Ep. 35: Shadow/Land: Part Play Part Poem

Courtesy of the Public Theater

Every week, the culture critics at Token Theatre Friends bring their fresh perspectives to the performing arts on their podcast and video series. You can find the podcast on SpotifyiTunes, and Stitcher (look for the all-red logo). The video series is available on YouTube. The TTF theme song is by Sean Mason (with vocals by Angela Ramos). The video animation is by Brad Ogden, with logos by Jason Simon.

In this episode, Brittani and Alexi review Shadow/Land at the Public Theater. The show explores the relationship between a mother and daughter who are forced to stay in New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina engulfs the city. Both Brittani and Alexi agree that the piece is part play, part poem as they recite their favorite lines. The poetic language clearly outlined the systemic barriers that put black people’s lives at risk during Hurricane Katrina. You can listen to the play for free here.

The friends also reviewed ‘A’ (What The Black Girl Found While Searching For God) by Taji Senior. The show follows the protagonist’s intimate and vulnerable journey towards understanding her identity as a black woman. The play is the latest episode released by The Parsnip Ship and can found here.

References

  • Shadow/Land by Erica Dickerson-Despenza
  • ‘A’ (What The Black Girl Found While Searching For God) by Taji Senior

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