Show & Tell Post #1-Eighty Six

Not too long ago, my boy Mike Augustine (swag) suggested that I read Eighty Six by Javon Johnson because it was just “one of those things.” He said he read an electronic source, so I searched for it. I found it on the Black Drama website, which is an archive for well, black drama. Anyway, if you’re interested in reading this play, the link that follows should take you directly to the table of contents (I went through through LSU Libraries to find it, so you may need your PAWS log in info). The piece is contemporary, published in 2001 and according to the site, it has been staged in New Orleans, Pittsburg, Montgomery and Atlanta. Eighty Six is about three adolescent African-Americans living with/working for a mortuary owner because he’s their best chance for survival. Each day, a body comes in and someone has to cut it. This wasn’t an issue initially, but as time has passed, the body counts begin to rise at a startling rate and the youngsters start to wonder if they’ll ever get out of their situation, while pondering why they are still alive. Brayboy, the youngest of the three (17) and only female is probably the most optimistic person in the play. She knows the deal, but she keeps her head up (along with her Alize) and constantly encourages her friends to change. CJ, Brayboy’s brother (19) and Ace, her admirer/ex (20) are two of those guys who have it all figured it out, but feel helpless and continue their fall. Crook is the owner of the place; he’s intimidating and frightening but never says a thing. In fact, he rarely acknowledges the kids he took in at all. Long story short, too many bodies come in and they run out of room, Crook dies, Bray boy dies and then no one dies. It’s really deep stuff-I suggest it. One dramaturgical choice that’s extremely powerful is the location of both the story and the plot. Everything on stage takes place in one room with four doors and windows. One door leads to the bedrooms and another to a bathroom. The other doors are vital to the play; one leads downstairs to the basement where the dirty work is done and the other to the main entrance, where the dirty work for the dirty work is done. It’s a jungle outside the “home”; these people are living in the streets and when they walk outside, there’s a strong possibility, almost guarantee that they will get shot-hints everything happening in one location. This is a strong choice because it isolates the audience/reader and really puts an emphasis on what’s going on inside compared to what’s occurring outside. Brayboy, CJ and Ace all know each other, but they don’t know why they know each other; they don’t have outside family/friends and barley have any legitimate memories of loved ones. To them, this is the only safe place in the world and ironically, it’s where the dangerous come to “live”. Choosing to have just the room on stage is brilliant to me, because the cut scenes down stairs and the shot scenes outside are as brutal as you (the audience/reader) wants it to be, and that can only add to the play. Plus, it adds those feelings of trapness, hopelessness and emptiness. Another dramaturgical choice that stood out to me was the character of Crook. Crook appears to be a nice guy, but he just can’t relate to the three youngsters he took in. CJ and Ace don’t particularly like him, but Brayboy doesn’t care because she knows he took them in, so she’s dedicated to him. Crook is sort of an extension to the plot; like he’s relevant, but it isn’t about him. There’s a moment in the script when one of the boys stand up to Crook, but for the most part he just goes about his business until he’s shot. To have someone like that in a play like this adds another dimension to the creepiness.