Sometimes a theater production can tug deep at your heart strings, and even make you cry. That is how I felt after being part of a small audience at the Theater at Monmouth’s production of “Red Velvet.”
Based on the true story of Ira Aldridge, a black actor in London in 1833, this story sadly still resonates almost 200 years later. Written by Lolita Chakrabarti and opened in London in 2012, the play speaks to prejudice and tradition that was entrenched in the English elite of the 19th century. Delightfully, the work weaves Shakespeare’s “Othello” into the dialogue and, for me, will get me back to the theater to see that performance.
The Theater at Monmouth is such a gem — as they say, a hidden gem. Compared to some other venues, the tickets are less expensive and the experience is more intimate — deeper in its emotional field and grander in its architecture.
Any citizen concerned about Black Lives Matter would see in this production that we have not progressed anywhere near far enough.
There are still a few performances left in the season. Move yourself to be moved.
Donna Childs, Wales
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