Intriguing and challenging. British
actor, playwright and storyteller Michael
Washington Brown impersonates four different men from around
the world, each culturally identified as ‘black’ but who have very different
ideas about what that means.
There’s an ingenuous young American who loves Rap but
not the hostile type; a studious Brit trying to decipher where he fits in to
the ‘white’ culture; a mature man of the Islands full of pride and fatherly
concern, and a philosophic South African sadly questioning
the enmity between black Africans that causes atrocities. More
than just character studies, Brown’s exploration of the word ‘black’ examines
race from a global perspective.
Says Brown, “There are so many
stereotypes that seem to mesh all black people and their stories together. But
not all of us are African-American, and we don’t all share the same experience.
This show looks at race through a much wider lens.”
Technical
design by Caitlin Rucker. At
Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave,
West Hollywood.
Tickets: (800) 838-3006
or blackonemanshow.brownpapertickets.com.
Also reviewed in the October issue of NOT BORN YESTERDAY.