Playwright George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum debuted 30 years ago. The program of satirical sketches (which are “exhibits” in the museum) was ahead of its time in casting a critical eye towards prominent themes and identities of African-American culture. It’s easy to look at sketches like The Photo Session and think of it as a criticism of the narcissism of bombastic Kanye West-style mega-glamor until one realizes that it was written before Kanye turned 10. The Gospel According to Miss Roj is a stylish transgendered monologue from the mid-1980s. It’s a dizzying museum of different identities that shows how far we’ve come as a culture and how much further we have to go.
Next Monday, Project1VOICE MKE, MPower Theater and the Black Arts Think Tank present a 30th anniversary staged reading of Wolfe’s The Colored Museum at the Marcus Center’s Vogel Hall. All eleven exhibits will be presented in a one-night-only performance. The Colored Museum takes the stage Jun. 20 in Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall in the Marcus Center on 929 N. Water St. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Marcus Center online.
