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A cut above ‘Barber Shop Chronicles’ looks at common threads
The hair apparent: “Barber Shop Chronicles,” a play about male social spaces across the world, will make its New York premiere on Dec. 3 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Photo by Marc Brenner
COURIER LIFE, NOV. 22-28, 2019 47
By Ben Verde Call it a clip show!
A new play looks
at the central role of
the barber shop in the life of
black men around the world.
“Barber Shop Chronicles,”
a British production making
its New York premiere at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music on
Dec. 3, tracks a day in the life
of six different barber shops,
showcasing their importance
as a place of bonding and
socializing between men. The
shops are scattered across Africa
and London, but they all have a
similar atmosphere — one that
should feel familiar even to an
American audience , said one of
the show’s producers.
“There’s a real sense of
community onstage,” said Kate
McGrath. “Hopefully everyone
who comes along will recognize
themselves or their father, their
brother, or their cousin.”
To prepare for the show,
Nigerian-born playwright
and poet Inua Ellams spent
time in barber shops across
Africa, talking to the staff and
customers. He created a story
that takes place on a single day
in 2012, starting at a barbershop
in Lagos, Nigeria, and visiting
similar haircut establishments
in the African cities of
Johannesburg, Accra, Kampala,
and Harare, and finally ending
in a shop in London, England, at
the close of the day.
Ellams found that the shops
were places where men felt at
home, and were able to discuss
their troubles without fear of
judgment. The barber shop, he
discovered, was a good place for
men to get their heads examined.
“There was a growing
awareness of male mental health
and a lack of spaces for those
conversations to take place,”
McGrath said.
At each shop, the 12
members of the all-black, allmale
cast play different roles,
but they all watch the same
soccer game, and they have
similar conversations, taking
on sports, fatherhood, politics,
identity, and immigration —
along with a few music and
dance numbers.
Audience members can also
join the community on the stage.
The director and cast members
will hang out onstage before
each performance, greeting
and interacting with the the
audience while a dee-jay plays,
and making them feel like part
of the family.
“They’ll be welcomed into a
space that feels very open and
friendly,” McGrath said. “It’s a
really great night out.”
“Barber Shop Chronicles”
at BAM Harvey Theater 651
Fulton St. between Rockland and
Ashland Places in Fort Greene,
(718) 636–4100, www.bam.org.
Dec. 3–6 at 7:30 pm. Dec. 7 at 2
pm and 7:30 pm. Dec. 8 at 3 pm.
$35–$95.
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