Lisa B. Thompson creates a community space with “choreopoem”
The character of Soul utters this over halfway through the Vortex and Fusebox Festival’s world premiere of, but we need to hear it now. It has to begin this review. It needs to be shouted from mountains and rivers and yes, these pages. Because this production, while valuable to all, is for the Black girls. It’s not here to educate white folk or carefully teach certain ways to foreign parties. It has a message. Others may view it, but it is not for them.
as a short “choreopoem” at festivals before expanding to its current form. The plot, as it is, follows Dr. Beatrice “Bea” Free , a tenured professor trying to create a feminist guide to the aging body. She’s noticed a lack of curiosity and stories about older Black women. Joined by personified versions of Cee Cee/Body and Dee/Soul , Dr. Free takes on the logical role of Mind and explores the depth of the body through a Black Feminist lens.
The ability to hold these complicated emotions – and build on them – reigns supreme and admirable throughout the production. There are moments of peaceful sorrow and joyful rage, Zen meditations while pondering the immense losses in the community, rampages against hatred and cruelty while performing exuberant dance numbers or the best playground rhymes you’ve ever heard. Calling it a “choreopoem” was a stroke of genius. Thompson’s script is deep, memory-based poetry.
At the end, after bows and an emotional dance party, playwright Lisa B. Thompson addressed the crowd. She quickly called out the allies in the audience, urging them to “buy a Black woman a ticket, so she can get this food.” Judging from the enthusiastic responses from the audience alone, this is nourishment indeed. So I pass along her message. Let the beautiful, sad, joyous women in your life feast on this wisdom.
Hayley Armstrong Lisa B. Thompson Nadine Mozon Sadé M. Jones The Black Feminist Guide To The Body VORTEX
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