Lawd... Mama Done Burnt The Chicken!

So they're not the kind of live theatre productions that win Tony Awards, but they rake in millions of dollars a year from folks wanting to see themselves "represented" on stage or wanting a family afternoon/evening out on the town.

You know them... the "why cain't I find a good man" plays, the "you betta find religion" plays, the "sassy, smart mouth Auntie with good advice" plays, the "let me out-do you in my musical solo" plays, or as I like to call them... the "Lawd, Mama Done Burnt The Chicken!" plays.

George C. Wolfe, a brilliant playwright and director, calls them "The Last Mama On The Couch Plays" in his production The Colored Museum. (Colored Museum is an excellent script and social commentary in my opinion.)

They've been called many other names in our history, debated over billions of times in terms of representation of various communities... if you've seen the movie Bamboozled you'll know kinda what I'm talking about. Actually, some are entertaining, though I haven't been to one since like forever (I remember a HUGE, dramatic wedding scene with Teddy Pendergrass music playing in the background, hmmm), when that was all I really knew about theatre. All I remember is that audience participation, whether called for or not, is a major component.Shouts and hi-fives and hallelujahs welcome!

But, thanks to the magic of television and good friends, I'll be seeing one in about a week here in L.A. I'm going with an open mind and for an evening of entertainment. At least people are getting acting jobs, right? (Over-acting, some might comment...) Actually, the one I'm going to see is a stage production of a book by a popular author, one whose backlist of books and literary career is very successful. So, this might not be so bad.

Honestly, I'm not being judgmental at all. I know the same kinds of hierarchies exist in the world of fiction... hierarchies that separate the "literary" from the "commercial," and say that one kind of novel is better than others, or that one kind of writer is better than another. I think there's room for everyone and all kinds of pop culture. All a matter of taste, I guess.

What do you think? (Oh, and for the generation of readers whose parents didn't play Teddy Pendergrass music on the record player, like mine, um... he's kinda like a real singer who has an amazing voice, no samples or computer refining, and wrote/sang the original Leave-Me-'Lone-Bugaboo song, called "I Don't Love You Anymore! (It's Just That Simple..."
fs