ReaderRecommended: 'James Ijames’s WHITE offers a satisfying critique of race, privilege, and power.' | joshua_flanders
definitely stands out for being not only funnier, but more complex and satisfying in its critique of race, privilege, and power. Written by James Ijames and directed by Ericka Ratcliff, production is a delightfully silly yet disturbingly relevant look at the fragility of the white male ego and the power of white gatekeepers, questioning definitions of authorship as it sends up the art world.
Through 4/10: Thu-Fri 8 PM, Sat 3 and 8 PM, Sun 3 PM; Steppenwolf 1700 Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted, 312-335-1650,Gus , a white gay painter, is trying to get his work in a prestigious gallery showing. The curator, Jane , a longtime friend and white woman, informs him that this showcase will not feature “white dudes.” So Gus hatches a plan involving a Black actor named Vanessa who becomes Balkonae, an outrageously self-confident artist of their creation, with more than a dash of stereotype, who will represent Gus’s art in the exhibition. But as Vanessa gets into her role as Balkonae, Gus starts losing control of his scheme. He turns for support to his Black boyfriend, Tanner , who is less than accommodating of Gus’s blind spots, and things only go downhill from there. Kourtis is wonderfully passionate yet thickheaded as Gus, who sees everything as a reflection of himself, his character a mirror of so many people who’ve denied their discriminatory behavior while in the midst of practicing it. Bunch is transformative as not only Vanessa/Balkonae, but also as a fabulous diva, appearing as Gus’s “inner Black woman,” scrutinizing some of the appropriative nature of white gay culture. Cornelius is deliciously dim as the gatekeeper to artistic fame, and Allsop radiates love and strength as the supportive but direct boyfriend.does a fabulous job of interrogating respectability politics, the inequity of consequences for one’s actions based on the color of one’s skin, and the long history of fetishization and ownership of Black people’s bodies, all while somehow managing to be a mostly light and hilarious 90 minutes.Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
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