The Minstrel Show? - The State of Black Theatre
 

Did anyone see the segment on BET's "The Chop Up" on Black theatre?

The question was: Are plays like Tyler Perry's/gospel plays taking Black theatre to another level or destroying its intergrity?

I didn't see the special you're talking about, however, I have ALWAYS had an aversion to "chitlin circuit" plays, way back to "Mama I Want to Sing."

When I finally got hold of a Tyler Perry DVD, I was like WTF is this crap?

Yeah I rented 2 of them and I laughed a little but I didnt see the overall allure. :(

One of the arguments was that folks who act in these plays are trained/non union. So does that take away from folks who go to school to become actors and have to compete with these folks?

Well I didn't watch the BET special either (:( ) but I don't think "gospel plays" are the ministrel show of the new milieneum. I think popular rap videos of the late 90s/early 2000's have earned that title. The mess most of them do in front of a camera for a dollar is shameful.

When it comes to acting, I don't think it's a matter of training but really a matter of principle. Regardless if you were trained at NYU or if you were discovered working in the gift shop at Universal Studios, when offered acting projects you have to ask yourself how much are you willing to sacrifice for a role.

I also have never seen a "gospel play." I don't necessarily mind that they exist, but like all kinds of things, we need balance. It's what I've said about BET. It's a capitalistic society and BET has a right to exist.

What bugs me is there's no widely available alternative. We just got TV One in San Diego (a market that's only 6% AfAm), for example.

I did not see the BET special however I do agree that there needs to be a balance. I like Tyler Perry's plays but it's not the only type of plays that I attend.

I'm really more concerned with the videos and some of the foul language in some of our songs that are played everyday on the radio.

I heard a song the other day and the lyrics went like this... 'marriage is only a piece of paper...I know that we've been together for like 7 years now :eek:.'...Maybe someone knows the song?

I'm at the point that I don't watch much tv anymore and I rarely listen to the radio. I have gone months without listening to the radio. Thank God for CDs and DVDs.

I agree wholeheartedly! I'm totally turned off by the music they play now, the 'strictly oldies but goodies' stations are now interjecting this contemporary music. I listen strictly to am talk radio, my personal oldies r&b cds and I just read a lot. I don't downplay mr. perry's success, but I don't have interest for his work.

I went to one of these performances once (something about a man cheating on a woman and God or something with Stephanie Mills, "Tommy" from Martin, and Tony Terry) and I was really surprised at the audience's attitude. Seems like people thought it was a movie or something. My row was empty at the musical's start, but filled up during the first 10-15 minutes of the performance. :(.

Cell phones rang out, people chatted on phones, and most disturbingly, talked back to the stage like they were in a movie theater! :eek: It was horrible.

These "quasi gospel humor musicals" are the live theater equivalent of ghetto lit, to me. I'm sure they serve a purpose and entertain those interested in the subject matter, but they cannot be the only game in town. Many folks think that it IS repreprentative of all black theater, and that's the problem from my perspective.

Well personally I enjoy stage plays (at least those written and directed by Tyler Perry)...I've seen very few of any others...until it has come to DVD. However, I do not watch or listen to certain radio stations/songs because of the lyrics. The message that is being portrayed is very important to me and I just can't support something that I know is contrary to how I live and what I represent.