On October 1st at 9 pm, PBS THIRTEEN aired The New Group’s production of Rasheeda Speaking, written by Joel Drake Johnson. This was a part of the collaboration between the network and the large community of New York City area non-profit Off-Broadway theaters presenting selections of provocative and entertaining Off-Broadway plays, captured live on-stage, in their signature “up-close” style.
The show opens with Dr. Williams (Darren Goldstein) and Ileen (Diane Wiest) discussing the recent absence of the other front office worker, Jaclyn (Tonya Pinkins), who was been out sick for five days. It’s clear within the first five minutes that Dr. Williams isn’t that fond of having Jaclyn. “I don’t think she fits in,” he says, rather vaguely. He tells Ileen she’s now the office manager, although Ileen seemingly isn’t a fan of this new position. As part of her new duties, Ileen is also required to keep tabs on Jaclyn’s work habits. Trouble ensues.
Enter Jaclyn, who waits at the door until the exact time she is to report for work!, back from her five day hiatus. She’s puzzled to see that her plants haven’t been taken care of and the piles of work sitting on her desk. Ileen and Jaclyn’s banter is playful, up until the moment she realizes that Ileen has been promoted to head office-manager. What is there to manage when it’s just the two of them? At that moment, a patient enters. Jaclyn addresses her with the professionalism that she was taught, but it goes sour when Illeen feels the need to intervene. Later, that same patient comes back and Jaclyn apologizes for being short with her to which the elderly white patient replies, “My son thinks it’s in your culture to act the way you did. Something about your way to get revenge for slavery.”
Ouch. I shouldn’t have been shocked. In my time in college and in various jobs where I was the only person of color, I’ve had to deal with micro-aggressions and blatant racism, but its still jarring to see this kind of behavior. The play addresses all of this with stellar performances by both Pinkins and Wiest. Pinkins plays Jaclyn with charming wit and understanding. I particularly liked the way she addressed her boss who kept calling her Jackie as opposed to Jaclyn.
But the real showstopper was Pinkins heartfelt and honest monologue, in which she is retelling a story of the humiliating conversations among entitled young white men that she overhears on the bus to work in the mornings; men who jokingly refer to middle-aged black women with a generic name they have chosen, Rasheeda.
This play dealt with the way people view each other. Rasheeda Speaking was all around funny, witty, serious, and honest. It takes circumstances that many people face on a daily basis and sheds light on an issue we cannot ignore.
