City Theatres co-production of Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem came to Pittsburgh in time for a blizzard, the escalation of ICE kidnappings, and the beginning of Black History Month. City Theatre partnered with Dallas Theater Center, Theatre Squared, and Virginia Stage Company.
It was a frenzied fit.
People seem surprised that Redd Foxx and Malcom X were actually friends, contemporaries. They don’t click together in our historical familiarity with either man. You might be forgiven for assuming this is farce, a set-up to ask “what if?” they had been friends.
They were young Black men, ages 18 and 20, making a living in 1943 Harlem in a menial job. They were struggling to make ends meet and figure out their lives, cobbling together housing and side hustles. Their relationship builds slowly as their initial suspicions give way in the face of the racial, economic, and class tumult of this era. They literally had each others backs in the face of crushing systemic forces like World War II, the Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles and the Harlem riots. Necessity forged a bond and eventual camraderie.
The storyline is not literal history, it is an exploration of the experiences of young Black men in Harlem during the 1940s. The men are reeling in shock when a Black soldier is murdered, then fleshing out some of the theatrical shtick Foxx would incorporate into his beloved television series ‘Sanford and Son.’
The set is simply the kitchen of the Chicken Shack. A sink, too many dishes, lockers, a disgusting sewer that backs up and two doors – one to the outside world and one to the dining room. A radio presumably over the sink brings news of the day while a familiar kitchen bell guides us through changes in date and time, almost a dance as the two men move in and out of their respective trajectories.
The design work of Kimberly V. Powers (scenic) and Claudia Brownlee (costume) along side the sound and lighting do the heavy work on a simple set.
Edwin Green as Malcolm Little (Malcolm X) and Trey Smith-Mills as John Sanford. are fantastic. Like most young people, glimpses of who they would grow up to be in our lifetime are visible themes. Little’s kinetic energy as he struggle between a life of crime and a desire for religion fills the stage, his every move calculated and thoughtful. Smith-Mills is dealing with more fundamental issues such as housing, food, and a way out of the kitchen. His aspirations clash with his desire to preserve the sanctity of the kitchen as a safe place.
This was great casting.
I had hoped this play would bring me some insight into current events, a heavy burden to lay on two teenage Black men. Obviously I was looking to the playwright. And I came away with a message that’s being pounded into social media – an authoritarian American filled with fear and government sanctioned violence is not new. It is just new to white folx, to me. Listening to Black and Brown, Indigenous and Asian voices is where we find the skills to endure what we have wrought.
Listen. Laugh. Learn.
The music was marvelous. When I wandered out to the refreshment area to inquire about the ingredients in my bourbon drink, I met the City Theatre staffer who created the unique performance cocktails AND puts together the playlists.
City Theatre should email each attendee that playlist. I can’t remember the specific songs, but I’d like to. I also can’t remember the ingredients in my cocktail. Put that in the program. Or a newsletter. These are tangible ways for the audience to sit back and remember the play experience.
On a final note in this ramble, I noticed most of the people around me were first timers at City Theatre. They were mostly Black. It was the most DEI audience I’ve seen. And they skewed older so probably watched Sanform & Son as well as knew of Malcolm X. And they liked it. I sat sipping my bourbon (I was solo) and listening, absorbing the vibe and the learning. Good job introducing new patrons to City Theatre. I hope they return.
Playlist!
Okay, one actual final thing. This play was co-produced by three theaters. Collaboration is very much part of the City Theatre legacy. That’s going to be key to survival. You can donate here.
