Entertainment
Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s “Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine” wants America to face its history on race
Ruben Santiago Hudson premieres Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine, a theatrical play that will start the conversation on race.
The Two River Theater premiered probably one of its most controversial yet enlightening plays with the theatrical world premiere of Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s “Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine.”
“Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine” runs through to May 3rd, and I’m telling you it is definitely worth the 90-minute sit down, if you’re ready for a real conversation on race.
About Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine
The play is set in New York City around the year 2002. The premise is surrounded by Zeke (played by Two River alum Brandon Dirden), a well-educated African American man who comes to the home of Judith in the Upper West side to pick up some clothes for a local homeless shelter he works at.
He meets Judith at the homeless shelter while she volunteered at the soup kitchen.
Judith engages him in an intriguing conversation on how Zeke’s intellectualism led him to only be a “community activist”, his savvy on book authors and narratives, to the different era’s of music debating about who’s blues was sweeter.
As the conversation between Judith and Zeke progresses, he begins to sense his purpose at Judith’s is not just to pick up clothes.
She wants more.
Judith, a freelance writer, wants to a do a story on a New Yorker post 9/11 for the New York Times and felt intrigued about Zeke’s story. He eventually obliged to doing the story and began to divulge his life as a well-educated man who feel on hard times.
Zeke’s describes these times as “life”, intertwined with the issues he faced because he is a Black man living in a systemic racist country.
Judith invites Zeke to a dinner party on Columbus day to continue the interview with her male friend Randall and her female friend Janeece from Atlanta. The dinner will bring together an unlikely group of people with disparate views and perspectives on life. Judith was sure it would be an interesting night.
Randall (Andrew Hovelson), who is a down to earth Caucasian guy, understands there are differences but believes as a society we have grown socially and racially.
Judith’s friend Janeece (Rosyln Ruff) is a very sophisticated, who some would call ‘bogie’, Black woman with her degrees, and high paying job. She’s the one that is tired of hearing “brothas” always blaming the “white man”, and wanting a hand out. Or the brothas who “can’t keep their pants up”.
She doesn’t think too highly of her Black brothas as her previous experiences have conjured up an unpleasant view about them.
And well Zeke ,on the other hand, is fueled with frustration; that many might misconstrue as anger, over being a Black man in America. He believes a lot of his misfortunes and shortcomings are simply because of the color of his skin. He affirms, the struggles and advancement of Black people is still moving slow because we are living in “modern day slavery”.
The blend is interesting and the dinner leads to the clashing of minds and differences. Discussions on America’s race relations leads to highly charged emotions ending the dinner abruptly.
In the final scene, Zeke goes to visit Zebedee (Charles Weldon) at his home, located at the end of the tunnel beneath Grand Central Station.
Their interaction is a calming one, two people who meet at the minds so well. A stark contrast on the events that happened at Judith’s house. It is evident why Zeke comes to Zebedee for solace and ultimately why he’s considered Zeke’s mentor.
Zebedee is passionate and will reel the audience in as he shares memories of freeing prisoners as a WW II soldier and the sadness over the inability to help his African American friend in a sad and unjust situation after returning home. It will give you an idea for his decades of long depression and ultimately how racism played a part in it.
Zebedee’s library, shelves and stacks of books, implies he’s not your typical ‘homeless man’. He promotes education as “the passport to the future” and, in telling Zeke how long it might take to return with his herbs, he might have answered another question that resides at the pit of Zeke’s feelings and rejections for conditions today.
Zeke wanted to be heard, but most importantly, matter.
He’s just like anyone else navigating this complex world and wanting to find their place. And just like many, Zeke doesn’t want the color of his skin to make him pay for anymore prices.
Many may not understand or agree with Zeke’s sentiments, but one thing for sure, , it will wake you up on the work that needs to continue in America.
It will make you look at our past and ask yourself how are we living now?
Visit the Two River Theater website for find out more about performances of Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine.
Black Excellence
Inside the 17th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood® Awards
Hosted by Clifford “Method Man” Smith, the star studded event premiered March 15, exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
Get a look inside the 17th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards.
Hosted by Clifford “Method Man” Smith, the star studded event premiered March 15, exclusively on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
About ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards
The ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood honors women who are making their undeniable mark in film and television and amplifies their strides in defining what it means to be a Black woman in Hollywood.
Honorees
This year’s honorees and entertainment industry trailblazers include Academy Award nominated actress & Grammy Award winner, Danielle Brooks, six-time Grammy nominated singer and leading-actress Halle Bailey, acclaimed screenwriter and showrunner of All American, All American: Homecoming and Found, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and industry powerhouse & President of Original Programming for STARZ, Kathryn Busby.
Check out some photo highlights inside the 17th ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards
For more, please visit http://www.essence.com/bwih2024
Culture
U.S. Virgin Islands Announces the Performance Line-up for St. Thomas Carnival Village Featuring Shaggy, Sizzla, Patrice Roberts, and Machel Montano
The Village will be headlined by Caribbean superstars Shaggy, Patrice Roberts, Sizzla Kalonji, Kes, and Machel Montano, who will kick off the six-night free Village concerts on Monday, April 29.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and Division of Festivals has announced the performance line-up for the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village.
72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village
The Village will be headlined by Caribbean superstars Shaggy, Patrice Roberts, Sizzla Kalonji, Kes, and Machel Montano, who will kick off the six-night free Village concerts on Monday, April 29.
“The anticipation around this year’s St. Thomas Carnival is at an all-time high, and the Village night performers reflect the continued influence and growth of our territory’s three carnivals,” exclaims USVI Department of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte.
Center Stage
Adam O, Rudy Live, Temisha, Karnage, Blind Earz, VIO International, and Spectrum Band are among the performers who will take center stage to represent the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Every year, our goal is to pay homage to the vast Virgin Islands and Caribbean culture that is at the cornerstone of these annual celebrations for natives and visitors alike,” added USVI Division of Festivals Director Ian Turnbull.
Haitian kompa band VAYB and Dominican salsa orchestra Chiquito Team Band will provide a cross-cultural immersion of sound, highlighting the diverse musical interests of Virgin Islands residents.
First-time performers
Rounding out the village are a few first-time performers in the territory, including TeeJay, Jada Kingdom, and Kollision Band, and returning favorites Edwin Yearwood and Krosfyah, and Grandmasters.
Kids Night Out Village Night
This year, the Division of Festivals will host its first Kids Night Out Village Night, with activities including the Toddlers Derby, Best Dressed Doll, and performances by TMK and OTB.
More information on 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival Village
For up-to-date information about the 72nd Annual St. Thomas Carnival, visit https://www.instagram.com/usvifestivals/.
Culture
Online romances get a dose of reality in OWN’S all-new love & relationship series ‘The Never Ever Mets’
Hosted by Ta’Rhonda Jones, this 10-episode series features seven couples who have been virtually dating for some time and believe they may have found lasting love – only they have never met each other in person.
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has announced an all-new relationship series that takes online dating into the real world, The Never Ever Mets.
About The Never Ever Mets Series
Hosted by Ta’Rhonda Jones, this 10-episode series features seven couples who have been virtually dating for some time and believe they may have found lasting love – only they have never met each other in person! Now, they’re meeting face-to-face for the very first time and sharing a house together for three weeks to see if their internet love can survive off the screen and in real life.
Synopsis
As all seven couples convene under the same roof, dating in person rather than through their computers or phones quickly proves to be the biggest challenge yet.
While many couples have been years in the making, some quickly find the in-person relationship is not what they anticipated.
To test the strength of their love connections, the group participates in a series of fun and flirty relationship activities, couples therapy and for some, a trip to the “boom boom room.” But visits from discerning loved ones, meddling opinions and tension from others in the house challenge their bonds even further. At the end of their stay, some will go home together…and some will be signing off for good.
Premiere
The series premieres on Friday, April 19 at 8pm ET/PT, on the OWN Network.
Check out the trailer below:
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