Somewhere in the late ’80s, playwright Aishah Rahman developed a script that resonates with a tragically persistent theme in today’s headlines. The Mojo and the Sayso was inspired by the 1973 killing of a ten-year-old-boy by New York City police looking for an adult burglar. The drama focusses on the family trying to deal with grief and loss in the face of the tragedy. Decades before the formation of Black Lives Matter, Rahman delved into the tragedy of innocent people killed in the line of law enforcement. How can anyone calculate the value of a ten-year-old boy to the parents that have lost him?
Early this year, Bronzeville Arts Ensemble and Theatre Lila are staging a production of the drama that will play in Milwaukee in January before moving to Madison in February. Jessica Lanius directs a cast including Gavin Lawrence, Marvette Knight, Isayah Phillips and Wigasi Brant in a staging which will debut this month at the Milwaukee Rep’s Stiemke Studio. Jan. 27 - 31. (The Madison end of the run will take the stage of the Overture Center for the Arts Feb. 18 - 21.) For more information, visit Bronzeville Arts Ensemble online.
