Saw it last night. I was a bit nervous to see a one-woman play, thinking that I'd be bored and put to sleep. Ms Pressley masterfully changed my mind and captured my attention from the first few minutes and didn't let go. It was very comical, as I found myself laughing out loud almost embarrassingly...almost. Themes of "speaking white" and classism within the black community, peppered with gratuitous "N-word" drops, hit very close to home and was as authentic as it was enjoyable. So glad I got to catch it, in it's final days and look forward to more of Brenda's future performances.
Spot on review. The play very much felt like a NYT Modern Love column. I enjoy reading the columns, even listening to the columns in their podcast form but a play format does not serve this sort of material.
The play is much better than the review suggests and should be recommended. It is intelligently and even boldly written and beautifully performed. The premise may sound contrived and overly theatrical but the play delves insightfully into fundamental questions that are raised when she discovers that the life she actually lived and the life she thought she was living are radically divergent. I also thought that the play courageously addressed issues of class and status within black America that are rarely broached in mainstream NY theater.
2
Couldn't disagree more with the review. I saw the play on Saturday - a very moving work, with incredible acting and writing. The entire audience was engaged throughout the 75 minutes, which seemed to fly by. The 'there is, in fact, more than one way to be black' quote was beautifully put, and at no point did I feel the main character was to be criticized for taking pride in her upper class upbringing and command of the English language.
5