Secrets of a Black Boy - The Review

Secrets of a Black Boy



BY: BRANDII STYLES

Does anybody have a secret? Apparently, the black man does and we couldn’t be happier.

Secrets of a Black Boy, the play by Toronto playwright Darren Anthony, delves into the minds of five black men on their last day at a community institution, the Regent Park community center. In this two-act play, the audience is brought to laughter, tears and back to laughter-induced tears as these men deal with issues of sexuality, relationships, race and domestic violence that shape them from boys into men.

The humourous banter between Jerome (Darren Anthony), Biscuit (Samson Brown), Sean (Shomari Downer), Jakes (Eli Goree) and Sheldon (Al St. Louis) is noteworthy as all the actors play off each other with such a fluidity, which is hardly seen from the best of actors on much bigger stages. The ‘wifey checklist’ is the truth and holding-my-stomach-in-pain funny.

However, the most palpable moments are when Secrets gives a rare look into the vulnerable side of the often misunderstood and overly-stereotyped black male. From Sheldon’s soliloquy about police brutality (a real tear-jerker) to Jakes’ bewilderment as to why sometimes you have to do what’s “right” even when it’s doesn’t feel that way; the play takes you on an emotional rollercoaster that shows you the highs and lows of a man you may see on a daily basis in your own home but never really looked at.

Secrets of a Black boy is a definite must-see. Did we mention that its producer is none other than ‘Da Kink in My Hair’s Trey Anthony. (Do we hear Oprah in the wings?)

If you haven’t got a ticket, what are you waiting for? Secrets of a Black Boy runs until October 3 at the Music Hall in Toronto.