Book by John Ridley
Lyrics by Tariq Trotter
Music by Tariq Trotter, Anthony Tidd, James Poyser and Daryl Waters
Directed by Scott Elliott
A clue in in the “New York Times” crossword puzzle on Tuesday, February 15th was “Prefix with futurism.” The correct answer: ‘Afrofuturism,’ defined as “a cultural aesthetic that combines science-fiction, history and fantasy to explore the African-American experience and aims to connect those from the black diaspora with their forgotten African ancestry.”
In 1931, George S. Schuyler explores the Afrofuturism literary genre in his “Black No More,” which is the name of the Dr. Junius Crookman’s (Tariq Trotter) invention that turns Black people white by removing melanin from the Black person’s skin. The New Group’s “Black No More” at The Pershing Square Signature Center adapts Schuyler’s storyline to explore whether racism in America would end if all Black citizens could suddenly become white. John Ridley follows that narrative in his book for this 2022 “Black No More,” eschewing much of the ending of Schuyler’s novel.
It is telling that in “Black Like Me,” author John Howard Griffin used science (medical treatment) to temporarily darken his skin to pass as a Black man to explore life from the other side of the color line in 1961’s segregated south.
Having missed the opportunity to woo white southern belle Helen Givens (Jennifer Damiano) at a Harlem speakeasy, the protagonist in both the novel and the musical, Max Disher (Brandon Victor Dixon) hears about Crookman’s invention and subjects himself to the transformation from Black to white, hoping to improve his lot and follow Ms. Givens to her Atlanta home with his new “white” name Matthew Fisher.
Many Black Harlem residents follow Max into Crookman’s “transformation chair” hoping their new whiteness will rescue them from being “colonized . . . commodified . . . monetized . . . and ostracized, on the bottom of the color line.” Harlem’s post-depression economy tumbles further as holdouts Madame Sisseretta (Lillias White), Agamemnon (Ephraim Sykes), and Buni (Tamika Lawrence) mourn the loss of Harlem’s success and the loss of their friend Max. It becomes clear that Crookman is indeed a crook, performing his transformations for monetary reasons only.
Max discovers that his new name and his new color fail to provide the escape from racism he had hoped for. He finds Helen but soon realizes she is the daughter of Reverend Givens (Howard McGillin) the Exalted Giraw of the white nationalist organization Knights of Nordica. Matthew eventually becomes head of the supremacist group, hoping to make money off the organization’s stand against “immigrants, homosexuals, non-Christians, Asians . . . any beast of blame for the plight of Caucasians.”
Eventually, Buni heads to Atlanta to rescue Max/Matthew; however, despite her intervention, redemption does not come easily for her friend. Violence and death accompany Max’s redemption and release. The musical’s end comes quickly and predictably. Yet the themes of “Black No More” are underscored: racism, pervasive whiteness, personal motivation, honesty, loyalty, deception, and reconciliation.
Despite Scott Elliot’s irresolute direction, the musical’s principals and ensemble negotiate John Ridley’s book, Tariq Trotters’ lyrics, and the music by Tariq Trotters, Anthony Tidd, James Poyser, and Daryl Waters with palpable passion and electrifying authenticity. Bill T. Jones’s abstract choreography, Derek McLane’s set design, Qween Jean’s costume design, Jeff Croiter’s lighting design, and Nevin Steinberg’s sound design enhance the fantasy underpinnings of the musical.