Randuwa II: Baltimore Center Stage: Thoughts of a Colored Man

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Baltimore Center Stage: Thoughts of a Colored Man

Baltimore Center Stage is not a theatre that I have frequent- ed often. In truth, only one other time before. It was almost a year ago when I saw "The King of the Yee's" there. At the time, I didn't realize that there were two separate and impressive theatres within the large building. Occupying an entire block, the whole thing is not just the BCS. A church inhabits the far end of the complex, and you get the sense that it was probably there first. Even entering the lobby, it's not a multi-floor grand theatrical space. So when you enter the theater, you feel like, "Wow. Nice." What's more important; however, is that you leave the theater after the play and feel, "Wow. Nice." Today was certainly one of those days.

"Thoughts of a Colored Man" by Keenan Scott II is a world premiere production shared by Syracuse Stage in New York, and Baltimore Center Stage. Set in Brooklyn (loosely), it is a series of vignettes and poems, that are tied together by the lives of seven Black men who embody a range of emotions. From Passion to Depression, from Wisdom to Lust, with Happiness, Love, and Anger tossed in for the ride. The author then allows the men opportunities in shifting ensembles and alone to express their emotion and thus walk the audience through a complex examination of the inner lives of Black men in America. The journey comes with a wide range of topics. Among the subjects are gentrification, homophobia, black on black social classism, exploitation of African American athletes, biracial dating, random acts of street violence, as well as, assumptions about intellect, aggression, misogyny, etc.

Now, you could easily see how this could become overwhelming, perhaps even cliche. But it didn't. From the utterance of the very first line, the actors created an experience of such devotion and authenticity, I never looked down. In fact, I found myself on the verge of tears multiple times. Every member of the cast was amazing. Each brought something unique and indispensable to the stage. If asked to choose a favorite, I could not. If asked to, at least, identify the three who stood just a tip-toe above the others.... Oh my. Tough. Forrest McClendon as Depression, opened the show. His energy and physicality were captivating. Ryan Jamaal Swain as love, brought forth a genial kindness and sincerity that was endearing. Brandon Dion Gregory as Passion, might have also been dubbed "earnestness". His character was the venerable good guy, good heart, good intentions, a good place to rest when other emotions intensified.

The stage was dominated by a lifesize billboard. One word, "Colored" remained there throughout the play. A promise, an accusation, a provocation, according to the author's notes in the program, a little bit of each and more. In some ways, it's an idea without a meaning, and idea that means too much. Like the "thoughts" in the play, too much, not enough, swirling, whirling, like stars in the night sky; seeking meaning. Meaning that is not spoon fed to you, but meaning you are asked to make from the ingredients so generously offered. As a black woman sitting nearby observed to her friends, "Mmmm, we've just been to church."