Presented by The Front Porch Arts Collective
Directed by Jackie Davis
Stage Directions by Kandyce Whittingham
The scene chewing “Holiday Feast” team is HERE.
Dec. 12-14, 2024
Central Square Theater
450 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA
Critique by Kitty Drexel
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Porch’s “Holiday Feast” was an evening of staged readings from beloved Black sitcoms Amen, The Jeffersons, A Different World, and Family Matters. The Porch did what it does best; it brought its community together in a celebration of Black joy.
It was silly: The cast sometimes diverged from the script to playfully mess with each other as good friends do; actors embraced the quirks of revered characters George Jefferson, Whitley Gilbert and Steve Urkel. It was serious: Christmas episodes teach important lessons while recognizing their characters’ shortcomings… But, the cast didn’t dwell in severity; they found joy and kept it lifted through the evening. When the moment called for it, we sang along with the cast. There were teary eyes and boisterous laughs; the very best ingredients for a great night of theater no matter who you are.
Christmas can be a dark time for some folks. It is for me. Watching other people laugh and love is healing. And, the United States is about to go into a dark period of conservative politics armed and ready to hurt minority groups for daring to feel joy in their presence. Very soon, our joy will be weaponized against us (like when Harris danced at a party, and it became a reason not to vote for her). It behooves us now to claim our joy and our healing as rebellion. We will need it and each other in the New Year to get through the following four.
So, I urge you to find your joy and to hold close friends, old and new, who will celebrate it with you. The New England Theatre Geeks wish you a merry Kwanzaanukkahdad and a mele New Year! I hope it’s a good one without any tears.
