Copie Does Just Fine In New York
factchecker
critics are really saying. With the exception of the Post (which starts
out with the critic talking about how he hates one man shows...why do
they send guys like this to review?) he appears to be doing fine.
Here's the Associated Press which is running nationally.
'Not a Genuine Black Man' has many themes
MICHAEL KUCHWARA
AP Drama Critic
NEW YORK - When Brian Copeland, at age 8, moved to San Leandro, Calif.,
in the early 1970s, the town, which borders Oakland, was 99.99 percent
white.
Whiter than Ivory soap, Copeland says in his affecting one-man memoir,
"Not a Genuine Black Man," which opened Wednesday at off-Broadway's DR2
Theatre. It's not surprising that Copeland, who's black, was noticed.
In fact, on his first Saturday in the new neighborhood, he was chased
by a group of white teens.
Remembrances like it thread their way through Copeland's tale of
growing up in a town where people were judged first by the color of
their skin. But "Not a Genuine Black Man" has more on its mind that the
persistent racism that dogged Copeland's childhood.
It's a story of family. Affectionate portraits of his mother and
grandmother. A not-so-happy picture of his rarely seen father, a brute
of a man who abused his wife and terrorized his children.
That Copeland, now a radio talk-show host in San Francisco, seems to
have turned out so well-adjusted is a marvel. He is a genial,
accomplished raconteur, able to switch back and forth between the
characters in his show.
The catalyst for "Not a Genuine Black Man" is the man's determined
mother. A woman with style and class, she did have her quirks. Always
claiming to be from Providence, R.I., and not Alabama because it
sounded better, for example. And one thing her son never figured out
was why she remained so loyal to his father, who eventually disappeared
from their lives.
What his mother wanted was respect, Copeland says. And it was her
determination to have that respect which brought the woman and her
children to San Leandro and later to initiate a lawsuit after being
threatened with eviction.
She brought her children up to succeed - and Copeland did. And his
success becomes one of the show's themes, particularly in the way other
blacks have responded to his having made it. Some made the accusation
that became the title of his show - "Not a Genuine Black Man."
"If you're talking about pigment, then, yes, clearly I am black,"
Copeland says at one point. "If you're talking about some cultural
delineation, I don't know."
The man refuses to be categorized. And it is that refusal to be
stereotyped that makes "Not a Genuine Black Man" such an intriguing and
entertaining evening.
Here's Broadway.com
Not a Genuine Black Man
by Ron Lasko
©2006 Joan Marcus
Brian Copeland in
Not a Genuine Black Man
For years, Brian Copeland has been told that he's not a genuine black
man. On one hand, his skin is dark, he likes white women and he enjoys
eating chitlins. On the other hand, he isn't a drug dealer, his
favorite show is Frasier, he uses the proper pronunciation of the word
"ask" and he despises rap music. So what really makes a black man?
Copeland's search to define himself as black is the subject of his
amiable solo show, Not a Genuine Black Man. The well-known San
Francisco radio talk show host and comic has brought his show to
off-Broadway's DR2 Theatre after a long run on the West Coast.
The story begins in the San Francisco Bay area in 1972. Fleeing a
husband who abuses her and her son, Copeland's mother moves him from
the heavily black suburb of Hayward to San Leandro, one of the most
exclusively white communities in the United States-so white, in fact,
that the National Committee against Discrimination in Housing called
San Leandro "a racist bastion of white supremacy." Naturally, racism
ensues: Copeland has several run-ins with white policemen. A landlord
tries to evict the family illegally. And in general, they just aren't
welcomed into the community.
The show moves back and forth between tales of childhood trauma and
stories of Copeland's struggle raising his own kids. Particularly
moving is a scene in which he is forced to pull a knife on his own
father. There are also a few tangential stories along the way,
including a memorable bit about Judge James Ware, a nominee for the
U.S. Court of Appeals under President Clinton.
In the middle of the show, Copeland acknowledges that we've all heard
stories like his a million times. What he brings to the telling of his
tales, however, is a refreshingly mild-mannered approach filled with
charm and humor. This isn't a rant against racism; it's more a
universal comedy about overcoming obstacles.
Director Bob Balaban has done an admirable job shaping the production,
though a bit more pruning would surely strengthen the piece. Toward the
end of the show, Copeland's story takes a sudden and unexpected turn as
he briefly delves into his own mental health issues. It's fascinating
and commendably frank, but the sudden confession doesn't quite jibe
with the rest of the material in tone or subject. Copeland would be
wise to weave it more into the fabric of the overall story or excise
this material altogether.
Not a Genuine Black Man is a lot like a black Wonder Years, with
Copeland playing all the roles. It deals with heavy issues but with a
light, almost sitcom-like touch. The show is currently in development
with HBO for a series helmed by Rob Reiner, and it's easy to see why:
Copeland's blend of comedy and pathos is easily digestible by black and
white audiences alike; he could potentially become the next Cosby. And
if that doesn't make him a genuine black man, I don't know what will.
Not Genuine Black Man
Written and performed by Brian Copeland
Directed by Bob Balaban DR2 Theater
Howard Kissel of The New York Daily News: "What is remarkable about his
show is how funny he can make his life seem... The many conflicts in
his psyche may account for the disjointed quality the show sometimes
has - at times he stresses irony; at others he has an air of grievance,
as if this were the standard monologue of several decades ago, geared
to nurturing white guilt. Overall, however, the show, directed by Bob
Balaban, conveys the sense of a man overcoming insuperable odds and
emerging whole, sane and triumphant."
The Newark Star Ledger
Comic stands up for himself
Friday, May 19, 2006
BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
Star-Ledger Staff
NEW YORK STAGE
NEW YORK -- Brian Copeland is a successful stand-up comedian and radio
talk show host from the San Francisco area.
The title for his solo show, "Not a Genuine Black Man," which opened
Wednesday at the DR2 Theatre, is what Copeland was accused of being by
one of his African-American listeners.
"Why do people say that to me?" Copeland wonders. "If you're talking
about pigment, then, yes, clearly I am black. If you're talking about
some cultural delineation, I don't know."
A friendly guy in his early 40s, Copeland happens to be a former
Catholic altar boy who somehow survived a childhood in San Leandro, a
California suburb with a 99.4 percent white population in the 1970s.
That scary experience -- plus the adult Copeland's ambivalent feelings
about racial attitudes -- form the basis for this 100-minute show,
which originally ran nearly two years in San Francisco.
"I don't believe blacks should be paid reparations for slavery," says
Copeland in a typical remark. "But if they send me the check, I'll cash
it. I'm confused, not crazy."
Reared with a pack of sisters by a striving mother and a feisty
grandma, Copeland endured mistreatment at the hands of his abusive,
frequently absent father. Copeland tells several domestic horror
stories, but mostly keeps his narrative to his family's outside
troubles with hostile white neighbors, suspicious police and racist
landlords trying to evict them.
Married with three children, Copeland also details his struggles with
depression -- including a half- hearted suicide attempt -- which
apparently stems from unresolved ethnic issues. Copeland's
inspirational boyhood encounter with a successful black attorney
evolves into a crucial vignette that speaks to the comedian's ongoing
cultural doubts.
The low-key Copeland usually chats about these things in an easygoing
manner, but now and again gets all worked up.
"Do I have to be the worst possible stereotype -- or I'm not 'keep ing
it real'?" vents Copeland, ranting out a chain of ironic apologies.
"I'm sorry that I don't deal drugs. I'm sorry that all my kids were
born into wedlock and I support them. I'm sorry that I help them with
their homework and I don't teach them that getting good grades is
'acting white.' I'm sorry I don't think that a guy disrespecting women
by rhyming about bitches and 'ho's' is music ... ," and so forth for
several fiery moments.
Perhaps a few more of these outbursts would enliven "Not a Genuine
Black Man," which for all of its honest humor and candid social
insights has its occasional lulls, too. Director Bob Balaban's austere
production makes no use of vintage family photos or any other visuals
that might dress up a stage empty of practically everything but
Copeland clad in gray slacks and sports shirt.
factchecker
David Kaye
direct the NYC show but used some local guy. Dave apparently has the
knack and the new director doesn't.
Patty Winter
I don't know about Bob Balaban's stage-directing experience, but he's
certainly an accomplished TV director. And, of course, a very good
actor.
Patty
Steven
to post virtually the same thing with a few words changed every time
they sent it. Twice in this instance : p
Buck
this.
(2) "the heavily black suburb of Hayward"! I'll let that little gem speak
for itself.
(3) A "series helmed by Rob Reiner". I hear he's got a little extra time
lately, having been recently relieved of personal responsibility for every
child in California.
Buck
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