{"id":361489,"date":"2024-11-12T20:07:09","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T01:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=361489"},"modified":"2024-11-12T20:07:09","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T01:07:09","slug":"screamingly-funny-dance-like-theres-black-people-watching-at-woolly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2024\/11\/12\/screamingly-funny-dance-like-theres-black-people-watching-at-woolly\/","title":{"rendered":"Screamingly funny \u2018Dance Like There\u2019s Black People Watching\u2019 at Woolly"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Second City engaged with DC audiences at Woolly Mammoth in 2016 after Trump’s first election. Behold, here we are again. Who woulda thunk?<\/p>\n

If laughter is the “best” medicine, when it comes to the health of the city of Washington, DC, and the nation, The Second City has earned the medical label of “PRN” (pro re nata:<\/em> to be administered as the situation demands or as needed).<\/p>\n

Ah, but is the prescription a soothing balm or a gut-wrenching emetic? From the first moments of this show, it is like the audience is being doused in a pool of ice-cold water. The music, dancing, and exclamations from the performers are loud, profane, unrepentant, and shockingly alive. And it is screamingly funny.<\/p>\n

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Breon Arzell, Arlietta Hall, and Tamieka Chavis in The Second City\u2019s \u2018Dance Like There\u2019s Black People Watching\u2019 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 2024. Photo by Teresa Castracane.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This show takes the audience by the scruff of the neck, shakes us awake, out of our numbness, despair, and inaction. Neither self-pity nor isolation was part of this production’s prescription. The call-and-response rituals that Black Americans are known for are central to the way this show works. If you know the song, you will be expected to sing along, by the time the first three notes have sounded. More than likely, you will find yourself surrounded by a congregation of people who will already be doing so, especially when strains from songs such as the recently deceased Frankie Beverly’s Before I Let Go<\/em> are heard from the sound system. What is most urgently embodied in this production is the practice of recognizing, being grateful for, and celebrating the gifts that the lives of the ancestors have given us and that will help us confront what we have to confront: rather than collapsing under the pain of the shock of the loss.<\/p>\n

This show uses the blackout sketch format we’re familiar with from Laugh-In<\/em>, Saturday Night Live,<\/em> and most pointedly In Living Color<\/em>, the show that brought the Wayan Brothers comedy franchise with its African American\u2013centered sensibility to American television audiences. Dance Like There’s Black People Watching<\/em> has the brash, late-night feeling of activities that are delayed until the children have gone to bed. From the abundant use of profanity to the ambiguity of moral and cultural choices the show addresses, I am tempted to say this is not a show for children. But remembering that James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time<\/em> (a writing that also addresses moral and cultural choices for Black Americans) begins with a letter to his 13-year-old nephew, I’ll just say: be advised.<\/p>\n

Dance Like There’s Black People Watching<\/em> a show in which you are constantly unsure whether you want to laugh or cringe, then find yourself suddenly, unexpectedly screaming with laughter. I screamed more than once over some outrageous or provocative statement or situation.<\/p>\n

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Full cast of The Second City\u2019s \u2018Dance Like There\u2019s Black People Watching\u2019 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 2024. Photo by Teresa Castracane.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This cast is like an elite warrior class of improvisers engaging in life-and-death encounters on that stage: they commit to the premises of the sketches in a way that feels muscular. They show us what is possible if you do the work: you don’t see doubt or hesitation in anything they do no matter how challenging or absurd.<\/p>\n

And they dance and they sing with equal commitment.<\/p>\n

SEE BELOW for community events and special pricing during the run.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are some less intense moments that approached being comforting because of their cultural familiarity. Two such moments involved that fertile ground for cultural exploration, the “church.” One skit involved the pastor’s wife, who, as a sickly choir member, is afraid of losing her position as soloist to a flirtatious and ambitious rival. The rivals trade trills and runs back and forth while the pastor-husband and a male choir member flirt with each other. In another skit, the healing of a church member is successfully undertaken by a very enthusiastic and flamboyant liturgical dancer.<\/p>\n

Another empathy-inducing segment consisted of a litany of descriptions of what heaven would be like for Black people. One poignant description was: “In Black Heaven there will be rooms where you can just be. Because Black people never have a place where they can just be.”<\/p>\n

Dance Like There’s Black People Watching<\/em> opens and closes with this statement: Black people are not a monolith.<\/p>\n

This is a statement of fact. It’s also a mantra, a prayer, a plea, and a reminder.<\/p>\n

Acknowledging that the Confederacy has merely bided its time until it was ready to take back the U.S.A., how would you dance if you knew that there were Black people watching?<\/p>\n

Running Time: Varies between 90 and 100 minutes plus a 15-minute intermission.<\/p>\n

The Second City: Dance Like There’s Black People Watching<\/em> <\/a><\/strong>plays through December 22, 2024, at\u00a0Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company<\/a>, 641 D St NW, Washington, DC. Tickets ($56\u2013$71, with discounts<\/a>\u00a0available) can be purchased\u00a0online<\/strong>,<\/a>\u00a0by phone at 202-393-3939 (Wednesday\u2013Sunday, 12:00\u20136:00 p.m.), by email (tickets@woollymammoth.net<\/a>), or in person at the Sales Office at 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC (Wednesday\u2013Sunday, 12:00\u20136:00 p.m.).<\/p>\n

The program for The Second City: Dance Like There’s Black People Watching<\/em>\u00a0is online here.<\/a><\/p>\n

COVID Safety:<\/strong> Masks are optional in all public spaces at Woolly Mammoth Theatre except for a mask-required performance Sunday, December 15, at 2 p.m. Woolly\u2019s full safety policy is available\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Second City: Dance Like There’s Black People Watching<\/strong><\/em>
\nDirected by Rob Wilson
\nEnsemble: Breon Arzell, Tamieka Chavis, Jillian Ebanks, Arlieta Hall, Max Thomas, Julius Shanks II
\nUnderstudies: Cynthia Davis, Joseph Griffin II, Raymond J., Pauline Lamb
\nVP of Creative: Jen Ellison
\nProducer: Jeremy Smith
\nStage Manager: Devonte E. Washington
\nScenic & Lighting Designer: Colin K. Bills
\nSound Designer: Tony Belsito
\nWardrobe Stylist: Chelsey Carter-Sanders<\/p>\n

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND SPECIAL PRICING \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

$40 HOUSE SEATS
\n<\/strong>Save & sit close to the action!\u00a0<\/strong>Every performance of\u00a0Dance Like There\u2019s Black People Watching<\/em>\u00a0offers a limited supply of<\/strong> \u201cHouse Seats\u201d in the front orchestra. These premium seats are normally between $60-$80. This non-obstructed view places audiences in direct proximity to the performers and is the perfect option for those eager to participate in call-and-response or even\u00a0play a role in the performance<\/strong>. Select the \u201cHouse Seat\u201d option when purchasing tickets from the dropdown menu.\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

HERD HAPPY HOURS
\n<\/strong>Raise your glass to 15 years of collaboration between Woolly Mammoth and\u00a0The Second City<\/strong>. At these mix-and-mingle cocktail hours with happy hour specials, we will share insights on the process, fun facts about local comedy, and maybe even a sneak preview of what\u2019s coming to the stage in 2025.\u00a0\u00a0Select Happy Hours will feature local improv teams, Baggage Claim<\/strong>,\u00a0Kinfolk<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Lena Dunham<\/strong>, before the\u00a08pm<\/strong>\u00a0performance of\u00a0Dance Like There\u2019s Black People Watching<\/em>. Tune in to catch the latest and greatest from Washington Improv Theater, hear about upcoming shows and classes, and learn more about our exciting new partnership. All are welcome!
\nPrice: Free<\/strong>
\nInformation:<\/strong>\u00a0here<\/a>
\nDates:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n