Review: FADE TO BLACK PLAY FESTIVAL from SHABACH ENTERPRISES at the MATCH

Shabach Enterprise’s FADE TO BLACK Play Festival has been going on for 12 seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. Next year, the producers and organizers are planning an entire Arts Festival that will incorporate many venues and artistic disciplines. But before we go gaga over all that,  let’s take a moment to marvel at this year’s offering at the MATCH. This time out, the play festival runs for two full weekends from June 20th until June 30th, and it is in MATCHBOX 2. They have ten plays, all written by Black authors, ten directors, and twenty-five actors. This represents some of the top-tier talent in our city, and the already high bar is always raised. With this 12th offering, it continues to rise! This is an army of thespians unlike any other in Houston. 

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It would be daunting to review each of the ten plays, although I enjoyed every one of them thoroughly. The national-level playwriting talent on display here is awe-inspiring, and I found myself sucked in shortly after each set change and a new scenario. What fascinates me most about this year is that the subject material has shifted a bit overall. FADE TO BLACK has always addressed racial issues, but now the works are taking aim at gender roles, fantasy scenarios, and even horror tropes. Jordan Peele would be so proud, and the audience should be thrilled. None of this fits into easy boxes, and all of it is a testament to the wild creativity of these artists. 

A striking scenario is set up in SAFE WORDS, which was written by Dyron Holmes and directed by Kelvin Douglas. It takes an abuse tale but completely flips the genders. What we normally assume would be a “woman’s dramatic turn” is bravely taken on by actors David Akinwande and Nicholas Madison. I was floored to consider what it would be like if a man were the abused in a relationship, a scenario that is all too likely but hardly addressed. Watching two men break down a rough situation was emotionally compelling. 

There is the hysterical GUESS WHAT’S FOR DINNER by Melda Beaty, bolstered by direction from Shawanna Renee Rivon. This one depicts a young couple going to the boyfriend’s parents for Thanksgiving, and he has failed to tell his girlfriend they are white. Mikaylah Wade delivers one of the most effective comedic performances I have ever seen, and she steals the entire segment handily. The rest of the cast is also funny, but keep your eyes on Mikaylah for an entire evening’s worth of laughs in less than ten minutes. 

CANCEL ME by Krystle Dellihue offers a chance for Mildred’s Umbrella impresario, Jennifer Decker, to create a dramatically satisfying scene about gyms, grief, and getting back out there in the world. It features a touching performance from Kiki Kingdom, who gives her character a surprising depth when all she is setting out to do is cancel a gym membership. She ends up dealing with some major baggage unexpectedly, and Decker knows just how to handle the situation from a directorial standpoint.  

Another hysterical but insightful segment is DEE’S DILEMMA by Reginald T. Jackson. Director Ezekiel Morgan takes on the complexity of a transgender man in a bar hitting on a black gay male who is in a vulnerable place after a bad breakup. Cadero Berryman is a bartender with no lines, but his facial and body reactions to the scenario speak volumes. I was blown away by this because it is one of those "of the moment" social commentaries. Watching the "female assigned at birth" shoot game at the man was a revelation. Destiny Mosley makes a wonderful masculine dominant type, and Jeremiah Gray is just precious as the prey in the equation.  

REDEMPTION by Joe Lewis benefits from having one of the best directing talents in the city take on the piece, Errol Anthony Wilks. Not only is the firepower large in that chair, but the cast includes veteran actress Brittny Bush and, once again, Kiki Kingdom. Both women handle the material brilliantly and make it all far too believable. It’s a wild therapy session that you will never forget. I hope Joe Lewis can extend this to a full play because it would be a spectacular ride. And if he does, please bring back this crew to do it. 

Ending the evening is the brilliantly funny I CAN DO EVIL ALL BY MYSELF by Ken Green and directed by Cardero Berryman. Domonique Champion and Fritz Eagleton spar as super villain and superhero, but realize their different races make it a little more politically charged to do so. Both actors had the audience rolling out of their chairs, laughing so hard. It’s like watching Adam West’s old BATMAN series come to life with the politics of now. It’s a social commentary hidden in a fantastically funny scenario, which is why I go every year to FADE TO BLACK.  

Honestly, any of these ten plays could be expanded. They all pack so much inside of ten minutes. Local author Alric Davis has created a wonderful tribute to a woman in the Buffalo Soldiers that could easily make for a dramatically compelling full-length piece with BUFFALO WOMAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CATHAY WILLIAMS. I wasn’t disappointed by any entry featured here and was stunned at the amount of acting talent on display. FADE TO BLACK offers a unique chance to celebrate the intersection of Juneteenth with Pride in a way that feels like the best of both. Arts represents so much freedom, and these plays are all a joy to see. Events like this make me proud to be a small part of the Houston Theatre Community. Time with these folks is time well spent. 

FADE TO BLACK runs at the MATCH facility through June 30th. Tickets are $10 off if you buy them in advance rather than at the door, and seating is general admission. Each act runs fifty minutes long, with a 10-15 minute intermission between them. There is a great concession stand and several restaurants and bars within walking distance. 

Photo was taken by James Gamble, and is from a previous year of the festival. 

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