Black When I Was A Boy

Fascinating portrayal of racism as experienced by a young black boy in Kansas in the 60s and 70s. Sometimes the scenes made me squirm due to the uncomfortable nature of navigating the racism. Highly recommend you go see Black When I Was a Boy. Cooper Bates naturally entrances you with his story. ... full review

Cooper Bates' one man show, Black When I Was a Boy is a truly heartfelt tale of that banishment from paradise so many of us experience when we first come to learn the sinful truth: The serpent of prejudice and racial intolerance slithers through our world. A solid Gold Medal. ... full review

Born black in a historic black town, raised good-old-boy in a mostly white town and what do you become? Cooper Bates became a thoughtful, gleeful, funny and deep teller of stories. He conveys both the joy of growing up in a small town with an abundance of friends and activities and the ugly eruptions of racial and family violence that make finding his true self a struggle. Never the list, as the play progresses, we see a unique individual stand up and use a combination of strength, patience, and humor to form a positive world view and teach himself as well as his erstwhile enemy that we all should honor our best selves, but no one owes loyalty to a stereotype .... full review

Wow, what a show! Such an incredibly moving and heartbreaking story. The specificity of the story telling takes you through Cooper's life as he recounts the way race impacted his childhood. ... full review

I was in a fantasy dream state within the first minute of this one-man-show. I felt present among the scenery Cooper was describing. He swaps between multiple characters seamlessly and convincingly.... full review

brave and entertaining... full review

A truly AMAZING one-man-show weaving history, life, and dozens of characters together into a seamless tapestry of one man’s journey through discovery, hurt, truth, joy, fear, and - ultimately - victory of a most profound nature. Cooper Bates opened to us his soul, and invited us to journey with him into the future by way of his often painful past - thanks for the ride Cooper!!... full review

Cooper Bates was brilliant and had me thoroughly riveted. His life stories were poignant and heartbreaking, while managing to weave in a good dose of humor. All and all a fantastic show! ... full review

Black When I Was A Boy was so entertaining from start to finish. It was a funny and poignant telling of the key moments that defined Cooper Bates’s self perception. It is a telling of modern American history that powerfully conveys the impact of a racist community whose impact was felt both quietly and violently. ... full review

Full disclosure: Cooper Bates is a friend of mine so I am aware of his talent and thoughtful response to life. Also, I read several rave reviews of his performance and one man play, “Black When I Was a Boy.” Still, I was not prepared for the beautiful ride on which he took my son and I, along with the rest of the audience. Starting with a simple and authentic hello and launching into his personal story, soon the space was populated with indelible characters of all races, ages, perspectives. Conversations came alive with moments of touching and tear up memories and reflections...and laughs, many held in balance with the poignancy of the story, and others bursting forth uncontrollably with recognition and joy. Young athletes and old women, sch... full review