jlf is back

Globally renowned cultural festival returns to Houston with top stars of food, literature, politics, and more

JLF Houston Ussama Makdisi Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Mira Jacob

Ussama Makdisi at JLF Houston in conversation with Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Mira Jacob.

Photo by Chris Dunn/Asia Society Texas

A cutting-edge and star-studded arts and cultural festival is making a triumphant in-person comeback.

JLF Houston, the local iteration of the global Jaipur Literature Festival (held annually in Jaipur in India’s Rajasthan state) returns to Asia Society on Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10 with tasty events, provocative panel discussions, and even debates surrounding today’s most pressing issues.

This is the first in-person celebration — organized by Asia Society, literary nonprofit Inprint, and Indian arts nonprofit Teamwork Arts — after two years of virtual offerings due to the pandemic.

Standout guests include former ambassador Michael Pelletier, award-winning author and professor Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, FotoFest executive director Steven Evans, celebrated poet Arundhathi Subramaniam, New York Times bestselling author Varsha Bajaj, James Beard Award-nominated local chef/restaurateur Anita Jaisinghani, and a host of other American and Indian top talent.

Ticket options for the affair include a Weekend Pass ($50), Saturday Day Pass ($20), and general and student admission ($5) and are available online.

Attendees can look forward to fun events such as the opening day pane “Masala: Recipes From India, the Land of Spices,” hosted by Jaisinghani Pondicheri Bake Lab, which centers on food and culture.

Later that night, “Geopolitics: The Tipping Edge” offers thoughts as world teeters on the edge of economic and environmental collapse, geopolitical compulsions, and political hubris, featuring Pelletier, Zachary Zwald, and Seema Sirohi in conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy.

Other notable events include “Points of View: An Archival Gaze of Photography in India,” a showcase of photography in colonial and post-colonial India hosted by Gayatri Sinha and Evans in conversation.

Consider this not only a who’s-who of figures from India and the world, but as a Houston cultural festival with global reach.

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JLF Houston runs Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10 at Asia Society (1370 Southmore Blvd.). For tickets and full schedule and roster of featured participants, visit the official site.

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taking center stage

Stage adaptation of iconic Black movie Jason's Lyric to debut in Houston

Courtesy of Jason's Lyric

Most of the movie's cast will appear in the play.

Next year, Houston writer/producer/director/promoter Je’Caryous Johnson will be bringing another beloved Black movie to the live stage.

Jason’s Lyric will join New Jack City and Set It Off in the lineup of ‘90s Black-movie favorites that Johnson has adapted for the stage. The 1994 made-in-Houston drama stars Allen Payne and a pre-Will Smith Jada Pinkett as young lovers trying to maintain a relationship as conflicts and obstacles keep getting in the way.

Jason’s Lyric Live will go on a nationwide, 22-city tour, premiering right here in H-Town on Thursday, February 13 — just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Houston is my home, and bringing Jason’s Lyric Live to life here first is my way of paying homage to the city and its people who inspired this story,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is more than a play; it’s a love letter to the community.”

Payne will reprise his role as Jason, with actress/model Eva Marcille stepping in Pinkett’s role as Lyric. Naughty by Nature rapper Treach, who played Lyric’s criminal big brother Alonzo in the movie, will also return to the role for the stage production. Tyrin Turner (Menace II Society), K. Michelle (Love & Hip Hop), and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Welcome Back, Kotter) will round out the cast.

"Jason’s Lyric is one of the films that defined my career as an actor,” Payne said. “To bring it to life on stage for audiences who loved the movie — and a new generation experiencing it for the first time — is an incredible honor."

Marcille is also psyched for the show, taking on the role that Pinkett memorably brought to life. "Lyric is a character who embodies resilience and hope, and I’m honored to bring her story to life on stage,” Marcille said.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, December 13, at 10 am. For a full list of dates and ticket information, visit the website.

jlf is back

Globally renowned cultural festival returns to Houston with top stars of food, literature, politics, and more

taking center stage

Stage adaptation of iconic Black movie Jason's Lyric to debut in Houston

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