Arthur Gregory Pugh plays the Elder in Black Nativity, and for him, the role is more than a performance — it’s a connection to family, faith, and history. In a modern-day church scene, Pugh preaches, sings, and celebrates the birth of Jesus, drawing from generations before him at the Count Basie Center for the Arts production of the play on Sunday.

“I bring my own flavor to the role, drawing from my grandfather, who was a Baptist minister in Virginia,” said the 59-year-old actor from Englewood. “When I step on stage preaching to the choir and the audience, celebrating the birth of Jesus, it feels like I’m carrying on a legacy of faith and community.”

Langston Hughes, a towering literary voice of the Harlem Renaissance, wrote the play in 1961. The work is a gospel song play that brings the story of Christ’s birth to life through Hughes’ poetry and a vibrant musical score.

Frequently staged during the Christmas season, Black Nativity functions as both theater and a communal worship experience. The production follows the biblical nativity story, from the Angel Gabriel’s announcement through the arrival of the Three Wise Men.

Traditional and contemporary spirituals and gospel songs are the emotional and spiritual backbone of the performance, while audience participation through clapping, singing and call-and-response enhances the celebration of faith, community and shared joy.

Sunday’s production in Red Bank brings a dynamic vision to Hughes’ work under the direction of Darrell Willis. At 73, Willis — an accomplished theater artist from Howell Township — continues to champion African American voices on stage. He produced the play through the Dunbar Repertory Company, an African American-centered theater company he co-founded in 1987 with Ramon James Morris. For nearly four decades, Willis has served as Producing Artistic Director.

Willis said the idea to stage Black Nativity locally grew from a conversation about the absence of a large-scale, shared Christmas tradition in the Black community — something comparable to productions like “The Nutcracker.”

When the show premiered at the Count Basie Center in 2010 amid a major snowstorm, expectations were modest. Despite the weather, more than 600 people filled the theater. The show has returned to the Count Basie Center every other year since then, becoming a beloved holiday tradition.

“That’s when I knew,” Willis said. “If you build it, people will come.”

The production has since become a gathering point for performers and audiences from dozens of churches, blending trained theater artists with church-based singers and performers. According to Willis, that combination is intentional, allowing the production to function as both a professional theatrical work and a shared spiritual experience.

Willis said that everyone is going through something, especially between Thanksgiving and the New Year, which is why Black Nativity offers hope. “It ends up becoming a ministry,” he said.

Willis’ approach to theater is rooted in his own education and mentorship. He studied theater at Montclair State University and later worked under veteran theater professionals, including Harold Scott, an actor, producer and director and the first Black artistic director of a major American regional theater.

Over multiple decades, Willis has directed and produced works that celebrate African American cultural expression and storytelling.

With Dunbar Repertory Company, these have included gospel-infused productions such as Black Nativity, dramatizations of James Weldon Johnson’s “God’s Trombones,” James Baldwin’s “The Amen Corner” and premieres by contemporary playwrights.

“Theater should improve the quality of life,” Willis said. “And that’s never more true than with Black Nativity.”

What distinguishes this production of Black Nativity is the range of voices and generations represented onstage. Several children who joined the production years ago have grown into teenage performers, a continuity that Willis says reflects the show’s role as both artistic training ground and community tradition.

Though the production celebrates African American cultural expression, it features performers of all racial and cultural backgrounds.

“Now we have Black, white, Hispanic and Asian performers on stage together, and it only makes the production richer,” Willis said. “When people see different cultures singing and worshiping together, it breaks down barriers. They start sharing food, stories and laughter — that’s when you realize the production has become a true community.”

This year’s staging also features dancers with professional pedigrees, including performers trained in the Alvin Ailey tradition.

Musically, the production offers standout solo performances, including a young vocalist, Lucas Rizzuto-Canero, whose powerful delivery anchors several songs throughout the show. Each season brings new voices forward, Willis said, ensuring that no two productions are ever exactly the same.

“That’s what keeps it fresh,” Willis said. “The story stays the same, but the people bringing it to life change — and that changes everything.”

For Willis, Black Nativity is ultimately about more than performance — it is about offering hope at a time of year when many are searching for it.

“People come in carrying a lot,” he said. “If they leave feeling lifted, feeling seen, then we’ve done our job.”

Tickets for Sunday’s 4 p.m. performance of Black Nativity start at $24.85 and are available on Ticketmaster. The Count Basie Center for the Arts is at 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank.