The choreopoem is a theatrical medium that collages poetry, dance, music, and dialogue in a way that lets each art stand on its own instead of integrating them like a more mainstream musical. It creates its effect through coalescence and subtle addition. The form was popularized, and the term coined, by Nzotake Shange who brought this type of theatre to mainstream awareness through her masterpiece for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf in 1975. Another acclaimed example, imported from Baltimore, is coming to the Shedd Theater in the Columbus Performing Arts Center at 6pm on Sunday March 22, 2015: A Real “Nigga” Show.
Conceived by director Troy Burton as well as actors and other writers, A Real “Nigga” Show premiered in 2003 at the Baltimore Theatre Project. This piece attempts to dissect what that contentious word means and how America has absorbed and pathologized it, how it’s been attempted to be reclaimed and how it’s still be used as an instrument of hate and rage. The version performed on Sunday was revised for its tenth anniversary in 2013, also at Baltimore Theatre Project, including additional material like “Hoodie,” written by Sheila “Strawberry” Gaskins.
The company bringing this piece to Columbus includes director Troy Burton and a cast of co-creator and co-writer Ezekiel “Eze” Jackson, Joshua Dixon, Davon Carey, Robert Lee Hardy, and Melvin T. Russell. The original production highlighted Robert F. Chew (best known for his role as Proposition Joe on The Wire), who passed away in 2013, and there is also a tribute element in Chew’s honor.
The spark for bringing this bracing, relevant work to Columbus was Sheri Neale, originally from Baltimore and with a long-standing connection to members of this production. Neale had the pleasure of seeing A Real “Nigga” Show in one of its rare non-Baltimore runs when it was performed at her alma mater, Wilberforce University, in 2005. When commercial underwriting for a Columbus run was hard to come by for work of this subject matter with that title, she turned to her friends, neighbors, and associates to form Maroon Arts Group. Already seeing success — this week’s production sold out a week in advance with no real press support — the hope is this will give other theaters the confidence to mount this work in their own towns. There is also discussion of hosting the one-man adaptation for youth audiences before the school year ends.
Maroon Arts Group is a collective that includes the Battiste LaFleur Galleria, Marshall Short’s Creative Control, Black Central, Upper Cup Coffee, and WillowBeez Soul Veg. They have two standing events: a spoken word night titled Roots: An Open Expression in Identity, held the third Friday of every month at 7pm at Battiste LaFleur Galleria (825 E. Long St); and Reggae Revolutions, featuring DJ O Sharp at Zanzibar Brews (740 E. Long St) the third Saturday of every month at 10pm. In addition, they expect to host additional “The N*____ Experience” community discussions following the successful first installment held at King Arts Complex. The second is tentatively scheduled for April 16th, with additional details to be announced soon.
A Real “Nigga” Show will be performed at the Shedd Theatre in the Columbus Performing Arts Center at 6pm on March 22, 2015. This performance is sold out, but for more information visit the Maroon Arts Group Facebook at www.facebook.com/themaroonartsgroup.
Roots: An Open Expression in Identity will next occur on Friday, March 20th, at 7pm at Battiste LaFleur Galleria at 825 E Long St. The next installment of Reggae Revolutions will take place at Zanzibar Brews on Saturday, March 21st, beginning at 10pm.