Interview: Zora Howard on 'Premature' and having a Cultural Moment
Friday, February 21, 2020 at 5:00PM
Zora Howard is having a moment. Premature, a film she co-wrote and stars in, is out today. At the same time Stew, a play she wrote but doesn’t star in, is playing Off Broadway. The two works are different but announce the emergence of a perceptive writer and a sensitive actor. Premature is a Harlem-based love story, the kind of languid gorgeous storytelling you want to cozy up with. While Stew is more confrontational and heartbreaking, both works are steeped in Howard’s memory and experiences.
Premature is directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green who co-wrote with Howard, and tells the story of 17 year old poet Ayanna (Howard) and her passionate summer romance with a charming music producer Isaiah (Joshua Boone). The film announces Howard as an actor to watch, we said as much when we saw it at last year’s Sundance. We recently met with Howard in New York and started our conversation with her double moment on film and stage. [This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.]...
