Broadway Black had the wonderful honor of attending the world premiere of Dennis A. Allen II‘s When We Wake Up Dead at Brooklyn College over the weekend, and what a treat it was. If you don’t know his name yet, you will know it soon. Brooklyn College had the privilege to premiere the first staged production of his brilliant play which tackles mental illness in the black community, while addressing the tropes of the strong black woman and hyper-masculinity.
The first character we meet is the young Emory Hill (Shomari Pinnock), and from the beginning we can tell something is quite off with him. The first few minutes of the play are him moving in silence, turning lights on as he moves through various rooms. There is a voiceover however (his father), and it almost seems that this voice is what Emory is replaying in this mind and is what leads him to his (spoiler alert) eventual suicide attempt. Yes, this play goes there in the first ten minutes.
This suicide attempt sets the tone for the entire show essentially. His twin cousins Bryant and James (Lorenzo Cromwell and Chakeefe Gordon), who find him in the bathroom, try to understand Emory, but do so in different ways. While Bryant is the more sensitive one who treads carefully regarding Emory’s obvious mental issues (he’s tried to commit suicide more than once, he’s on anti-depressants), James calls him a “disgrace to the race” and his attempt is nothing more than a “cry for attention.” That ideology is something that is quite common in the black community. The idea of admitting that there is something mentally wrong with a family member, and in this case particularly a black man, is seen as a weakness. It’s that same mindset that makes these situations even more harmful. Instead of getting family members the help they deserve they are driven further off the cliff.
Is James really to blame though? There is a moment where he’s retelling a story to his Aunt Cheryl (brilliantly played by Jacqueline Springfield) about the time he got into a fight with some white boys and his Uncle Cecil (Michael Gaines) made him go back and fight them till he won. When he couldn’t complete the task his Uncle took his belt off and gave him a beating. From early on this idea of hyper-mascuailty has been embedded into James mindset, so naturally it’s something he stuck with over the course of the years. His treatment of Emory then makes sense, but it doesn’t make it right.
Over the course of the play Emory’s condition clearly isn’t getting any better and it doesn’t help that Cecil’s health is deteriorating. “It’s always death that brings about change in the world,” says the dying Uncle Cecil and that line pieces the entire play together. Cecil’s death sets in motion many events that change the families lives and world forever. It’s their uncle’s death that brings all of the family together including Cheryl’s younger sister Lynn (Kristin Fulton) and even more family secrets are spilled that call into question everything they knew, or thought they knew. In light of the recent revelations, many of the characters come beautifully and heartbreakingly undone.
All of this a testament to Allen’s superb writing as he gives each character depth, even the ones that aren’t so nice. These characters are so well written and layered it’s hard not to feel for them, all of them. I think the most haunting moment for me comes at the end, when Emory and James have a falling out, a moment where the words coming out of Emory’s mouth are so uncomfortable, I had to cover my mouth and shake my head. This show wasn’t afraid to dig deep and put such an important topic on display. Mental illness isn’t funny, it isn’t a joke, and it does affect us no matter how blind to it we may be to it. It’s something that needs to be addressed in all communities and I’m glad Dennis shed light on it the way it deserved to be.
When We Wake Up Dead was written by Dennis A. Allen II and directed by Christopher Burris. It is running until March 23rd at Brooklyn Center For The Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (2900 Avenue H Brooklyn, NY 11210). Tickets can be purchased here.
