There is no question it is time–it is past time–for black playwrights to have their stories depicted on a stage, as a regular staple of American Theater.
Black voices began to emerge during the turbulent 1960s, amidst the rise of the Civil Rights Movement. Writers like Ed Bullins, Amiri Baraka (Leroi Jones), Charles Gordone, and the incomparable Lorraine Hansberry.
Then, one August Wilson made his debut in the 1980s–and the world held its collective breath, and waited to exhale.
His 10-play Opus, dramatizing the American Experience of the 20th Century one decade at a time, is a monumental, other-worldly work, and belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Important American Plays.
Now, in 2026, along comes ‘Acts of Breaking Silence’, an evening of one-acts devoted to this very same theme and struggle, presented at the American Theatre of Actors.
The evening’s first five minutes started with a bang; ‘Silent Farm’, by Mobin Aslani, began with a half-naked black man chained to a post by another black man. We soon learn that the man is imprisoned at this mysterious farm, and is soon greeted by three farm animals. They then debate the virtues of freedom; the man is eventually released, but the debate ends in an opaque way. Sloppy direction and uneven acting marred the hopeful enterprise.
‘The Basement’, by Reggie Fayton Jr., fared far better. A young man, Jerome, has seemingly quit college, and has taken up residence in his parent’s basement, while hounded by his inner voices, who are depicted cleverly on stage. The dialogue is first rate, and the acting follows suit. The production values are not much, and the play is again diminished by questionable direction.
The evening got better with ‘Amber Alerts’ (author uncredited), a one-woman lament depicting the plight of missing black women in our nation, and the presumed bias that goes with it. A powerful indictment against the powers-that-be, and wonderfully acted.
Rounding up the evening was ‘The Reckoning’, by Shahid Hopson, dramatizing two stories of struggle, loss, and despair, while articulating the case for reparations. The acting, again, was surprisingly effective and compelling, and was a sensible and proper way to conclude the endeavor.
We look forward to more of these stories being told, on a regular basis…new stories about people that we think we know, but dont.
