https://museum.unc.edu/exhibits/show/names/paul-green-theatre. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://playmakersrep.org/visitor-info/directions-and-parking/. MIKE WILEY (Pittsboro, NC playwright, screenwriter, and performer): http://mikewileyproductions.com/#s-about, https://playmakersrep.org/artists/mike-wiley/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-wiley-41194832, https://www.facebook.com/mike.wiley.77, https://www.instagram.com/mikewileyproductions/, and https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1211650/. HOWARD L. CRAFT (Raleigh, NC playwright, poet, and arts educator): https://about.me/howardcraft, https://playmakersrep.org/artists/howard-l-craft/, https://www.facebook.com/howard.craft, https://comm.unc.edu/people/department-faculty/howard-l-craft/, and https://theaterstudies.duke.edu/visiting-artist/howard-l-craft. NOTE 1: The 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8th, show will be an open-captioned performance, with a "universal-access" live-caption unit, communicating dialog, stage directions, and sound effects. NOTE 2: There will be a post-show discussion, following the 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8th, performance. NOTE 3: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and American-sign-language-interpret the show's 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11th, performance. For the best view of the ASL interpreters, call the PlayMakers Rep box office at 919-962-7529 or e-mail prcboxoffice@unc.edu. AGE RECOMMENDATION: Although this show is not specifically written for children, many families will find it enjoyable! This play explores some serious themes and occasionally uses adult language. Look for the Content Transparency section of the show's web page, which was created to assist parents in deciding whether to bring the kids. RUN TIME: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. TICKETS: $20 and up ($10 students and youth), plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-962-7529 or prcboxoffice@unc.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: PlayMakers Repertory Company.

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