Astro – Minstrelsy or The Chronicles of Cardigan and Khente - Pilot
Wednesday, January 23rd at 7:30 PM
Saturday, January 26th at 7:30 PM
Raja Feather Kelly and Daaimah Mubashshir recently collaborated on a workshop of Everyday Afroplay at JACK. Raja combines dance theatre, sketch comedy, minstrelsy and devised theatre into his own discipline- a thematic immersion into Pop Culture via Andy Warhol. Daaimah works with text to create kinetic visuals augmented by movement and energy between actors. Both artists are drawn to breaking form, mixing genre and discipline to locate truths and the sublime; more importantly they are drawn together out of an urgency to create a unique body of work that narrate ideas and concepts of blackness on stage.
Raja and Daaimah’s question “how do you arrange black bodies on stage?” transformed to: how do you arrange black bodies on stage without being policed, without being politically correct, and directly from the black experience. The Writer/Director Lab presented Daaimah and Raja a chance to develop a new play from the Everyday Afroplay collection using Naj and Dandy- two black intellectuals who have vastly differencing opinions and cultural experiences about life inside black skin. It is as literal as it is abstract.
Over the course of this process Naj and Dandy have transformed into Cardigan and Khente who have similar relationship only it is set in a semi- corporate work environment.
Happy Valentines Day!
Stay Tuned New Work
Prologue, Photo 1
Astro – Minstrelsy or The Chronicles of Cardigan and KHente:✒ @everydayafroplay
Prologue, Photo 2
Question - You know you are black when?
Daaimah's Answer- Many of the people you grew up calling your aunty, uncle, cousin, sister, or brother have no blood relation to you at all.
Raja's Answer- You've been told to stop crying before you got something to cry about.
Prologue, Photo 3
Coming Soon:
Astro– Minstrelsy or The Chronicles of Cardigan and Kente
Episode 1, Photo 1
We have 2 questions for you
1) How are you black?
2) How does that wake you up in the morning?
Episode 1, photo 2
Find The Lie or California Baby, You Love Us Long Time
1) 1840s and 1850s, California citizens and legislators fought to ensure that free black people would be prohibited from immigrating to or living in Californa
True or False
2. Elizabeth Flake Rowan, a newly freed slave just minding her business, was perceived as a threat, by californians.
True or False
3. In 1850, Governor Peter Burnett wanted all free blacks to move to california to make it a better place.
True oR FaLse
Episode 1, Photo 3
Cardigan : Cambridge highjack your Facebook too?
Khente : They didn't need to go through all that trouble.
Cardigan : Yeah, what they think they gone get?
Khente : I don't know, we both black.
Episode 2, Photo 1
Cardigan and Khente plan a party. You want to come? RSVP below
Episode 2, Photo 2
Cardigan : What's this Easter shit about anyway?
Khente : I think Tupac
Cardigan : the last time I checked....
Khente : found out how to fix Stupid and Ugly
episode 2, Photo 3
Khente - I'm having a hard time fitting in this binary equation.
Cardigan - I know me too.
Episode 3, Photo 1
Is there a side of you that you'd like to erase?
Is it black?
How do you go about erasing it?
Have you tried Hot Sauce?
Episode 3, Photo 2
A Toast!! To Erasing the Indelible!
Episode 3, Photo 3
Getting Ready for What's Next.
Episode 4, Photo 1
Let’s sit here for a moment and look at what we have.
Let’s think a little longer about who we are.
Isn't that where the power lies?
In the invisible silent moments
right before choices are made
What do you wear when you are what's next?
Episode 4, photo 2
If you have been denied, overlooked or just haven't found your stride.
Sit with us, let us care for you like we care for us. Next recognize Next.
Episode 4, Photo 3
With textbooks, champagne, and the desperate grasping of coin
we've tried to erase ourselves #wefailed
Episode 5, Photo 1
When you are indelible, trying to hide just makes it worse.
Episode 5, Photo 2
We are Cardigan and Khente -
The Overweight, Too Skinny,
Too Black, Not Black Enough,
Uber Queer, Under Queer
BLALIENS
Episode 5, photo 3
Yeah We here! We been here.
We been waiting on you all this time.
Maybe, now, we can have that chat.
Episode 6, Photo 1
That's right. We're gonna go all the way.
You have nothing to fear.
Episode 6, photo 2
We got what they need.
Look at how pretty we are.
It's almost too much.
Episode 6, photo 3
Happy Pride Y'all
Episode 7, Photo 1
By the way,
The House is burning
Y’all know how to get out right?
We already down the street
Text us when you get here
Episode 7, Photo 2
JANUARY 2019 ---- That is All.
Oh Wait
One more thing
We love you so so so much
Episode 7, photo 3
In consideration of a perspective:
always think about where you're looking
and why.
Episode 8, photo 1A
In consideration of a perspective:
always think about where you're looking
and why.
Episode 8, photo 1B
In consideration of a perspective:
always think about where you're looking
and why.
Episode 8, photo 1C
Re: The Program
Our minstrel is not Blackface
Episode 8, Photo 2A
Re: The Program
Our minstrel is not Blackface
Episode 8, Photo 2B
Re: The Program
Our minstrel is not Blackface
Episode 8, Photo 2C
Re: The Program
Our minstrel is not Blackface
Episode 8, Photo 2D
Re: The Program
Our minstrel is not Blackface
Episode 8, Photo 2E
Re: The Program
Our minstrel is not Blackface
Episode 8, Photo 2F
Where can we go from here?
Episode 8, Photo 3A
Where can we go from here?
Episode 8, Photo 3B
Where can we go from here?
Episode 8, Photo 3C
Writer/Directer LAB
2017-2019
In January, 2019 the Soho Rep. Writer/Director LAB will culminate in public presentations of new works that have been created and developed by artistic collaborators Shayok Misha Chowdhury & Virginia Grise, Ann Marie Dorr & Paul Ketchum, Jen Goma & Kristine Haruna Lee, Raja Feather Kelly & Daaimah Mubashshir, and Julia Mounsey & Peter Mills Weiss under the mentorship of co-chairs William Burke and Jackie Sibblies Drury.
THE 2017 WRITER/ DIRECTOR LAB COHORT
PHOTO BY SAM HORVATH