COLORISM, CRUISE SHIPS, AND COSMIC RECKONING
Black myth meets modern identity
in Aishah Rahman’s last work.
The glossary page of Britain’s National Gallery website describes the concept chiaroscuro as, “…an Italian term which literally means ‘light-dark’. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted… DaVinci employed it to give a vivid impression of the three-dimensionality of his figures, while Caravaggio used such contrasts for the sake of drama. Both artists were also aware of the emotional impact of these effects.”
Paige Gilbert
Paige Gilbert
Sidney DuPont, Abenaa Quïïn
In the last, full-length play written by the late playwright Aishah Rahman, titled Chiaroscuro: A Light and Dark Skin Comedy, the deeply talented writer moves this visual technique from the two dimensional canvas and places it on three dimensional actors—delivering vivid impressions, drama, emotional impact and much, much more. A comedy more in the way that Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is also a comedy (and there’s even a verse section in this piece), the jazz-like fluency of Ms. Rahman’s text shines light and some laughs on painful truths.
Lance Coadie Williams
Sidney DuPont, Gayle Samuels
Sidney DuPont, Gayle Samuels
In this case, the darkness she illuminates hovers around racial oppressional, genderism, slavery, capitalism, class warfare, Euro-centric beauty standards, and the effects of all this outside noise on the African-American psyche. Currently enjoying an ambitious if uneven mounting at The Flea Theater, this co-production between The National Black Theater and The Flea boasts a talented cast of mostly Broadway performers including Sidney DuPont (2022 Tony-nominee for Paradise Square). Ostensibly a pleasure cruise for “chocolate singles”, the two-hour voyage quickly takes the travelers and the audience to parts unknown and largely undefined, even to the passengers themselves. It’s a rigorous, demanding journey but if you like your seas uncharted—it could be a compelling and creative trip that’s worth the cost of passage.
Abenaa Quïïn
Sidney DuPont
Paige Gilbert
The ship’s steward and guide through this “journey of the mind” is the elfin Paul Paul Legba (a charming and mischievous Paige Gilbert). Legba launches the vessel from the heavens and, it turns out, the ship is not a modern luxury liner but a slavery era schooner. However, once onboard, the deck harkens to a ’30s, art deco, mirrored and silver extravaganza, welcoming its well-appointed, 21st-century passengers making their first onboard appearances all dressed in white. These six travelers in search of a captain include middle-aged divorcée Sienna; oversexed ingenue La Honda; a beautiful light-skinned (is she?) ideal, Gina; a recently incarcerated young man, Nayron; successful businessman Russ; and an older jazz musician, Tilman.
Lance Coadie Williams, Abenaa Quïïn, Sidney DuPont, TL Thompson, Gayle Samuels
Gayle Samuels, TL Thompson, Lance Coadie Williams, Sidney DuPont
Paige Gilbert
How, where, and why they are on this ship is not clear and no one seems to care, at least not at first. They seemingly have no history together, until they do. They all want love, maybe. Why they stay on the cruise, why they are the only passengers and when will they finally meet the Captain are important questions, until they are not. What binds them together amid the hook-ups, secrets, mammy dolls, electric slides, black tie dinner, colorism, Orisha gods, and a state room that sleeps ten is the search to discover, reclaim, re-assert and champion their own validity and humanity. Probably.
Paige Gilbert, Abenaa Quïïn, Gayle Samuels, Sidney DuPont,
Ebony Marshall-Oliver, Lance Coadie Williams
Sidney DuPont, Gayle Samuels
TL Thompson, Ebony Marshall-Oliver
Most impressive about this production is the unabashed theatricality of the writing itself. Ms. Rahman was an integral and influential member of the 60s- and 70s-era Black Arts Movement, and her layered, heightened and poetic language swoops, soars, challenges, educates, delights and comforts—often in the same sequence. Yet she can also deliver heartfelt, engaging and natural sounding dialogue. Part clown show, part agitprop theater, part soap opera, part sitcom, part Shakespearean tragedy, part farce, and part legit theater, Ms. Rahman’s work seemingly answers only to the integrity of her artistic vision—a refreshing aesthetic in this age of crowd-pleasing showmanship. However, even within that, this world premiere does run on in sections and, had she been alive, one wonders what edits, if any, Ms. Rahman may have made to this outing.
Lance Coadie Williams, Abenaa Quïïn
Lance Coadie Williams, Gayle Samuels, Paige Gilbert, Abenaa Quïïn, Ebony Marshall-Oliver
TL Thompson, Sidney DuPont, Lance Coadie Williams, Gayle Samuels, Abenaa Quïïn
Director abigail jean-baptiste shines in her work in guiding actor performances and staging, for the most part. However, she seems to falter in deciding the larger-scope issues the play presents. While she is mostly successful in juggling the many balls Rahman tosses in the air, why those particular balls are being thrown is still a bit murky. Performances are stellar throughout, with all the actors being asked to perform in multiple styles. While all the performers have stand-out moments, Abenna Quiïn is hilariously moving as the not-as-simple-as-she-appears La Honda. Also, the phenomenal Ebony Marshall-Oliver devastates in a searing, closing show monologue which finally voices the pain of her too accommodating character, Gina. Make-up design by Alfreda “Fre” Howard boldly harkens back to sixties experimental theater with mixed results. Costumes by Azalea Fairley stylishly combine multiple eras and look great.
TL Thompson Sidney DuPont, Abenaa Quïïn
TL Thompson, Sidney DuPont, Lance Coadie Williams, Abenaa Quïïn
Ebony Marshall-Oliver, Gayle Samuels, TL Thompson
As with a chiaroscuro painting, Chiaroscuro: A Light and Dark Skin Comedy is both beautiful and off-putting. The journey on which these singles embark is not easy and, at points, the audience may wonder why they are on this cruise, same as the characters. But those passengers also disembark transformed by what they’ve seen in the light and the dark. Chances are, Ms. Rahman believed an audience can too.
Paige Gilbert
photos by Daniel J Vasquez and Marcus Middleton
Chiaroscuro: A Light and Dark Skin Comedy
National Black Theatre
in association with The Flea
The Flea Theater, 20 Thomas Street
two hours no intermission
ends on June 22, 2025
for tickets, call 212.226.0051 or visit The Flea
