Brothers from the Bottom

This is a post I was supposed to write weeks ago. I am a patron of the arts and so I have been a varied array of theatrical productions. They range from Broadway big budget numbers to community theatre. I think that I have a good eye for what's well done and for what's not. Whereas there are probably really good production being delivered at some local theaters, generally community theatre is not great, and some times is down right bad! That said, I am a big critic for what is called the "chitterlings circuit" and the works that it produces. For those of you unfamiliar to it, the chitterling circuit" (pronounced chit-lin's) are plays and musicals that pander directly to the African American audience and the production value is typically low. The most famous product of this genre is Tyler Perry and the Madea series.  Quite often, it's just a vehicle for past-their-prime singers to belt out a few more songs before the disappear into complete obscurity.

So it is with this back drop that I went to see "Brothers from the Bottom" at the Billie Holiday Theater at Restoration Plaza in my beloved Brooklyn, NY. We were supporting a friend whose organization was supporting the production but I in no way felt that I was going to see a quality production. I. Was. So. Wrong.

"Brothers from the Bottom" is a smart, well written play by Jackie Alexander and I was very pleasantly surprised by it.  It's set in New Orleans, post Katrina, and follows the story of two brothers (Nicoye Banks and Warner Miller) as they navigate through decisions that affect the entire community in which they both grew up. The actors were on mark and delivered their roles with passion without going over the top, as is the trademark of the chitterling circuit. I keep waiting for one of them to break into buffoonery but it never happened.  Even the comic foil in the play, played by Neko Parham, managed to portray his character with humor interlaced with an authenticity that was refreshing.

The story itself, save for points where I felt the writer hurried it along in the interest of time, was layered and very smartly interlaced the stories that we have come to hear repeatedly from that region into the flow of the play. The writer gave the actors a script that they sink their teeth into and the actors did the writer justice. The script had a clear message but it wasn't overbearing or heavy-handed. In addition, the writer avoided what had to be very tempting story line tangents, such as infidelity and drug use, to spice up the production. He stayed on course and delivered a truly thoughtful depiction of the real situations occurring in the Big Easy right now.

It only saddens me that the play will probably not get as much traffic as it should. If not for the family friend that got us the tickets, I would not have thought to purchase them. What's worse is that when I went to Restoration Plaza's website, finding information on the play was not as easy as it should be. Lastly, in the area around the theater, there are hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of posters for parties, movies, and albums posted all over. There was not one for the play. I think it is always sad that information about enriching aspects of our community get drowned out by posters for parties which depict half naked women who would never attend the party that they are on the poster for! We need to better.

Over all, though, if you have a few extra discretionary fund dollars, spend it on two tickets to "Brothers from the Bottom". You will not be disappointed. I wasn't!