Thursday, June 18, 2020

166. LES FEMMES NOIRES. From my (unpublished) ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE NEW YORK STAGE, 1970-1975

Rosemary Stewart, Marshall Hutchnson.
LES FEMMES NOIRES [Revue/Race/Women] A: Edgar White; D: Novella Nelson; CH: Otis Sallid; S: George Smith; C: Judy Dearing; L: Sati Jamal; P: New York Shakespeare Festival; T: Public Theater/Other Stage (OB); 2/21/74-4/1/74 (57)

/An hour-long evening of brief vignettes that I’ve classified as a “revue,” although one that was dramatic, not musical or comedic. It displayed a variety of female (and a few male) black stereotypes, from a numbers-running woman to a housewife to a high school student to a business administrator, and so forth. The blackout sketches had a jazz accompaniment by a five-man combo playing drums, flute, and piano.

The reviews were indifferent. Clive Barnes was bored but Edith Oliver said it was “never less than competent, but rarely much more.” Oliver, however, pointing to the impressive roster of well-known players, thought them all “very good,” while admitting that “The play doesn’t add up to much.”

In the cast of 19 were such talents as Bill Cobbs, Trazana Beverley, and Barbara Montgomery.