No Secret Like This…
I would like to say Congratulations to Darren and the cast of Secrets of a Black Boy. You ALL did such an amazing job! No one could’ve have brought that play to life the way you guys did on that stage! You captured our hearts and our minds; it was truly inspiring to see you all on stage.
Me and the talented Darren Anthony
Cast: Jerome(Darren Anthony), Biscuit(Samson Brown), Sean(Shomari Downer), Jakes(Eli Goree) and Sheldon(Al St. Louis)
I don’t know anything about writing a play, never mind bringing it to life the way the cast of did; But I know that there are A LOT of plays in the world of theatre… just as there are many stars in the sky… but there are those few special stars, that shine extra bright…
We told you about Secrets of a Black Boy, back in July; and anxiously awaited its debut on September 23rd!
The play ran until October 3rd, but I chose to go on the last day for a reason… Everyone had been talking about how amazing the play was, but I wanted to see if I would have a similar experience after almost 2 weeks of them being on stage. I wanted to see if they’d be as passionate as they had been on their first day…
Long story short; I was blown away by this play! I went in expecting to see one of “those” plays. You know the ones that make fun of the “silly” stuff that “black” people do, clichés, the usual stuff. I was sooo WRONG!! Instead, there was truth, passion, pain and even humour. They managed to suck the audience into their world, kept them there till the very end, and left them wanting more.
Trey Anthony (Darren’s sister) warmed up the audience with jokes, and had people clapping and roaring with laughter. It was so moving to see how proud she was of her brother; I loved the sincerity in her voice as she expressed her gratitude to everyone for coming out and supporting her brother.
The opening scene was so powerful, in fact during the whole play; I’m convinced you could cut the intensity in the room with a knife! “The Posture” scene began with a free black man who proudly holds his head high, then slavery comes along and he no longer has his freedom and his pride is stripped away; he no longer walks with his head high. But then he’s freed again, but that’s short lived as once again slavery is back; only this time it’s by his own people. It ends with him rising above all the trials and tribulations, and being sworn in as President.
We then meet Sheldon, Jerome, Biscuit (the youngest), Jakes and Sean; five friends who have come together inside a community center that’s played a vital role in their lives, and is now about to be torn down, “to make room for the new condos.” During the course of a heated dominoes game; we learn each character’s secret. Secrets that they won’t let anyone know for fear of being judged, or secrets they simply don’t know how to share… I can’t help but notice the words Mandingo, Dealer, Angry, and Lazy are painted across the back wall of the stage…
The final scene ends with all five men standing strong, and boldly saying, “WE ARE HERE!” over and over until the light dims. The power in their voices was very , and the audience’s emotion was felt through the standing ovation that seemed to go on forever. Everyone was so proud of the cast; they successfully brought the play to life and delivered the secret. WE ARE HERE!
Black men are often portrayed as angry, aggressive, ignorant, and “no good”, for whatever reason and I’m hoping after this play, we can take a deeper look into our black men and appreciate them, and be sensitive to the struggle that they’ve been through or may still be experiencing…
Fantastic play! I saved the best for last, and got so MUCH MORE!
*kisses*
Bella
