“Eulogy for the Blackman” in Harlem’s Newest Old Sanctuary
Held in the exquisite, community-driven Temple M in Sugar Hill, Harlem, “Eulogy for the Blackman”, directed by Michele Baldwin portrays the anonymous memoirs of various faces of the modern-day African-American male and is ironically held in a one time religious refuge on 141st and Amsterdam. In the first scene, Reginald L. Barnes prepares the audience with a dramatic and stereotypically comedic eulogy for a nameless man/men whom he had never met. Playwright Jamal Williams watched his well-written original from the mid-1990’s launch its second run on May 29th, 2009 with contemporary revisions including mentions of the 44th president and Osama bin Laden. The four cast members (two male and two female) performed their hearts-out, each breathing life into more characters than can be counted on one hand.
The intimate essence of community theatre resonated with an organic kitchen serving a homemade dish and non-alcoholic ginger-fizz that included herbs grown in the breath-taking garden, a true sanctuary in Harlem planted by French owner, Michel Madie . Blending the venue, production, and home cooking this event has the sense of transcending community and art into the living room of your own apartment…you will laugh, you may cry, and you should eat.
