The Yellowman Experience continued - Where are rich roles for Black females?

First, let me say that rich, meaningful, and three-dimensional roles specifically written for black females is rare. If I ask you to name some 3-dimensinal roles that did not celebrate a stereotype, you may stop after five fingers. And don't count Black musicals written by Black writers and musicians, you will fall short (Dreamgirls and Once on this Island don't count)

They always tell us in actor school 102 that we should identify our type and make sure that we play to it when we approach auditions and career planning. I fully realize that I have a type and what it is. I am the sassy, funny, full - figured, black woman. Who just happens to be well versed in Shakespeare and the other emotions that exist. The last time I was moved in live theater or at a movie, it was because I just saw an amazing story where the characters spoke to my humanity and soul. Not because I saw a type in front of me.

And there are black playwrights writing interestingly rich characters, but their shows do not make the mainstream and at times do not elevate beyond a reading. Hence, an artistic desert exists for black female actresses. 

When I first read  Yellowman, the first thing that struck me was the power and beauty of the language. "There's a fluidity to the heat in South Carolina/watching certain objects - maybe certain fields of cotton, corn, tobacco/there seems to be some sort of rippling effect. My mother/women like my mother and her mother before her talked about the sun..." (Dael Orlandersmith, Alma). This story has layers and each of the characters bring with them a rich detailed history. Alcoholism, abuse, color caste systems, class, and self-loathing are just a few of the themes. It is an artist's playground.

The play is a cast of two who remain on stage the entire time. We decided to perform without an intermission. What a ride! As the director began to pull each of us out of our comfort zone and deeper into the world of Yellowman, I remembered why I became an actress in the first place. To live and breathe a story on stage for others.

And yes, the words were our guide. We discovered humor, sexuality, conflict, love and redemption. I was allowed to become full bodied on stage, and me and my fellow actor on stage fully supported one another. It was organic and freeing. I did not want it to end. I cannot say that for many projects.
When I see revivals of Raisin in the Sun or August Wilson, I often wonder when will an opportunity like the one I had playing Alma come along again. Something richly scripted, and one that deeply exposes an aspect of Black life. I wonder why it is so difficult to find a comedic monologue from an upcoming Black writer. Thanks to my network of fellow artists, I can locate them. But, I should find the information in the mainstream theater world too.




Maybe the problem is that Black stories are not considered American stories. So they are not always deemed important or relevant. But, they are THE American story. And I want to see more. And I know that I am not the only one.