Taraji P. Henson Set for Broadway Debut with Cedric The Entertainer in 'Joe Turner’s Come and Gone'
Taraji P. Henson has set her sights on a next project, taking centerstage on Broadway.
Henson has been tapped to star in a new Broadway production of August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” Deadline reports. The “Straw” actress will appear alongside Cedric “The Entertainer,” with the production slated for next spring, according to producer Brian Anthony Moreland.
The production, directed by Debbie Allen, marks Henson’s Broadway debut as an actress. She previously served as a producer on the Broadway hit “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”
Set in 1911, the play unfolds in a Pittsburgh boarding house run by Seth and Bertha Holly that serves as a refuge for Black travelers navigating the challenges of the Great Migration. Among them is Herald Loomis, a man searching for his missing wife and his identity after being illegally enslaved by Joe Turner.
Henson and Cedric “The Entertainer” roles have been confirmed and they are set to portray Bertha and Seth Holly.
“We are truly honored to return to August Wilson’s legacy,” Moreland said.
“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is Wilson’s seminal masterpiece — an unflinching exploration of pain, identity, and hope. With Debbie Allen’s visionary direction and this extraordinary cast, the entire company will present a performance that resonates deeply and lingers in the hearts and minds of all who experience it.”
No additional cast has been announced at this time and will be announced at a later date.
During the Kering Women In Motion Talk at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Henson shared that she recently took a break from acting, citing frustration over unequal pay and other discouraging factors.
“I was just frustrated and it was making me bitter, and I’m not a bitter person,” she said during the talk.
“I made a promise to myself if I ever got there then it’s time to walk away. I’m not serving myself or the audience or the characters I play. Sometimes in the industry you make it about the trophies and the awards and that’s never why I got into it. I came into this to change lives. The arts saved me.”
