‘You don’t always have to be strong’: Show explores Black vulnerability, queerness

Ghailah Nyeanchi, Contributing Writer 

The Black Virginia Theatre Alliance for Youth will premiere the “BLKS” show by author Aziza Barnes, a play about three best friends on a crusade to find intimacy and love, from Friday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 3 at the Pine Camp Cultural Center.

The BVTA is a non-profit theater company committed to bringing change and equity in theater across global and local communities, according to its Instagram. 

“‘BLKS’ is about three queer Black women navigating New York in 2015,” said Tariq Kareem, artistic director and production manager for Black Virginia Theatre Alliance. “2015 is significant because it was one of the most significant heights of police brutality.” 

This was similar to the protests following George Floyd’s death in 2020, according to Kareem. 

“It’s a historic retelling of what these women had to go through to be queer, Black and in New York at that time,” Kareem said. 

“BLKS” also features a lot of intimacy between queer characters, as well as marijuana and alcohol use, according to Kareem. 

“It shows the vices that we as humans have,” Kareem said. “It also shows the humanness of the characters.” 

It was important for three Black queer women to be able to be human, according to Kareem. 

“A lot of the time, sadly, Black women don’t get to be seen as human,” Kareem said. 

The theme for BVTA’s current theatrical season is “Moving In Ebony,” according to Kareem.

“It’s a season that’s dedicated to Black women,” Kareem said. “Every show that’s a part of our season this year will be written by a Black woman and the main storyline will be following a Black woman.” 

Kareem founded the BVTA and became a professional stage manager when he was 17, he said. 

At that age, he became aware of inequities Black and queer performers were facing within the theater industry, he said. 

“Nothing was being done, nothing was being addressed and nothing was being talked about,” Kareem said. 

Kareem decided to co-found the company to address these disparities and create opportunities for Black and queer talent, he said. 

“I was super excited and a little nervous because I have never been in the position of directing a play,” Elijah Brown, director of the “BLKS” production said. 

When they read the play, they drew on moments they thought audience members would gravitate toward, according to Brown

“Set design was one of the first things that struck me,” Brown said.

One of the important choices I wanted to implement was making the couch the focal point of the play, Brown said.

“The couch represents vulnerabilities for a lot of the characters,” Brown said. “I also chose red because I wanted it to be bold and to symbolize power.” 

Brown did a lot of research on Aziza Barnes, the author of “BLKS,” when they were preparing to take on the role of director, they said.  

A lot of themes in the show underscore the traumatic experiences Black queer women faced in 2015 and also face today, according to Brown. 

“I want the audience to feel seen and heard and know that they’re not the only ones who go through these things,” Brown said. 

Marian Nicholson plays the main character Imani in the play, who is Haitian-American, she said. 

“I feel like her character is very important in the show because it shows that being Black doesn’t mean just being part of the African diaspora,” Nicholson said. 

The play also touches on the way Black women are seen in society, according to Nicholson. 

“I think it’s called the ‘Black superhero’ or ‘Black Superwoman’ trope,” Nicholson said. “It’s basically when Black women are portrayed as incapable of feeling.” 

Black women are expected to push their feelings down, Nicholson said. 

“I feel like Imani was kind of the portrayal of that within and throughout the play,” Nicholson said. “Then, she slowly starts to unravel and she slowly starts to negate that notion.”

As the play unfolds, Imani and the audience realize that strength can take different forms, Nicholson said.  

“You don’t always have to be strong,” Nicholson said. “You don’t have to be able to do everything by yourself — you can be vulnerable.”

Nicholson hopes the play speaks not only to Black attendees but audience members as a whole, she said. 

Nicholson also believes the BVTA is important because it shows how Black representation in theater can inspire future generations, she said. 

“You can take the fruit from the tree, but don’t forget to plant the next tree so that the generations after can also have fruit,” Nicholson said. 

Tickets for the “BLKS” show are $20 and can be purchased on the BVTA website.