I just came from the Black Rep, where I was privileged to see the premiere of their new play The Etymology of Bird. Written by Zakiyyah Alexander and directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian, the play delves into the fabric of Bed-Stuy (the same Brooklyn neighborhood that inspired Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing) and provokes a series of important questions on race relations, criminal justice, family life, love, fear, stereotypes, and hard choices. The Rep describes The Etymology of Bird:

Brooklyn, New York, 2008. Another long, hot NYC summer where B-boys, fly girls, and MCs mix with merengue, salsa, dancehall, and the new cop on the block. Birdy and Jermaine have known each other forever, but this summer, they see each other for the first time. The Etymology of Bird is a love story about our neighbors, our neighborhoods, and the choices we make that can change everything.

But this description only scratches the surface of the play and the complicated issues it tackles on a minimalist stage with a relatively amateur cast. The two main characters, Jermaine and Birdy, are played by two incredibly talented Brown students–Jonathan Dent and Fedna Jacquet. They, along with the rest of the cast, drew me so far into the thick of the plot that I found myself sitting jaw-clenched, teary-eyed, tight-fisted, and short of breath on a sunny Sunday Providence afternoon. If that description makes The Etymology of Bird sound painful, let there be no mistake: it is. But it is also funny, heartwarming, thought-provoking, and powerful.

I won’t disclose too much of the plot, because it is imperative that you all head down to the Rep to check it out (it runs through May 18), but I do want to say this: The topic, setting and, even, characters of The Etymology of Bird are not unfamiliar to us. It weaves together the narratives of an aspiring rapper, an aspiring college student, a single mother grappling with an economy that increasingly demands technological expertise, a white cop in a community of color, and more. The comparison to Do the Right Thing is, I think, an important one because The Etymology of Bird draws on many of the same themes that Spike Lee aimed to unravel with his film. But The Etymology of Bird offers a humanity that I feel has been absent from popular media representations of hood life, cop vs. neighborhood dynamics, economic hardship, and hip-hop. I urge you all to head down to the Rep as soon as possible. Oh, and bring tissues.

Special props to Dose blogger and all-around superstar Micah Salkind for his excellent Sound Design, which allowed The Etymology of Bird to transcend the Rep’s Black Box theater through an explosive auditory experience.

SHOWTIMES:

Thursdays 7 PM; Fridays 8 PM; Saturdays 8 PM; Sundays 3PM (The People’s Matinee: Talkback to follow)

TICKETS:

Adults $20; Students & Seniors $10; The People’s Matinee Sunday: Pay What You Can

BOX OFFICE:

401.621.6123 or boxoffice@blackrep.org or arttixri.com

Group rates & Student/Senior Matinees Available

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