The Black Student Theatre Network will be performing “Wine in the Wilderness” by Alice Childress today through Dec. 5 at the Hale Black Cultural Center.
Kayla Jackmon, a senior in international studies and theatre, is the artistic director of the Black Student Theater and is directing “Wine in the Wilderness.” The play is free but donations for the group are encouraged.
“Wine in the Wilderness addresses issues that were not only relevant when it was published in 1969 but also are relevant today,” Jackmon said.
The play revolves around Bill, who is working on a “triptych,” a work of art containing three different sections. Each portrait in the triptych portrays a different vision of an African-American woman.
One portrait is that of a young girl that represents purity. The other is of a beautiful woman that Bill sees as “the wine in the wilderness,” or an African Queen. His third and final portrait is the opposite of an African Queen; A woman that has been beaten down by the world.
This is where Tommy comes in. Tommy is a woman that is at first seen by Bill as the antithesis to the African Queen.
Through the play he realizes that Tommy is the actual African Queen and represents many women in his community.
“This can touch a lot of people in different ways, but for me it told the story of a black woman that was being identified.” Jackmon said. “The basic thing this play is about is identity and how people identify you.”
This is the second year that the Black Student Theatre Network has been performing. The group was formed in order to ensure that important black plays are being performed.
All the performers in the play are member of the Black Student Theatre Network. The group has an interesting member selection process.
“The way that we have it set up is that once you are in a play, you are automatically a member,” Jackmon said. “You gain such a personal connection with us.”
