The Voice of a Panther
A Play By
by
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Scene One
Once the cast gets warmed up, individual cast members can seek out people in the audience to name a villain for use in the song. By the way, the word hat in the second line of the original verse I mean “leave, split, go, and so forth - in ghetto jargon. The intro. scene should take about five minutes.
Following intro song. A street corner sign (pole with rectangular labels at top or rectangular labels placed one above the other with opposing directional arrows) indicates the setting, which is the corner of Striver''s Row and Malcolm X Boulevard, an area of illegal activities - like prostitution and drug-dealing, in Anyghetto, USA. During the sixties and seventies, such an area was commonly called "the hoe stroll" or "strollee".
In Anyghetto, most people can''t find work and are unable to finance traditional businesses, so they "hustle" in order to survive. Anyhow, it''s a hot summer day in July, 1970 the strollee is bustling with vendors, prostitutes and other hustlers, including a person selling watermelons slices and another selling barbequed ribs. Three women in their late teens, in “hot pants”, halter tops and knee-high boots (the fashion craze at the time), appear and take front and center stage. The most vociferous member of the group is Kitten, a popular prostitute. Kitten''s sidekick, also a prostitute, is Brown Sugar. The final member of the trio is,
Kitten: seriously, "Girl, it''s hot as hell out here, I can''t wait to get back to my air conditionin''...I got it right in my bedroom, right over my bed."
Brown Sugar: chuckling, "You mean right over Sweets...Oh, excuse me, Mr.Sweets."
Kitten: not too harsh but firmly to Brown Sugar, "Oh stop startin'' trouble, hoe."
Brown Sugar: quickly replies, "It takes one to know one, don’t it?."
Both Kitten and Brown Sugar glare at
Kitten: now looking astonished as well as angry, "Wait a minute, I think um gonna have ta read you bitch, right here and now...I don''t know who makes you think you so fly or somethin'', but um a hustler and I gets mine…Besides, um his bottom bitch, I ain’t no poo-pot."
Kitten: assertively, “A poo-pot comes and goes…She’s just a hoe the pimp turns out then, later on, either he turns her away or she runs out on him…A bottom bitch is the one that he builds his stable and life with.”
Brown Sugar: irritated, "Look, I don''t need all this...Um goin'' ta make me some money."
Kitten: endorses, "Um hip."
Kitten immediately begins soliciting both passers-by and motorists. As always, her sidekick, Brown Sugar follows suit.
Kitten: confidently soliciting,
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About the Book
This play emanates from the centuries-old group struggle of AfricanAmerican people to gain equality, dignity, and justice here inNorth America. The story line revolves around a very small, teenager named Masai (pronounced Muh-si'') who is a member of the Black Panther Party. While finding his way through the obstacles of life, Masai maintains a vision for the future of his people (cultural group).
Several aspects of this play stand out and distinguish this work from previous fare regarding the Panthers. They are: 1) The violent side of Panther life is not pertinent to the story. 2) The actual culture of the organization, which was new to the AfricanAmerican experience, but which grew out of said experience, is presented through songs as well as acting. 3) Each actor is empowered and no actor has to debase himself or herself, in order to "do a part" (acting). 4) The relationships between Panthers, their families, friends, and community are experienced. 5) In certain instances, unwittingly, the audience itself becomes a part of the cast.
Finally, while there are a number of issues in this work, perhaps, the most significant point is that “culture conceals more than it reveals”. In other words, we often forget how much our culture reflects our behavior. Consequently, perhaps, the most interesting feature of such an assertion lies with the fact that what culture does hide, it does so most effectively from its own participants. This is what Panther founder and chief theoretician, the late Huey P. Newton, would have termed "heady" stuff.
About the Author
The son of a