BLKS
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Cititour.com Review
It ain’t easy being…. well, apologies to Kermit the Frog, but the right answer these days apparently isn’t green. At least according to “BLKS,” the hilarious yet trenchant comedy by Aziza Barnes, which is now receiving a superb (and somewhat overdue) NYC production at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space under Robert O’Hara’s delightfully fluid direction. This pungent slice of life focuses on three young African-American women who share a Brooklyn apartment in 2015 (meticulously designed by the great Clint Ramos, just one part of a superb ever-rotating set), yet I think almost everyone who attends this show will find something to relate to in Barnes’ still-timely tale.
Octavia (an excellent Paige Gilbert) can’t seem to keep a job, can’t make up her mind about what she wants from her lesbian lover Ry (Coral Pena), and can’t seem to cope with a sudden “skin condition;” Imani (the very appealing, very funny Alfie Fuller) is a struggling wannabe comic whose dream is to recite all of Eddie Murphy’s legendary “Raw ” onstage (for a poignant reason that Barnes slyly and eventually reveals) and who gets constantly frustrated by the need to explain her culture to white people – most specifically, a too-PC rich girl she meets at a club (the fine Marie Botha); and June (the fierce, statuesque Antoinette Crowe-Legacy) is smart enough to get a six-figure job at a major accounting firm, but isn’t smart enough to extricate herself from a long-term relationship with her constantly cheating ex-boyfriend, even after a seemingly nice (if slightly weird) guy named Justin (the pec-tactular Chris Myers) suddenly comes along.
So they muddle along, day-drink, smoke weed, fight off a rapist (or two), get ignored by the police, go dancing, make out with strangers, “cope” with the latest news of a man getting shot, and in their own way, try to make the best of even the worst situations – some clearly of their own making, others merely foist upon them.
True, a lot seems to happen during the 24 hours or so in which “BLKS” takes place, but the play is so cleverly constructed you don’t immediately notice. It also never falls into the realm of situation comedy, despite the bucketload of profanity-laced punchlines. Moreover, Barnes smartly interweaves the political and personal throughout the one-act work, even if some of the heavier moments she inserts into the piece can feel a tad heavy-handed.
Still, these women are survivors, and the knowledge they’ll likely make it through another day -- even another year -- helps us enormously as we helplessly watch them make some seriously bad decisions. Even in a world where hope can seem in short supply, “BLKS” provides some – not just for its characters, but for audiences who fear that the theater isn’t making enough room for fresh voices.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Cast
Marié Botha, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Alfie Fuller, Paige Gilbert, Chris Myers, and Coral Peña
Open/Close Dates
Opening 5/9/2019
Closing 6/2/2019
Theatre Info
Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space
511 W 52 Street
New York, NY 10019
Map
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