What I liked
Dry wit and wisdom drives family-oriented stories in this epic tale of one woman’s search for her people. Browne weaves vignettes from her life, including photos and video, to bring her vivacious family into the Broadwater Studio. Her impressions of her mom, sisters, brothers, and the big personalities from her church trip to Ghana (especially Mimi and Sly) were hilarious, and she tempers the jokes with sage words about community, legacy, and the truth about your expectations being unmet. Browne unflinchingly examines issues as grave as the transatlantic slave trade and the brutality of the Boston police, describing in horrifying detail the dungeon in Ghana she and her family visited and showing a 19th-century flyer warning Black denizens of Boston about the police’s complicity in the South’s slavery system. Browne deftly steers us through these churning waters, buffering us with jokes before and after but still insisting that we engage with these ugly chapters of our history.
To that end, my own family’s roots grow parallel to Browne’s: my late Yiayia, whom I was reminded of when watching the video clip with Browne’s mother, lived in or near Boston for much of her life. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston and saw the busing situation Browne describes from the other side, with my family hosting a student throughout my elementary school days. The segregation of Massachusetts neighborhoods was stark throughout my childhood as well, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to hear stories and personal accounts from my former neighbors, especially given how segregated our communities were. I think it’s poignant that she was warned that she’d get beat up if she went to the neighborhood where my Yiayia grew up and I was warned that I’d get beaten up if I wandered into the neighborhood where Browne grew up.
Another thing I appreciated about this show: the audience. This was the 21st Fringe show I’ve seen this year, and the first one where I noticed that the audience was mostly Black. A lot of LA theater companies are still failing to feature Black performers and perform material that draws Black audiences despite the city’s strong and vibrant Black history going back to its founding. That’s not a problem that can be solved by buying a theater ticket, but I think any theater professional hoping to make their company and programming more inclusive and representative of the city we live in ought to start by seeing what is drawing the crowds you’re hoping to court. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy a fantastic hour of masterful comedy and storytelling!
What I didn't like
The narrative could occasionally feel meandering, especially in the middle. By the end, I was grateful for that because everything feeds into the overall story, and there’s always a little joke along the way. And isn’t that what journeys of discovery are often like?
My overall impression
Follow the wise, humorous Roz Browne on her journey to find belonging and community, from Dorchester to Ghana…
