THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2019 THEATER: 'BLKS' IS SERIOUSLY FUNNY BLKS ** 1/2 out of **** THE ROBERT W.</p><p> WILSON MCC THEATER SPACE To the growing list of playwrights of color pushing the boundaries of contemporary theater, you can happily add the name of Aziza Barnes.</p><p> Is it any wonder they attracted the attention of red-hot director RobertO'Hara? No, it is not.</p><p> He gives BLKS a solid showcase that also shows off the versatility of the mainstage at the relatively new Robert W.</p><p> Wilson MCC Theater Space.</p><p> This was my first visit to the latest addition in NYC's collection of artistic spaces but it won't be my last.And this was my first chance to see a work by Barnes, but it surelywon't be my last for that either.</p><p> In this broad but pointed comedy, Octavia is having a bad day.</p><p> She (Paige Gilbert) freaks out over a mole on her clitoris.</p><p> It wasn't thereyesterday! When her lover/friend with benefits/whatever Ry (CoralPeña) demurs when asked to play amateur gynecologist, Octavia has had enough.</p><p> She ends their brief fling/burgeoning romance (I don't know what to call it because neither does Octavia).</p><p> When roommateJune (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy) barges in and reveals her boyfriendhas cheated on her (again) and a relative of Octavia says thepotentially cancerous mole needs to be dealt with right away, they andfellow roomie Imani (Alfie Fuller) agree there's only one solution.</p><p> Day drinking, rolling a blunt and generally partying, of course.</p><p> What follows is a roundelay of sexual entanglements, hilarious banter and the unwelcome but inevitable downer of reality intruding in onthe fun via a violent confrontation on the streets and social media updates on the latest killing of a young black man.</p><p> Unlike other recent plays, BLKS is not extravagantly out there or form- breaking.</p><p> It's not a series of sketches, just a well-constructed play with characters bouncing off one another in unexpected, revealing ways and with a joyous sense of sisterhood.</p><p> Even when they are practicallyMICHAEL GILTZ AT WORK Michael Giltz is a freelance writer based in NYC and can be reached atmgiltz@pipeline.com FAVORITE LINKS Americablog Five O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's Blog The Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPN Radio Cine-Blog -- George Robinson's Blog Documents On Art & Cinema - Daryl Chin's Blog Brucie G's Wondrous Blog Of Adventure and Mystery -- Bruce Greenspan's Blog BLOG ARCHIVE ▼ 2019 (58) ► September (9) ► August (9) ► July (7)swapping potential partners, you never doubt Octavia, June and Imani have each others backs.</p><p> And while the humor is broad and cranked up, unlike Barnes we never doubt its essential seriousness either.</p><p> O'Hara oversees the show with affection but several elements hold itback.</p><p> The scenic design by Clint Ramos is a trickster in its own right.The stage is wide and deep but the central space of the shared living room in their apartment is presented at a cramped, odd angle.</p><p> It's puzzling until the set rotates again and again, almost going widescreenas Ramos reveals a bathroom, bedrooms, a club and even a city streetwith subway entrances.</p><p> And yet it felt over-elaborate and attention-grabbing to me.</p><p> You shouldn't be thinking about the sets as much as we do here.</p><p> Worse, two roles are poorly cast.</p><p> Marié Botha as That Bitch On The Couch is merely ok as a clueless white woman bedeviled by what's appropriate for her to say.</p><p> And Octavia's love interest Ry was mishandled entirely by Peña, making her Off Broadway debut andproving very uncomfortable onstage.</p><p> Her body movement, her linedeliveries, literally everything about her proved awkward, never moreso than a key monologue at the climax she barely delivered, much less brought to life.</p><p> The three leads are much better.</p><p> Fuller reveals depths to Imani.</p><p> Crowe-Legacy is full-on Amazonian as she straddles the stage with herpersonality and take-command voice.</p><p> And Gilbert anchors it all with ease as the conflicted but decent Octavia.</p><p> Playing a string of male characters but mostly the nerdy, off-beat Justin (a guy who befriendsJune in a club), Chris Myers is scene-stealing good from start to finish.For a play centered on women, Barnes gifts him with a terrificshowcase and Myers makes the most of it.</p><p> I wish Barnes had trusted their own talents as much.</p><p> News alerts about the gunning down of young black men by the police both earlyon and at the end feel like an unnecessary attempt to prove the playhas serious intent.</p><p> I never doubted it, thanks to the more organic► June (3) ▼ May (9) THEATER: 'BLKS' IS SERIOUSLY FUNNY MUSIC: CHRIS THILE CAPS CARNEGIE HALL RESIDENCY WI...</p><p> THEATER: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL GETS ITS MOJO BACK THEATER: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN'S LIFE WAS NO FAI...</p><p> The Movies, Books, Theater, Concerts, CDs I've See...</p><p> BookFilter Reading List TV and Film Must Watch ListTHEATER: "MANUELA INFANTE," OR REVENGE OF THE PLAN...</p><p> THEATER: "BEETLEJUICE" SHOWS A LITTLE LIFE ► April (10) ► March (5) ► February (1) ► January (5) ► 2018 (38) ► 2017 (6) ► 2016 (2) ► 2015 (20) ► 2014 (2) ► 2013 (5) ► 2012 (17) ► 2011 (15) ► 2010 (10) ► 2009 (43) ► 2008 (86) ► 2007 (781) ► 2006 (2412) ► 2005 (5)inclusion of a burst of violence on the street and the wickedly funny taunting Imani gives to a white woman she flirts with.</p><p> Yet even at the end, Barnes insists on a string of monologues that come from a different world than the colorful comedy they created and make us care about.</p><p> Indeed, Barnes has a gift for character and dialogue.</p><p> After delivering three women in a setting I'd be glad to return to, TV might just be in their future.</p><p> NOTE: It's not every day NYC gets a new theater space.</p><p> Check out this quick peek of The Robert W Wilson MCC Theater Space.</p><p> THEATER OF 2019 Frankenstein: Under The Radar Fest at the Public ** 1/2 Minor Character: Under The Radar Festival at the Public *** Ink: Under The Radar Festival at the Public ** 1/2 Choir Boy ** 1/2 White Noise ** 1/2 Kiss Me, Kate *** Ain't No Mo' *** 1/2 Ain't Too Proud ** The Cradle Will Rock * 1/2 Mrs.</p><p> Murray's Menagerie *** 1/2 Oklahoma! (on Broadway) ** 1/2 Socrates ** The Pain Of My Belligerence * Burn This ** Hadestown *** 1/2 All My Sons * 1/2 Tootsie ** 1/2 Ink *** Beetlejuice ** Estado Vegetal *** Hans Christian Andersen * 1/2 Cirque du Soleil: Luzia *** BLKS ** 1/2 Thanks for reading.</p><p> Michael Giltz is the creator of BookFilter, a book lover’s best friend.</p><p> It’s a website that lets you browse for books online the way you do in a physical bookstore, provides comprehensive info on new releases every week in every category and offers passionate personal recommendations every step of the way.</p><p> He’s also the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day with top journalists and opinion makers as guests.</p><p> It’s available for free on iTunes.</p><p> Visit Michael Giltz at his website.</p><p> Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also available for free on iTunes.</p><p> POSTED BY MICHAEL GILTZ AT 2:30 PM NO COMMENTS: Post a Comment Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)Newer Post Older Post Home
