So a lady I know who has a black actors company sent an email blast to friends about a play. Im a big fan of live entertainment, and especially Black theater and actors. And I gotta balance out those seasons of Flavor of Love I watched . . . Speaking of which I saw Shay/Bucky randomly in the airport, at the Airtran check-in so its cool Im not the only one trying to save a dollar wherever I can.
After the second plea email from the theater woman I knew I had to go check out the play WEBEIME and not just because hottie Lahman Rucker had given me a flyer when I met him and he was in it. It was described as the guy version of When Colored Girls Considered Suicide, (which I can’t wait to see with India.Arie this summer!) So on a Saturday I somehow get my homie MV to come along and we walk over since its close by at the Harlem School of the Arts. First person I see when I walk in Kisa and I just smile and again know the world is a tiny place.
Me and Kisa go back to an Atlanta internship summer program where we thought we were little business ladies meeting for lunch from our jobs. And of the 6 Black students in the program, 3 of us went to HU including me and Kisa. I always admired her for her artistic passion and being a part of YEA in Atlanta, this fierce theater group of young Black kids in Atlanta I always adored. So seeing here was seeing her right at home, now with her theater degree, helping run things.
We grab seats in the front row. I start chatting with the elderly lady sitting next to me and she is excited to tell me about the book she is reading and her book club which she joined at 80. She came up from Baltimore to see her Nephew who is one of the eight Black guys who complete the cast.
The show begins and the men take the stage in the intimate theater. She points him out, and he’s a cute and already sweating before the show gets going strong. Lahman is good and its captivating watching this guy with a football-build acting like a 3 year old child, squeaky voice and all. The story is a dark one of the journey of a guy who is abused by his father sexually (which they graphically simulate) at only 8 years old as the father has beast the mother to death. One of the guys even has this raspy devil voice that completes the gloom.
Yeah, it was a lot. And I was glad I supported it. Was not what I was expecting, but whatever is?
Boy do I have I fond memories of HSA! I used to be a student there...boy, memories! Anyhoo, that sounded like a great show. Did I read correctly? India Arie will be in "For Colored Girls..."? I LOVE THAT PLAY! Sounds like a Teacake book/event! Can't wait!