"The Black That I Am" - Trinidad

Play Synopsis: Influenced by an original poem of the same name written by Karl O’Brian Williams, The Black That I Am is a piece that explores blackness, and identity from the perspective of a Caribbean immigrant pursuing the American Dream in New York City. Williams was never more aware or concerned as much with race till he left the island of Jamaica and came to the United States. The poem is a response to this realization, and weaves through the production highlighting issues of inequality, misplaced nationalistic fervor, gender, sexuality, and colorism. The monologues in the show punctuate these issues, and take the audience on a personal yet political journey that goes back and forth between borders, and barriers, celebrating and questioning the notions of ‘place’ and ‘position’ in society.

This play has been invited to participate in the New Waves! 2015/Dancing While Black Performance Lab. Co-curated by New Waves! Director, Makeda Thomas and Paloma McGregor, Director of Dancing While Black, and produced through the New Waves! Commission Project, this experimental, multi-performance, interdisciplinary environment will feature dance and performances in Port of Spain, Trinidad. 

We need your help to make it there!

1.       Keep us Lookin’ Good: costumes anyone?
Help us make our actors look good! We need new costumes for our fantastic performers.
Costume Total $250

2.       Get us in the skies! It’s all about destination Trinidad for the Dancing While Black Festival! It takes a team to put on a show and a whole village to get us there, help one of these characters get from the plane to the stage!  

-          The Church Lady - she’ll be slapping you with the bible if you don’t

-          The Kept Man - he’s got a lot to hide, is the closet big enough?

-          Me & My White Boy - ‘cause she’s had it with your 19th century views on her 21st century life… OK?

-          The Black on My Back - can someone please hire this guy so he can stop griping?

-          The Brown Race - the tragic Mulatto, can you please stop asking him what he "mix" with?

-          Our Narrators - come on now, if they don’t go who’s gonna tell the story?

Airfare Total: $4000
A $100 donation will assist with part of an actor's airfare

3. A place to rest our weary heads for a week
Accommodations Total: $750
A $20 donation will go toward an actor's daily accommodation expenses

4. And food to feed a few.
Food Total: $500
A $20 donation will help feed an actor for a day