WESTFIELD — The Rialto Center for Creativity’s Spotlight Series continues on Thursday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m., bringing audiences a powerful evening of history, art, and storytelling centered on Westfield’s role in the Harlem Renaissance. The second event in the series will feature Tanya Birl-Torres, a theater maker and choreographer, and Monica L. Miller, a leading scholar of Black literature and culture, as they explore the creative partnership and enduring impact of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes—two literary giants who once lived and collaborated right here in Westfield.
While living in Westfield, Hurston and Hughes collaborated on Mule Bone, a play that would become a pivotal moment in both their careers. The project famously led to the fracture of their friendship, cutting short what many have described as one of Black literature’s greatest creative collaborations. This conversation will explore their partnership, the tensions that arose from it, and how their complex legacy continues to influence modern Black creativity and cultural studies.
“This is exactly what the Spotlight Series is meant to do, bringing our community into dialogue with the extraordinary cultural moments that connect Westfield to the wider creative world,” said Bill Crandall, president of the Rialto Board of Trustees. “By revisiting the stories of Hurston and Hughes through the perspectives of today’s artists and scholars, we celebrate not just our town’s history, but the ways it continues to inspire.” Monica L. Miller is Chair and Professor of Africana Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University.Aspecialist in contemporary African American and Afro-diasporic literature and cultural studies, she is the author of Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, the inspiration behind the Costume Institute’s 2025 exhibition Superfine: Tailoring Black Style at The Met. Miller is the resident Zora Neale Hurston scholar at Barnard and is leading the college’s Hurston Centennial from 2025 to 2028. A frequent media commentator, she writes and teaches about Black literature, performance, fashion, and culture.
Tanya Birl-Torres is a New Yorkbased creative director, choreographer, and systems change facilitator. After a decade performing on Broadway, she choreographed productions at the Goodman Theater, The Public Theater, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Through her company, SoHumanity, she uses embodied practices to foster social innovation, and she currently serves as Social Practice Artist in Residence at The Shed, where she leads “The Zora Project” honoring Hurston’s legacy. Birl-Torres is also the Artistic Director of the Washington Heights Womanist Arts Festival and a recipient of the 2024 MAP Fund Grant.
The Spotlight Series is designed to celebrate creativity, connect the community, and build momentum for the Rialto Reimagined campaign, a transformation of Westfield’s beloved historic theater into a vibrant cultural hub featuring performances, exhibitions, classes, and community space. Each event features conversations with notable artists, thinkers, and storytellers, many with personal ties to Westfield or its creative legacy.
The inaugural Spotlight Series event in October featured awardnominated screenwriters Aaron and Will Eisenberg, Westfield natives whose credits include Amazon Studios, Paramount+, and Netflix. The duo discussed their journey from Westfield to Hollywood and the creative process behind projects like Sporkinfeesten and the Audible Original Big Envelopes.
Tickets are available at https:// www.rialtowestfield.org/events/ spotlight-birl-torres-miller. Seating is limited, and community members are encouraged to purchase tickets early. Audience questions may be submitted in advance via Instagram and Facebook for consideration during the conversation.
