By Jay Whipple
Trend Magazine Online™
And The Winner Is?
Well folks, it has been over six
months since the 2013 National Black
Theatre Festivalwrapped up in Winston-Salem,
NC, and I am quite sure that I am
probably the only one still writing about it. In our August
2013 edition I promised you that I would review each of the five plays that
I was privileged to attend starting in our September
2013 edition and culminating with our January
2014 edition. As promised, I have done just that and it is now time − as
promised − to reveal my favorite play of the five that I reviewed. First,
writing my reviews were almost as much fun as being there live as I reflected
on the theatrical ambience, the audience members, and of course the varying talent on display on stage. It was somewhere during my writing experience that I decided to list each play in a descending hierarchy based on which one that I would rather see first versus last. In this case, the last shall be first, and the first shall
be last. Got it? I made this decision because I truthfully would not mind
checking out each and every play once again.Trend Magazine Online™
And The Winner Is?
So, if I had to choose which play would be in the number five spot it would be…
#5.
The Marvin Gaye Story: December 2013.
As stated in my December 2013 article/review in Trend Magazine Online™, this play was produced, written, and directed by Ms. Jackie Taylorwho is also the founder of the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Centerin the heart of Chicago′s Uptown neighborhood. It featured the largest cast − 14 − of the five plays that I attended last July/Augustof 2013. This play/musical started out a bit cumbersome in terms of actor dialogue but ended with a more harmonious collaboration of varying talent on stage performing a very inspiring and memorable climax while dressed in white. I labeled this performance ″edutainment″ because it entertained as well as educated me and the audience on the life and times of the greatest (In my opinion) R&B (Rhythm and Blues) singer of our time and perhaps of all modern times. I mentioned that my personal favorite scene in this play/musical featured Marvin (Rashawn Thompson) in a duet with the late great Thomasina Winfred Montgomery b.k.a. Tammi Terrell (1945 − 1970) played by Melanie McCoullough, singing the 1967 hit "Ain′t No Mountain High Enough" later re- recorded by the legendary Ms. Diana Ross in 1981.
If I had to choose which play would be in the number four spot it would be…
#4.
The Monkey On My Back! Featuring Ms. Debbie Morgan: September 2013.
In my September 2013 article/review in Trend Magazine Online™, I labeled this play an ″An Eerily Captivating and Candid Performance″ mainly because it is in fact a true story told by Ms. Morganherself, and from her perspective. In addition, her self-portrait stage character eerily resembled the Mozelle Batiste Delacroix character in which she so eloquently played on the big screen in one of my famous dramas/suspense thrillersEve′s Bayou (1997) which was written and directed by a Black woman by the name of Ms. Karen ″Kasi″ Lemmons; and also stars mega movie-star Mr. Samuel L. Jackson. The acting in this one-woman play/drama was spot on from start to finish and well expected from this Emmy-winningdarling and break out star of the late Alex Haley′s(1921 − 1992) mini-series Roots the Next Generation(1979). My most memorable scene came towards the end when Ms. Morganmimicked a kitchen fight between her mother and late father (1938 − 1965) that climaxed with loud suspenseful music and her shedding real tears why screaming ″no daddy no, I wish you would die!″ You could hear a pin drop in the audience after that powerful performance. On a side note, I also mentioned that she has some of the prettiest feet I have ever seen in my lifetime. Smile! She was also nice enough to greet the audience and pose for pictures afterwards. You can now get a FREE excerpt of her new book of the same named title online here.
If I had to choose which play would be in the number three spot it would be…
