Displaying items by tag: Carl ClemonsHopkins
The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington funny but not funny ha-ha, funny like, oh sh*t!
Black and Irish Twitter had a field day upon the death of Her Highness Queen Elizabeth II. No tears were shed other than tears of laughter and joy at the demise of a colonizer. Telling Black twitter to be respectful of the death of the woman who inherited the legacy of an empire that contributed to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, or Irish twitter to mourn the woman whose legacy includes Black Sunday is truly an eye rolling, laugh inducting matter…sorry Chris. It is ironic “The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington”, lambasting the “Mother of Our Country”, opened the same weekend as the death of the Queen of the Commonwealth.
I learned so much from seeing this play. Much of James Ijames play is based on historical fact. Martha Dandridge Custis was a widow with two children and enslaved people when she married George Washington. She had an illegitimate half-sister, Ann, born into slavery, thanks to her father. Ann had a son named William. William is both nephew and grandson to Martha since it is believed Martha’s son, John Custis is Williams’s father. George Washington did instruct his wife to release his enslaved people upon his death. Martha feared her life was in jeopardy and expressed it to Abigail Adams. James Ijames did his research writing this exceptional play. The writing is relevant, thought-provoking, and extremely entertaining.
The play opens Christmas eve night. An enslaved woman, Ann Dandridge is attending to a dying Martha Washington. Just outside and within ear shot are Miz Washington’s enslaved chattel waiting for the glorious moment of her death. They are aware of the clause in her late husbands will freeing them of servitude upon her death, and they can hardly contain themselves. Miz Washington falls into a deep sleep and finds herself in a fever dream where she will have to account for the people she has enslaved.
Then the fun begins……
Not every director or actor could have pulled off this spectacle. And believe me, it was a spectacle. There was nothing small or tentative about this production. It was big, it was bold, it was Black and Beautiful. Director Whitney White used every fiber of all her talented actors to wonderful results. The ensemble consists of Sydney Charles as Priscilla, Celeste M. Cooper as Doll, Donovan Session as Sucky-Boy, Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Davy, Victor Musoni as William, Nikki Crawford as Ann Dandridge, and Cindy Gold as Martha Washington. All the ensemble members, except Cindy Gold, play a host of other characters.
Clint Ramos’ set design is interesting, dark, and foreboding at times, at other times a circus
Izumi Inaba’s costumes showed a vivid imagination, among the best I’ve seen. There are several scene and costume changes and for the life of me, I’m not sure how they were done so quick and effortlessly.
Ijames doesn’t romanticize slavery as I’ve seen in other plays. There is nothing nice about slavery. Ijames has made his enslaved people the antagonist to an American way of life, putting them at odds with those who romanticize this country.
I got into a row with someone on twitter about my indifference to the Queen’s death. He reminded me the British Empire abolished slavery decades before the United States. I reminded him the British Empire used slave labor to harvest sugarcane, they realized enslaved people with machetes aren’t good for business.
This production is highly recommended.
THE MOST SPECTACULARLY LAMENTABLE TRIAL OF MIZ MARTHA WASHINGTON runs through October 9, 2022 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 North Halsted. Tickets are $20-$96.
American Blues Theater names Nia Akilah Robinson the recipient of the 2026 Blue Ink Award for her play Overnight at the Museum and announces featured finalists Benjamin Benne and Claire Crowley
07 August 2026 in Theatre BuzzAmerican Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the recipient of the 2026 Blue Ink Award is Nia Akilah…
Love and Time On Our Side: The Notebook: The Musical at Broadway in Chicago
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Grammy-Nominated Premiere Anchors 9th NEXUS Chamber Music Festival This August 12-14
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Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Announces Mud Row October 15 - November 15 at Theater Wit
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Victory Gardens Theater presents the World Premiere of Zayd Ayers Dohrn's The Humanities beginning September 10th
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Goodman Theatre Presents Dead Girl's Quinceañera September 26th Through November 1st
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Steppenwolf Theatre Presents ADIRONDACK CHAIR CIRCLE – October 22 – December 6, 2026 – World Premiere!
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Writers Theatre celebrates record-breaking 2025/26 Season with artistic growth and unprecedented ticket sales
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Chicago City Opera presents a Mozart double feature of The Impresario and Bastien and Bastienne August 15th & 16th
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The Notebook - James M. Nederlander Theatre - Through August 16th
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Harris Theater Presents return of Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, Aug. 28
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Guarneri Hall Launches 2026/27 Season with NEXUS Festival: Music for 8 and Two Premieres August 12-14, 2026
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Chicago Magic Lounge Welcomes Back David Parr as Fall Artist in Residence with Time Traveler October 7 – December 16
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yo ho. Delivers Queer Pirate Chaos, Big Laughs, and Fierce Swordplay
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The Outsiders - Cadillac Palace - Through August 16th
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Chicago Shakespeare Theatre to present Play On! September 11–October 18
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Iceboy! Sets New Goodman Box Office Record
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First National Tour of OH, MARY! Announces Chicago's Mary Todd Lincoln
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Rivendell Theatre Ensemble presents the third World Premiere in its 30th Anniversary Season Bonnie's Last Flight
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Definition Theatre presents How We Got On by Idris Goodwin Sept 11-27
29 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreDefinition Theatre is proud to present How We Got On, a mix-tape for the stage by playwright Idris Goodwin and directed by Tyrone Phillips. How We…
3Arts Awards Celebration uplifts Illinois' artistic community, Oct 26 at Harris Theater
29 July 2026 in Theatre BuzzThe nonprofit service organization 3Arts announces the date for its annual 3Arts Awards Celebration, a festive evening of dynamic performances by Chicago artists and the…
Mike Bartlett’s ‘An Intervention’ Zings in Chicago Premiere
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Carmela misses her papi, because papi is missing some of his papers: Carmela Full of Wishes returns Oct. 25-Nov. 15 at Chicago Children’s Theatre
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Promethean Theatre Ensemble to stage BLOOD OF THE LAMB at The Den, September 3 -October 3
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Metropolis’ Wizard of Oz Rekindles Pure Childhood Wonder
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Jackalope Theatre Company Announces Plays, Playwrights and Casts for THE 17th LIVING NEWSPAPER FESTIVAL, August 20 - 24
24 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreJackalope Theatre Company is proud to announce the schedule for the 17th Annual Living Newspaper Festival, August 20 - 24, at the Jackalope Theatre…
Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre Announces 2026-2027 Season
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Love Actually In Concert at Cadillac Palace Theatre Saturday, December 12th - One Night Only!
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Steppenwolf Theatre Presents ADIRONDACK CHAIR CIRCLE – October 22 – December 6, 2026 – World Premiere!
Written by Buzz Center StageSteppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 51st Season with the world premiere of Chicago playwright Stephanie Alison Walker's biting satire Adirondack Chair Circle, directed by Tony Award winner Pam MacKinnon (Downstate, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), playing October 22 — December… -
Writers Theatre celebrates record-breaking 2025/26 Season with artistic growth and unprecedented ticket sales
Written by Buzz Center StageWriters Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, concluded its 2025/26 season by shattering box office, attendance, and fundraising records, and cementing its position as a premier national hub for theatre excellence…
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American Blues Theater names Nia Akilah Robinson the recipient of the 2026 Blue Ink Award for her play Overnight at the Museum and announces featured finalists Benjamin Benne and Claire Crowley
Written by Buzz Center StageAmerican Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the recipient of the 2026 Blue Ink Award is Nia Akilah Robinson for her play Overnight at the Museum. As part of the award, Robinson receives a $3,000 cash prize and a staged reading…
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ETA’s for colored girls Honors the Enduring Power of Ntozake Shange
Written by Wesley DavidNearly fifty years after its groundbreaking premiere, Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf remains one of the most important works ever written for the American stage. Neither conventional play nor musical,…
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