Broke-ology at Lincoln Center Theater

Not too long ago I had the privilege of enjoying an emotional show at Lincoln Center Theater called Broke-ology.

Walking into the small theater, the scene is set very simply: a humble home somewhere in America. The crowd was diverse, which is a beautiful thing to witness because it is then that you know that it relates to many people.

Broke-ology is the artistic child of young playwrite Nathan Louis Jackson, a recent graduate of the Julliard School and former resident of Kansas City, Kansas, the same city in which the show’s story unfolds. Thomas Kail, also known for his work in In The Heights, directs this wonderful show. The cast, which consists of an amazing group of actors (Wendall Pierce, Crystal A. Dickinson, Francoise Battiste, and Alano Miller) is brought to life in such a way, that weeks later, when I think of the show, I still feel affected.

Maybe it’s because I relate to the struggles of a family trying to make it day to day.  Maybe because I relate to the emotional impact that having an ill parent has on a child, and the guilt brought on by the choices one feels one wants to make versus the voices of others dictating the choices one has to make.  Or maybe it was that for once, in a really long time, I was able to watch a story of a beautiful loving family, a family of color, going through life without any of the distractions of the negative stereotypes often attached to the stories of black families, or latino families, or other ethnic families in this country.

And race isn’t the point in this story, as a matter of fact, it isn’t even the issue, which is my point.  I related to it on so many levels, I was drawn in by the emotional struggles so earnestly displayed by the amazing actors, and I was taken into this world as if it was my reality, right then and there, so that I laughed and cried as if it was me living it.  That is the product of a wonderful theater experience, one not too many shows can take credit for having given me. It is a beautiful story of family, love, loss, and struggle.

I had a chance to meet and speak to Mr. Jackson, Mr. Kail, and the cast of Broke-ology.  They spoke of their respect and appreciation for each other, the respect and freedom they give to each other, and the affection they have for the story they bring to life each night.

I asked the cast how they felt when they received the script for this show, which portrays an African-American family in the most positive, general, loving way possible, without the negative stereotypes attached to it. Ms. Dickinson (who by the way has one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen and whose presence on stage always brought forth such emotion) passionately responded with an answer that most women of color could really relate to, and it was over this question that Mr. Pierce and I bonded after the interview session was over.

Mr. Pierce, a lovely, soft-spoken man, and an AMAZING actor, referred me to Nikki-Rosa, by poet Nikki Giovanni. “That is what it is like.”  And I agree…you can watch this show, no matter what your background, no matter what your ethnicity, and relate, feel it, get caught up in the emotional struggle and warmth of this family.  It is a gift, a warm, loving feeling in your heart, a tightness in your chest and throat as you fight back the tears or let them flow freely, as you laugh out loud, as you watch these lives unfold, knowing that it could be you, maybe it is you, maybe it was you.

For me, as a woman of color, I am especially thankful that it is the story of the love not often told, a story not often shared but very much a part of our families, just like any others. And though I can look past the color, and I assure you that you will as well, I appreciate that it is part of the story, and that it is brought to the stage in such a beautiful way. Theater at its best. Here is a portion of the interview.  Forgive my amateur video techniques, I hope you can make it through it, listening to them speak about the show really makes you want to see it, and even if you have, like myself, it makes you want to see it again…which I will.

Here are excerpts of my interview with the Broke-ology crew, as I joined other bloggers in a meet and greet.

Meeting The Cast of Broke-ology from NYCityMama on Vimeo.

Nikki-Rosa

BY NIKKI GIOVANNI

childhood remembrances are always a drag

if you’re Black

you always remember things like living in Woodlawn

with no inside toilet

and if you become famous or something

they never talk about how happy you were to have

your mother

all to yourself and

how good the water felt when you got your bath

from one of those

big tubs that folk in chicago barbecue in

and somehow when you talk about home

it never gets across how much you

understood their feelings

as the whole family attended meetings about Hollydale

and even though you remember

your biographers never understand

your father’s pain as he sells his stock

and another dream goes

And though you’re poor it isn’t poverty that

concerns you

and though they fought a lot

it isn’t your father’s drinking that makes any difference

but only that everybody is together and you

and your sister have happy birthdays and very good

Christmases

and I really hope no white person ever has cause

to write about me

because they never understand

Black love is Black wealth and they’ll

probably talk about my hard childhood

and never understand that

all the while I was quite happy

* * * *

Want to experience Broke-ology and see what all the buzz is about?  Enter NYMetropolista‘s Broke-ology Giveaway HERE.

Broke-ology is playing at Lincoln Center Theater from Monday, october 5 through Sunday, November 22. Stay tuned for upcoming information on NYCityMama.com on discount offers!

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