'Zora' brings biography of Zora Neale Hurston to life Feb. 22 at ECC Arts Center

The life and work of Zora Neale Hurston will be brought to life on stage by actor Kim Brockington at the Elgin Community College Arts Center on Thursday, Feb. 22.

This Literature to Life theatrical biography was adapted into a solo performance from the original play by Laurence Holder. The production was adapted and directed by Wynn Handman.

"Zora" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. in the Spartan Auditorium, located in Building G, Room G100 of ECC's campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.

A celebrated and prolific writer, Zora Neale Hurston is considered a preeminent author of 20th-century African-American literature and one of the most important figures to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance.

"Zora" invites the audience into Hurston's exemplary life-rich with folklore, intimate portraits of her contemporaries and excerpts from her significant body of literary work. Incorporating music from the era, the story focuses on Hurston's battle to preserve her people's culture and to live an authentic life against all odds. Through Hurston's stories and experiences, audiences will walk away with a new appreciation of this extraordinary storyteller.

This presentation of "Zora" is part of the Literature to Life series, a program of Young Audiences New York. Literature to Life aims to bring to life the world of important American literary works with performances that create an atmosphere of discovery and imagination. Literature to Life was created by the award-winning American Place Theatre, co-founded by veteran director, acting teacher and producer Wynn Handman.

Tickets are $25. Tickets for all performances in the ECC Arts Center are available online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC Arts Center box office. Box office hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. To purchase tickets by phone, call (847) 622-0300. All major credit cards are accepted.

The ECC Arts Center can be found at www.facebook.com/eccartscenter and on Twitter @eccartscenter.