RATED BLACK: An American Requiem
Kareem Lucas
A solo show that weaves together original poetry, music, and songs, sung by a small choir, to bury a young Black man and heal a country.
Written & Performed by Kareem M. Lucas
Directed by Gabriel Vega Weissman
Original Music & Arrangements by Avi A. Amon
Lighting Design by Derek Van Heel
Stage Management by Acacia Drake
A young Black man from Brooklyn hosts his own Homegoing (funeral) service as a way for himself to prepare to die and to honor the memory of the unarmed Black Women and Men who have and are still being murdered by the police at a heartbreaking pace. This piece removes the mask of the perceived "superpredator", by weaving together original poetry, music, and songs to theatricalize and articulate the vulnerability of a young Black man at risk of becoming the next trending hashtag as the country consumes his digital lynching.