Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Engaging in Black History: Celebrating the 35th anniversaries of George C. Wolfe’s seminal THE COLORED MUSEUM & Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE

• By drediman
• February 21, 2021
• No Comments

February marks Black History Month, which this year takes on extra resonance. This weekend, I streamed two shows that robustly explore the rich, complicated history and legacy of Black America.

THE COLORED MUSEUM
Theater
Crossroads Theater Company / The Public Theater
On-demand through February 28

First up is one of the most important plays of the last 50 years, George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), which this year celebrates the 35th anniversary of its world premiere at New Jersey’s Crossroads Theater Company (the production subsequently transferred to the Public Theater). The seminal work – essentially a “gallery” of scenes depicting the African American experience – uses extreme satire as a stand-in for the anger and confusion raging beneath the play’s comedic veneer. Indeed, the play’s stinging, over-the-top buffoonery aggressively barrages the viewer, often leaving them conflicted over whether to laugh or cry. Revisiting the piece via the excellent 1991 Great Performances capture, I was caught off guard by how stinging its pointed commentary (sadly) continues to be. Since its premiere, the influence of The Colored Museum has been felt far and wide (thanks to iconic segments like “The Last Mama-on-the-Couch Play” and “The Gospel According to Miss Roj”), having served as a prototype for such accomplished works as Robert O’Hara’s Bootycandy, Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’, Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Fairview, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s An Octoroon, and Jeremy O. Harris’s Slave Play. The play also emphatically put Mr. Wolfe on the map; he’s been a formidable force in the theater world ever since.

RONALD K. BROWN/EVIDENCE
Dance
The Joyce Theater
Live-streamed on February 18 / On-demand through March 4

Also celebrating its 35th anniversary is EVIDENCE, the dance company established in 1985 by choreographer Ronald K. Brown. One of the centerpieces of the festivities is the Joyce Theater’s live-streamed program (available on-demand through March 4) (RECOMMENDED), which features a collection of the choreographer’s most beloved works. Mr. Brown’s aesthetic is notable for its soulful homage to African dance, as well as its acknowledgement of the ongoing struggles and triumphs of the Black community. By connecting past and present, his dances seem to beckon ancestral spirits to bear witness to the legacy they’ve spawned and inspired. Understandably, given the current pandemic and the health precautions that have come with it, a majority of the evening is comprised of solos and pas de deux. Of these, the defining solo “Grace” (first performed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater two decades ago) and the uncommonly articulate duet “March” (set to a powerful speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) are particularly exquisite in choreographic composition and performance. The program gorgeously concludes with the ensemble piece “Mercy” (set to the music of Meshell Ndegeocello), a perfect encapsulation of Mr. Brown’s healing and empowering approach to dance.