My overall impression
Am I Black Enough Yet? is an amazing stage production that should really be on television!! My friend and I saw the final showing of the play for the Hollywood Fringe, but we HOPE it makes a quick return to L.A. in some other venue. It was such a good time and I would love to see more from the writer, director, and actors.
The show gets a sure 10 out of 10 for overall experience. An evaluation of the individual components:
Writing: AHHHHmazing!!! The dialogue was incredible, funny, and moving. The range was impressive; heavy moments were flawlessly transitioned to laughter without compromising the message. It just never felt canned or formulaic. Rather, it was like overhearing real conversations by people you’ve met before or would want to meet. Having experienced some of the situations personally, I kept thinking, ’Yes! He got that right!"
Acting: Extreme Talent!! I became a fan of the entire cast within five minutes of the show and I look forward to seeing them in future productions. They literally made my face hurt from smiling and laughing so hard….With minimal set/costume changes I felt transported from a University Housing office to a Parisian Jazz club and back to an elementary classroom. Individually, each Actor became the different characters. As a group, the cast blended nicely and their chemistry was infectious. They brought the audience into the show when appropriate and it felt like a party.
Aside from any other technical comments on their acting, it’s worth noting that the cast is full of the kind of eye candy that made Grey’s Anatomy so popular. The men are FINE FINE FINE!! (Speaking of fine: I don’t know enough about Theatre Production/Direction to speak on that, but I can say the Director is also FINE FINE FINE! somehow that’s gotta be relevant :)
Cultural Relevance: Again, this category speaks to the writing because the writer did a great job of framing cultural issues in thoughtful and entertaining situations. The production delivered several messages about society without being preachy.
The question of “Am I Black Enough Yet,” was answered early in the production for the entire audience. Me? I’m now Uber Black!! The only question that remains is, will Los Angeles get to see more from this great writer, ensemble, and Director? I hope the answer is Yes and Soon!!
