[NEohioPAL]Cleveland Jewish News: No-holds-barred satire blasts off at Karamu

[Performing Arts]

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s0203.txt
Arts

No-holds-barred satire blasts off at Karamu=20
By: FRAN HELLER Contributing Writer

"Fasten your shackles" intones the perky stewardess on a slave ship =
bound for Savannah.

Thus begins a journey through 300 years of history in George C. Wolfe's =
1986 play "The Colored Museum," a no-holds-barred satiric riff on what =
it means to be black in America. It's at Karamu Performing Arts Theatre =
through Feb. 19.=20
At once funny and irreverent, the play topples the myths and stereotypes =
surrounding black culture, ranging from slavery and Ebony magazine to =
hair styles and Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 landmark drama "Raisin in the =
Sun."

Written with lacerating wit and deep compassion, "The Colored Museum" =
serves as a humorous antidote for dealing with a history of oppression =
and suffering.

The revue-like format consists of 11 skits, not all of equal merit. But =
a first-rate production directed by Caroline Jackson Smith and an =
all-star cast shore up the weaker vignettes, resulting in an evening =
that is at once entertaining and sobering, as well as laugh-out-loud =
funny with an undercurrent of pain.

The play is set in a museum, a repository where the "myths and madness =
of black/Negro/colored Americans are stored."

Portraits of black America and African masks grace the white walls of =
John Konopka's rendition of a museum. A hand-driven turntable makes for =
seamless transitions between skits.

Dressed in a mini-skirted, hot-pink suit, her face frozen in a =
Cheshire-cat grin, Kimberly Brown percolates energy as the stewardess =
Miss Pat in the opening segment "Git on Board."

As the slave ship hurtles through a time warp, hyped by Richard H. =
Morris Jr.'s lighting and sound effects, the stewardess warns her slaves =
that they will have to suffer through 300 years of history. But, she =
reassures them, they will emerge with a culture so complex, including =
the best dances and basketball millionaires, that even the likes of =
William Faulkner and George Gershwin will take notice.

There is even a line in the play that refers to Gershwin's simpatico =
with blacks, given his membership in another oppressed people. While =
there is nothing overtly Jewish about "The Colored Museum," there is =
everything Jewish about a story of assimilation and search for identity. =
Using self-parody to alleviate pain and suffering is also very Jewish.

In "Cookin' with Aunt Ethel," Stephanie Stovall rustles up a batch of =
Negro babies, whose ingredients are a composite of the Negro character. =
The sketch fizzles, but Stovall's droll caricature of an Aunt Jemima =
prototype and Jimmie Woody as her moonshine-swigging sidekick Missa Foot =
are peerless.

Morris Cammon's costumes are terrific here and everywhere.

Music director Courtney-Savali L. Andrews at the piano serves the many =
sounds of music that are intrinsic to the skits, much of it original =
music created by several cast members.

All of the sketches revolve around issues of identity.

In "The Photo Session," Katrice Monee Headd and G. Carlos Henderson =
portray a pair of fashion models who take refuge inside Ebony magazine =
as a means of escaping their heritage, only to experience a different =
kind of pain, "the kind of pain that comes from feeling no pain at all."

In "Symbiosis," Henderson impersonates a middle-class businessman trying =
to shed his past. As The Man drops the contents of his upscale shopping =
bag into the garbage can, including his first pair of Converse sneakers, =
a jar of pomade and Temptation records, his younger rebellious self, =
personified by Woody as The Kid, puts up a fight.

The segment epitomizes what the playwright calls the schizoid =
personality of the black man. "Black American culture is a very =
fragmented thing," said Wolfe. "We're all trying to come up with some =
definition of what we are. My absolute definition of me is the =
schizophrenia, the contradiction."

Nothing is funny about "Soldier with a Secret," in which Woody portrays =
a Vietnam soldier who has died and come back to life. The soldier =
embarks upon a bizarre scheme to kill off his fellow black infantrymen =
as a means of saving them from an even more painful future facing them =
back home. Richard H. Morris Jr.'s dappled lighting creates a =
jungle-like backdrop for the soldier's grim fantasy.

My vote for the most hilarious vignette was "The Hairpiece" in which =
Stovall and Headd play two bewigged talking heads, vying for the crown =
of their mistress (Brown), a woman who has gone totally bald after years =
of "frying, dying and de-chemicalizing her hair." Will she choose the =
kinky black Afro or "Barbie doll tresses dipped in chocolate"? =
Centerpiece of the revue is "The Last Mama-on-the-Couch Play," a =
farcical sendup of Lorraine Hansberry's drama of social realism, "Raisin =
in the Sun," Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls . ," and the kind of =
black musicals that white audiences are conditioned to expect.

I'm still chuckling over the charismatic Stovall's over-the-top =
performance as the weary, Bible-totin' Mama who lands a mean punch on =
her disgruntled son when he takes God's name in vain.

Woody plays the aggrieved son Walter-Lee-Beau-Willie Jones with mock =
exaggeration. Brown's Lady-in-Plaid mimics the style of Shange's =
performance piece, while Headd as Medea Jones, speaks in classical =
tongues she picked up at Julliard, which nobody understands.

Each actor tries to out-emote the other and win an Oscar from the =
Narrator for the effort.

In the final sketch, Headd portrays Topsy Washington, a party animal who =
finds that the only way to live is not to flee from or deny the past, =
but to accept it and move on. As Topsy says, speaking in the voice of =
the playwright, "And whereas I can't live inside yesterday's pain, I =
can't live without it."

Wolfe, a two-time Tony Award-winning director ("Angels in America, Part =
I, The Millennium Approaches" in 1993 and "Bring in da Noise, Bring in =
da Funk" in 1996), served as artistic director of New York's Public =
Theatre. A playwright, composer and producer, as well as director, Wolfe =
recently stepped down from the helm to resume playwriting.

Artistic director Terrence Spivey wants to return the 90-year-old Karamu =
theater and the nation's oldest African-American theater to its former =
halcyon days. With topnotch productions like "The Colored Museum," the =
theater is well on its way.

Karamu Performing Arts Theatre is at 2355 East 89th St., just south of =
The Cleveland Play House. Tickets: 216-795-7077.=20

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2006/02/02/features/a=
rts/barts0203.txt">http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2006/02/02=
/features/arts/barts0203.txt</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3>
<P class=3Dsection><STRONG>Arts</STRONG></P></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline align=3D"left">No-holds-barred satire blasts =
off at=20
Karamu </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=3Dbyline align=3Dleft>By: FRAN HELLER Contributing =
Writer</P></DIV>
<DIV>=93Fasten your shackles=94 intones the perky stewardess on a slave =
ship bound=20
for Savannah.<BR><BR>Thus begins a journey through 300 years of history =
in=20
George C. Wolfe=92s 1986 play =93The Colored Museum,=94 a =
no-holds-barred satiric riff=20
on what it means to be black in America. It=92s at Karamu Performing =
Arts Theatre=20
through Feb. 19. </DIV>
<DIV>
<P align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3Dcontent>At once funny and irreverent, the =
play topples=20
the myths and stereotypes surrounding black culture, ranging from =
slavery and=20
Ebony magazine to hair styles and Lorraine Hansberry=92s 1959 landmark =
drama=20
=93Raisin in the Sun.=94<BR><BR>Written with lacerating wit and deep =
compassion,=20
=93The Colored Museum=94 serves as a humorous antidote for dealing with =
a history of=20
oppression and suffering.<BR><BR>The revue-like format consists of 11 =
skits, not=20
all of equal merit. But a first-rate production directed by Caroline =
Jackson=20
Smith and an all-star cast shore up the weaker vignettes, resulting in =
an=20
evening that is at once entertaining and sobering, as well as =
laugh-out-loud=20
funny with an undercurrent of pain.<BR><BR>The play is set in a museum, =
a=20
repository where the =93myths and madness of black/Negro/colored =
Americans are=20
stored.=94<BR><BR>Portraits of black America and African masks grace the =
white=20
walls of John Konopka=92s rendition of a museum. A hand-driven turntable =
makes for=20
seamless transitions between skits.<BR><BR>Dressed in a mini-skirted, =
hot-pink=20
suit, her face frozen in a Cheshire-cat grin, Kimberly Brown percolates =
energy=20
as the stewardess Miss Pat in the opening segment =93Git on =
Board.=94<BR><BR>As the=20
slave ship hurtles through a time warp, hyped by Richard H. Morris =
Jr.=92s=20
lighting and sound effects, the stewardess warns her slaves that they =
will have=20
to suffer through 300 years of history. But, she reassures them, they =
will=20
emerge with a culture so complex, including the best dances and =
basketball=20
millionaires, that even the likes of William Faulkner and George =
Gershwin will=20
take notice.<BR><BR>There is even a line in the play that refers to =
Gershwin=92s=20
simpatico with blacks, given his membership in another oppressed people. =
While=20
there is nothing overtly Jewish about =93The Colored Museum,=94 there is =
everything=20
Jewish about a story of assimilation and search for identity. Using =
self-parody=20
to alleviate pain and suffering is also very Jewish.<BR><BR>In =
=93Cookin=92 with=20
Aunt Ethel,=94 Stephanie Stovall rustles up a batch of Negro babies, =
whose=20
ingredients are a composite of the Negro character. The sketch fizzles, =
but=20
Stovall=92s droll caricature of an Aunt Jemima prototype and Jimmie =
Woody as her=20
moonshine-swigging sidekick Missa Foot are peerless.<BR><BR>Morris =
Cammon=92s=20
costumes are terrific here and everywhere.<BR><BR>Music director =
Courtney-Savali=20
L. Andrews at the piano serves the many sounds of music that are =
intrinsic to=20
the skits, much of it original music created by several cast =
members.<BR><BR>All=20
of the sketches revolve around issues of identity.<BR><BR>In =93The =
Photo=20
Session,=94 Katrice Monee Headd and G. Carlos Henderson portray a pair =
of fashion=20
models who take refuge inside Ebony magazine as a means of escaping =
their=20
heritage, only to experience a different kind of pain, =93the kind of =
pain that=20
comes from feeling no pain at all.=94<BR><BR>In =93Symbiosis,=94 =
Henderson=20
impersonates a middle-class businessman trying to shed his past. As The =
Man=20
drops the contents of his upscale shopping bag into the garbage can, =
including=20
his first pair of Converse sneakers, a jar of pomade and Temptation =
records, his=20
younger rebellious self, personified by Woody as The Kid, puts up a=20
fight.<BR><BR>The segment epitomizes what the playwright calls the =
schizoid=20
personality of the black man. =93Black American culture is a very =
fragmented=20
thing,=94 said Wolfe. =93We=92re all trying to come up with some =
definition of what we=20
are. My absolute definition of me is the schizophrenia, the=20
contradiction.=94<BR><BR>Nothing is funny about =93Soldier with a =
Secret,=94 in which=20
Woody portrays a Vietnam soldier who has died and come back to life. The =
soldier=20
embarks upon a bizarre scheme to kill off his fellow black infantrymen =
as a=20
means of saving them from an even more painful future facing them back =
home.=20
Richard H. Morris Jr.=92s dappled lighting creates a jungle-like =
backdrop for the=20
soldier=92s grim fantasy.<BR><BR>My vote for the most hilarious vignette =
was =93The=20
Hairpiece=94 in which Stovall and Headd play two bewigged talking heads, =
vying for=20
the crown of their mistress (Brown), a woman who has gone totally bald =
after=20
years of =93frying, dying and de-chemicalizing her hair.=94 Will she =
choose the=20
kinky black Afro or =93Barbie doll tresses dipped in chocolate=94? =
Centerpiece of=20
the revue is =93The Last Mama-on-the-Couch Play,=94 a farcical sendup of =
Lorraine=20
Hansberry=92s drama of social realism, =93Raisin in the Sun,=94 Ntozake =
Shange=92s =93For=20
Colored Girls =85 ,=94 and the kind of black musicals that white =
audiences are=20
conditioned to expect.<BR><BR>I=92m still chuckling over the charismatic =
Stovall=92s=20
over-the-top performance as the weary, Bible-totin=92 Mama who lands a =
mean punch=20
on her disgruntled son when he takes God=92s name in vain.<BR><BR>Woody =
plays the=20
aggrieved son Walter-Lee-Beau-Willie Jones with mock exaggeration. =
Brown=92s=20
Lady-in-Plaid mimics the style of Shange=92s performance piece, while =
Headd as=20
Medea Jones, speaks in classical tongues she picked up at Julliard, =
which nobody=20
understands.<BR><BR>Each actor tries to out-emote the other and win an =
Oscar=20
from the Narrator for the effort.<BR><BR>In the final sketch, Headd =
portrays=20
Topsy Washington, a party animal who finds that the only way to live is =
not to=20
flee from or deny the past, but to accept it and move on. As Topsy says, =

speaking in the voice of the playwright, =93And whereas I can=92t live =
inside=20
yesterday=92s pain, I can=92t live without it.=94<BR><BR>Wolfe, a =
two-time Tony=20
Award-winning director (=93Angels in America, Part I, The Millennium =
Approaches=94=20
in 1993 and =93Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk=94 in 1996), served =
as artistic=20
director of New York=92s Public Theatre. A playwright, composer and =
producer, as=20
well as director, Wolfe recently stepped down from the helm to resume=20
playwriting.<BR><BR>Artistic director Terrence Spivey wants to return =
the=20
90-year-old Karamu theater and the nation=92s oldest African-American =
theater to=20
its former halcyon days. With topnotch productions like =93The Colored =
Museum,=94=20
the theater is well on its way.<BR><BR>Karamu Performing Arts Theatre is =
at 2355=20
East 89th St., just south of The Cleveland Play House. Tickets:=20
216-795-7077.</SPAN> </P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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