I was told this play might make me uncomfortable.
Jordan E. Cooper’s “Ain’t No Mo’” paves the way for a provocative new season for the Indianapolis Black Theatre Company under the leadership of artistic director Tijideen Rowley. Directed by Jamaal McCray, the play, which originally debuted on Broadway on Dec. 1, 2022, is based around a singular question: “If America offered Black people one-way tickets to Africa, would you go?”
I have a dark sense of humor and welcome theatre that makes me go “Oh, that’s not…” so “Ain’t No Mo’” did everything but make me uncomfortable. I loved it. However, it does come on strong, so let’s get into it, shall we?
Truthfully, “Ain’t No Mo’” is an unhinged dark satire about what it means to be Black in America. It’s set up like a sketch comedy, where each scene tells a different story in reaction to the news of the reparations flight. At the center is Peaches (Daren J. Fleming) a drag queen and boarding agent for gate 1619 of African American Airlines, and a cast of five “passengers” (Chandra, Reno Moore, Clarissa Todd, Cara Wilson and Avery Elise) who rotate between at least six different characters each.
It’s very modern. In fact, the playwright is just about as chronically online as I am because there were so many niche and new pop culture references — such as “He’s got a gun!” and “You need to leave” — that I fear many older, non-Black audience members didn’t get.
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There’s a handful of skits, each one more devastating than the last, but I stopped counting after about six. Several scenes take place at the African American Airlines boarding gate and feature Peaches alone on stage with nothing more than a suitcase, a flawless wig and a bone to pick with society. It’s sassy and soul-shattering, and I couldn’t look away.
Because there are so many sketches, I can’t remember all the names of the characters each actor played, but I will highlight Reno Moore for bringing to life perhaps some of the funniest and most amusing characters. Clarissa Todd is always a pleasure to watch onstage, and her role in the Real Baby Mamas of the Southside was nothing short of brilliantly executed rage bait. Avery Elise as personified Blackness was something I didn’t see coming, and yet she delivered one of the most powerful monologues of the whole show and then did it again as Blue in the next sketch.
The playbill so kindly refers to everyone as Passenger 1, 2, 3, etc., but everyone on stage has so much range and versatility that it’s impossible not to be entertained or at least challenged to engage.
While I enjoy a big extravagant set as much as the next person, I loved the minimalist aspect of this show. Less really is more — and fewer set pieces allow for hilarious scenes where characters can be chased by their Blackness personified.
However, there’s a deeper meaning in the set pieces and props that do make it onto the stage, such as the casket holding Black folks’ “reason to complain,” the suitcase holding everything Black people “made” in America, TV camera and the gun.
The show is good; it’s enjoyable if you let it be.
It hits you hard and fast in scene one and barely gives you a second to breathe before the humor comes back around, but it’s essential. Each of the stories presented in the sketches is raw and tangible in a way that cannot be captured in a review, I don’t think.
It’s the kind of thing you have to experience in order to reconcile with it — whether it’s the church service celebrating the president of the U.S. being “my N****” or the community center abortion clinic offering Black women a choice between a loss now or immeasurable grief later when their sons are inevitably gunned down in the streets, or aggressive ignorance of the “transracial Black woman” attempting to steal a culture that doesn’t belong to her only for show and tell.
It’s a bold choice for IBTC’s debut, but if this is the kind of theatre it takes to make others understand what this organization is all about, then so be it. We’re in good hands as a creative community.
Lastly, and because I felt this was worth mentioning, “Ain’t No Mo’” is long as hell.
It clocked in at about two hours — which isn’t crazy, musicals are usually two and a half hours. My issue with it being two hours is that the long scene changes are what made it two hours. I’m not sure if it’s a run-of-the-show thing (costume, wig, set change, etc.) or if it’s intentional due to the recordings played over the speakers during the scene changes, but it was noticeable.
Before the show began, McCray let the audience know they were experiencing some technical issues. Apparently, there are some media/tech aspects to the show that were not working on Friday night. The show must go on, but I did wonder what exactly we were missing throughout the show.
Hopefully, they’ve fixed that for the remaining nights because this show isn’t one you want to miss.
“Ain’t No Mo’” is on the District Theatre stage at 7:30 p.m. on July 3 and 5 and at 2 p.m. on July 6. The show is approximately two hours and recommended for audiences aged 16 and up. Tickets are $23-$28. For more information, visit indydistricttheatre.org.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
