The NNPN Rolling World Premiere of can i touch it? is presented by Rogue Machine. Written by francisca da silveira. Directed by Gregg T. Daniel. Produced by John Perrin Flynn and Guillermo Cienfuegos.
Shay Solomon (Safiya Fredericks) is trying to save her wig and hair care business from an aggressive plan to buy foreclosed real state by Patron Bank. A 6% mortgage increase has make it difficult to Shay to stay in business, and after being denied a business loan by the same bank, she’s running out of options. To complicate things, her daughter Ruth (Iesha Daniels) is about to start college.
Meanwhile, Shay’s niece, Meeka (Suzen Baraka), is taking care of the shop . Unbeknownst to her, Shay is thinking of selling the business. Once Ruth lets Meeka know about Shay’s intention to sell, Meeka turns to social media to ignite a smear campaign against Patron Bank. The consequences can put pressure on the bank, but can also turn against Shay, as she is trying to be more diplomatic with the bank.
Da silveira uses Black women’s hair as a continuum in the play to emphasize society’s perception of Black women and their subsequent discrimination. After all, hair has been a contentious element in the Black experience in America. Take, for example, a natural Black hairstyle such as the afro. This style has been a symbol of resistance, widely used by the Black Panther Party and figures like Angela Davis. In that case, it’s no longer a fashion statement, it’s an emblem of empowerment. For Shay, being in the business of hair styling and fighting back against a bank that is trying to take it away from her is a summary of what African Americans have endured throughout the years when they try to move up the ladder. But just like the afro style, the characters Shay and Meeka symbolize the resistance and the power of community to survive and thrive despite the adversities.
The play unveils the real motivations behind the gentrification efforts seen in some distressed areas. The script tries to reveal, through a series of questions and answers, the connection between race relations and symbols that have been ingrained in American society since the inception of the country. Director Gregg T. Daniel uses the characters, in this instance the bank employees (Scott Victor Nelson/Suzen Baraka), to represent the disdain and discrimination towards the Black community and the subtle actions taken to block their progress.
There is a reason why braids, locs, twists, and bantu knots have been included in the CROWN Act, a law that prohibits the denial of employment and educational opportunities based on race-based hairstyles. can i touch it? is not only and entertaining stage production; it’s also a sociopolitical commentary on perceptions and racial inequalities.
can i touch it?
ROGUE MACHINE (in the Matrix Theatre)
7657 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
(Street parking)
Opening: 8pm on Saturday, May 6
Schedule: 8pm Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays, 3pm Sundays through June 11, 2023
Closing: June 11, 2023
Tickets: roguemachinetheatre.org
Written by francisca da silveira. Directed by Gregg T. Daniel. Cast: Safiya Fredericks, Suzen Baraka, Iesha Daniels, and Scott Victor Nelson. Produced by: John Perrin Flynn and Guillermo Cienfuegos. Associate Producer: Mildred Marie Langford. A Rogue Machine Production. Creative Team: Mark Mendelson (Scenic Design), Leigh Allen (Lighting Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Wendell Carmichael (Costume and Wig Design), Ashley Crow (Prop Design), Joyce Guy (Movement Design), Lindsay Jenkins (Dramaturge).
