Afeni

A Friendly Co Pro’—Le Studio at Théâtre Cercle Molière

Despite the warning at the top of the show that audience members might be more familiar with the titular Afeni Shakurs son Tupac than the focus of the play, the Black Panthers prominence and cultural legacy run as deep, if not deeper. Exploring the state subterfuge, violent arrest and subsequent grinding trial of 21 black Panthers from the perspective of Afeni’s self representation over multiple grueling years, we get to experience the it all from the legacy of Malcolm X to the conspiratorial realities of Cointel Pro.

Adam Bailey is a master at exploring the intricacies of historical figures and their lives, and Onika Henry performs the script with supreme confidence and skill. The drama itself was real historical fact, but putting it all together into a show was all them.

Josh Fidelak