The North Carolina Black Repertory Company (NC Black Rep) announces the upcoming production of The Legend of Buster Neal, the powerful, multi-generational family drama written and directed by Jackie Alexander, award-winning playwright, director, and Producing Artistic Director of NC Black Rep. The production will run February 20 through March 8, 2026, at Hanesbrands Theatre in Winston-Salem, marking the 15th anniversary of the play’s world premiere.
The Legend of Buster Neal follows the mythical “Buster Neal,” a fearless civil rights activist who returns 60 years after his presumed death to guide his descendants through the modern-day challenges they face.
Set inside the Neal family home in Louisiana and moving fluidly across time—from 1950s Carville to present-day New Orleans—the play reveals the complex lives, realities, and dreams of four generations of Black men during the civil rights movement and in contemporary America.
Drawing inspiration from a family gathering in Louisiana, Alexander shares:
“The story evolved from an intergenerational conversation between men in my family on personal responsibility. I loved the idea of putting four generations of Black men on stage and watching them explore the true definition of manhood.”
The Legend of Buster Neal had its world premiere in February 2011 at the AUDELCO- and Obie Award-winning Billie Holiday Theatre (BHT) in Brooklyn, New York, followed by an encore production in June at BHT, before enjoying a sold-out run in July at the 2011 National Black Theatre Festival.
In 2017, the play was produced by NC Black Rep at The Arts Council Theatre in Winston-Salem, and, in a partnership with the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture, at the Booth Playhouse in Charlotte. The following year, NC Black Rep was invited to present the play at the 2018 An Appalachian Festival in Boone, North Carolina.
The cast for The Legend of Buster Neal will be headlined by Nathan Purdee (One Life to Live, The Young and the Restless), who will reprise his role as ‘Buster Neal’.
Joining Purdee in the cast will be Cliff Odle as ‘Papa Melvin’, Maurice Alpharicio as ‘Ira’, Brandon Criswell as ‘Marcus’, Jordan Williams as ‘Hub’, and Exxavier Shealy as ‘Swish’.
The design team for The Legend of Buster Neal features: Lighting/Set Design by Mitchell Ost, Costume Design by Gregory Horton, Sound Design by Shane Young, Technical Direction by Arthur Reese, and Stage Management by Shabaza Vaird.
Through themes of fatherhood, friendship, identity, and moral responsibility, The Legend of Buster Neal, bridges generations, challenging the Neal family and audiences alike to consider how history shapes present-day choices.
Tickets for The Legend of Buster Neal are on sale now. Visit ncblackrep.org for more showtimes and ticket information.
Photography by Images by Tanja. The Legend of Buster Neal performed by the Billie Holiday Theatre, New York, 2011.