THE HANGOVER REPORT – Camille A. Brown revives (and appears in) her caustic MR. TOL E. RANCE as part of her broader examination of Black identity

Juel D. Lane and Waldean Nelson in Camille A. Brown’s “Mr. TOL E. RAncE” at The Joyce Theater (photo by Christopher Duggan).

This past Sunday evening at The Joyce Theater, I attended Camille A. Brown’s disturbing yet exuberant Mr. TOL E. RAncE (2012), the first entry in the celebrated choreographer’s (who is perhaps best known to theater fans for having directed and choreographed the recent Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s seminal for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf) important trilogy of dances examining Black identity. The weeklong run at the Chelsea dance venue also included performances of BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play (2015) – the second installment of “The Trilogy” – which I sadly missed. The final installment of The Trilogy, entitled ink, will be unveiled at the Apollo Theater in Harlem later this week.

This recent run at The Joyce was a notable occasion for a number of reasons. Not only did it start bringing the pieces of the decade-spanning trilogy together, it also represented perhaps one of Ms. Brown’s final appearances at the venue as a performer. It was with bittersweet anticipation, therefore, that I took my seat before the last performance of the run. In the short, the revival of Mr. TOL E. RAncE was a knockout, a breathtaking and breathless choreographic depiction of the legacy of the minstrel show, and how the form has stealthily evolved through the years in the guise of mainstream Black entertainment (particularly as manifested by Black sitcoms). In so doing, the work highlights the struggles and resilience the Black people, specifically those in show business.

First seen a decade ago, the Bessie Award-winning dance continues to register in all its caustic and fascinating contradictions, particularly as pointedly performed by Ms. Brown’s current crop of dancers (who perform the piece in white gloves). Because the work energetically speeds through its 50-minute run time, you may miss its witty connotations upon first glance. Indeed, look closely and you’ll surmise generations of trauma stewing beneath the dancers’ comic ear-to-ear grins, which Ms. Brown more fully investigates in her harrowing, soul-baring solos. Throughout, pianist Kwinton Gray played live onstage, providing masterful accompaniment.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS: MR. TOL E. RANCE
Dance
The Joyce Theater
50 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed

Categories: Dance

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