By ALAN SMASON
Biting satire must be carefully presented. If it doesn’t go far enough, it can come across as insincere and tepid, but if it goes too far, it can be considered as inappropriate and insensitive. George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum was first produced in 1986 as a study of the Black experience in America as seen through the prism of parody.
Even though it was written more than 35 years ago, it is still critically important in the things it has to say about Black life and coming to terms with the terrible history in this country of slavery, inhumane treatment and oppression from others as well as more pertinent challenges of today’s society.
The NOLA Project has long shown its desire to push the envelope with cutting edge pieces that have spoken to subjects like a neighborhood’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina (“Taste”) and middle schoolers dealing with school, society and the Bounce music culture (“Catch the Wall”). While this is not an original work of theatre by Gabrielle Reisman, this presentation of The Colored Museum is in line with the company’s desire to create awareness of Black community issues confronting and affecting the present-day Black culture.
Following the success of White by James Ijames at the New Orleans Museum of Art, the NOLA Project originally proposed that The Colored Museum should be presented at the New Orleans Museum of Art as part of their joint effort of presenting theatre in the Sidney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden and in the museum hall as well, but the museum was hesitant. The NOLA Project considered the museum’s pushback as an indicator that their 12-year partnership should be terminated. But what could have been a disaster for The NOLA Project created an opportunity for them to produce the Wolfe work at an alternative site and one that is culturally more appropriate given the subject matter.
The Colored Museum is now being shown nightly on weekends at the New Orleans African-American Museum in the heart of the historic Treme neighborhood, the oldest African-American neighborhood in the United States.
Co-directors Tenaj (née Jackson) Wallace and Torrey Hayward have installed the series of vignettes or “exhibits” Wolfe wrote so long ago and transported them into the 21st century with masterful touches that enhance this stinging satire. By presenting much of the works against the exterior of the historic museum’s walls, visitors are quite easily transported into the quiet backstreets of historic old New Orleans with its culpable participation in the slave industry and its proud history of free men and women of color.
The costume designs by Aya Designs Global are nothing short of brilliant. The vibrant colors and materials jump out accentuate the work of the ensemble of fine actors.
Charged with the responsibility of delivering the satiric message Wolfe intended, this cast does not disappoint in any way. One scene, “The Last Mama-on-the-Couch Play” pokes fun at strong, focused Black women characters like Lena Younger in A Raisin in the Sun. Riga Ruby plays the “no dream deferrred” Mama with DC Paul portraying Walter-Lee-Beau-Willie Jones, her son. His wife Madea is referenced as “The Lady in Plaid,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to the characters of many colors found in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide (When the Rainbow if Enuf). Lawrence J. Weber, Jr. serves as the Narrator who awards acting awards to those who deliver over-the-top, hysterical performances.
Like all the players, Jordan Bordenave plays multiple characters, but her strong performances belie her young years. She is a hardened soldier in “A Soldier’s Secret” and later plays Normal Jean, in “Permutations” who reveals she has laid a giant egg she shares with audience members. A blatant reference to rampant teenage pregnancy in the Black community, Normal explains the egg is filled with babies who will “fly away.”
In the exhibit titled “Symbiosis,” Lawrence Weber, Jr. plays the Man attempting to discard all the trappings of his life that have led him to a life he describes as “a sociological disaster.”
The Kid, played by Rahim Glaspy, is not willing to let some of his precious influences like songs by The Temptations go the way of the trash bin. He pushes back much to the dismay of the Man.
One of the more hilarious of the scenes is “The Hairpiece” in which April Louise and Riga Ruby play competing hair pieces to Aria Jackson’s Woman character. The Woman has decided to break up with her boyfriend and April Louise’s fall and Riga Ruby’s natural Afro wig give compelling reasons as to why she should choose each one of them at the breakup. The very essence of Black identity and the Woman’s independence is put into question by which of the two choices she makes.
While the point of satire and parody is to elicit laughter and bring about a proper discussion of the topic, Wolfe’s “exhibits” in The Colored Museum hit quite close at home and certainly contain more than their share of truth rattling within them. The NOLA Project has always prided itself on presenting “Theatre for the Bold.” In this production that they have deemed “A moving night of curated Blackness” they have accomplished that goal and more.
The sound designs by Amara Skinner help to move the scenes along and nicely complement the actors’ work. The lighting of the exterior scenes is minimal, but gives the performers added enhancement to their performances. The set design and props by Jazzmyne Cry on the site of the museum are also exemplary.
In many ways this pairing of the African-American Museum and the NOLA Project might be seen a rising above making lemonade out of lemons, but actually a coupling that was meant to be.
The Colored Museum (1 hour and 15 minutes) by George C. Wolfe continues its run at the New Orleans African-American Museum, 1417 and 1418 Governor Nicholls Street, with two performances on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 and 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 and 3 p.m. Tickets are $41 for adults and $22 for students including fees. Get tickets here.
