Alice Childress Spotlights African American Stereotypes by Barry David Horwitz In Alice Childress’s 1957 play, “Trouble in Mind,” two titanic figures confront each other at a rehearsal of an “anti-lynching” script. The fictional script, titled “Chaos in Belleville,” takes place on a southern plantation during slavery, and it parades offensive racial stereotypes. Playing seasoned…
Max Tachis Grovels to Many Masters, Mining Comedy Gold by Barry David Horwitz Becky Mode’s original 1999 play has been updated with the names of current stars and notorious one-percenters; but their nasty, privileged treatment of Sam, a beleaguered up-scale resto reservation clerk, hasn’t changed much. The one-percenters still get their demands filled, instantly….
Josh Kornbluth, Genius Comic, Uses Science for Revolution by Barry David Horwitz Josh Kornbluth has found a way to link self-discovery to political regeneration. He has blazed a trail from the personal to the political–with good humor, friendliness, and warmth. Josh, a delightful, inviting solo performer zooms his show from his apartment in Berkeley,…
Millennial Notes Indira Etwaroo Stages Black Lives in Glass Boxes by Abby Tozer A Brooklyn cityscape overlooks the bright yellow street mural memorializing 159 Black victims of injustice—from Emmett Till to Breonna Taylor. The vast, bright yellow letters proclaim the names of the dead. The name “TAMIR RICE” is boldly painted in front of…