The Colored Museum, Talawa Theatre Company’s current production, was written as a series of vignettes to represent African-American history exhibits in a museum. Talawa has cleverly chosen the Victoria and Albert Museum as it’s playhouse for the historical satire.
The set is a sparse collection of simple shipping crates that along with the audience become the cargo of “Celebrity Slaveship.” At curtain’s rise, the audience is greeted by a sickeningly enthusiastic airline stewardess who reminds them “shackles must be worn at all times” and “earphones can be purchased for the price of your first-born male.” The actors smoothly transition from scene to scene by emerging from each crate as an ensemble or solo exhibition that represents a turning point in history for African-American culture. From a young Vietnam War soldier proclaiming his frustration over his involvement, to two wigs fighting for the attention of their owner as she prepares for the lunch where she will break up with her boyfriend, each scene delivers a scenario in which characters are encouraged to embrace the freedom and strength found within their culture.
Each crate is used to its fullest capacity, creating levels for the actors to stand on and deliver their messages of empowerment and the realization that the past cannot be changed, but overcome. Straightforward lighting illuminated each scene, giving the actors permission to pull focus to their themes and period costumes of afro wigs, war uniforms, and drag queen ensembles. Through a brilliant combination of irreverent humor, sadness and irony, the playwright does not leave the racially diverse audience feeling at fault or to blame, but rather brings into focus how history has impacted a complex culture.
A strong cap to the story arc could have been an earlier scene of an African businessman throwing away the memorabilia of his youth. As the play continues with three more vignettes, the audience is dragged along feeling spoon-fed themes they had already discovered in previous scenes. The businessman is then confronted by his younger self questioning why he is throwing away what makes him unique as an African American man. The playwright continued, for whatever reason, with two more scenes that left the production feeling longer than it needed to be. The actors, however, easily keep the audience engaged, claiming each character with truth and enthusiasm.
Talawa Theatre Company is Britain’s foremost Black-led Theatre Company that focuses on giving voice to the Black British experience, cultivating Black audiences and audiences for Black work. The Colored Museum runs from 15-23 of October at the Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Tickets are 6 pounds for students.
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