THEATER
‘AIN’T I A WOMAN?’
lows in the footsteps of her father, Denver theater legend Jeffrey Nickelson, who helped build the Shadow Theatre Regional premiere of ‘Cadillac Crew’ turns up the Company to bring African volume on a muted history of Black resilience American stories to the stage before his untimely death in 2009. BY TONI TRESCA Vintage Theatre took over the building Shadow operated we just accept the information that’s out of in Aurora after his hen it comes to the proud given to us, whether it’s through the death, but kept his name on and painful song of educational system or word of the mainstage theater: the American history, many mouth, about our own history.” Jeffrey Nickelson Auditorium. voices are often missing from the choir. Following four women working in Staton’s daughter, Lyons, is Among these muted narratives are the the Virginia Office for Civil Rights — also in the cast, forming a stories of Black women whose contriplayed by Loren, Shadiya Lyons, familial connection that underbutions to social movements have Kenya Mahogany Fashaw and scores the play’s theme of many times been written out of the offiKatelyn Kendrick — Cadillac Crew legacies and the importance cial record. Kenya Mahogany Fashaw as Rachel in ‘Cadillac Crew,’ on thrusts us into a world where the fight stage through Nov. 26 at Vintage Theatre in Aurora. Photo of preserving Black history. Tori Sampson’s Cadillac Crew, playfor racial and gender equality collide. Despite its historical setting, ing at Aurora’s Vintage Theatre through by RDGPhotography. Cadillac Crew stays relevant Nov. 26, is a defiant refusal to let by addressing issues of erasure, identhese women be forgotten. This tity and social justice we’re still grapregional premiere directed by pling with today. To that end, the play ShaShauna Staton deftly highlights forces the audience to confront the often-overlooked role of women uncomfortable truths and become in the struggle for racial equality active participants in the ongoing fight during the Civil Rights Movement. for equality. “Cadillac Crew is framed around “I really hope that white people who a speech that Rosa Parks never got consider themselves allies come to to give about rape, which is also a see it,” says Kendrick, one of the procivil rights issue,” Staton says. “It duction’s only non-Black performers. “I was about consent, which the male think it’s a great history lesson and leaders did not want any woman to touches on things that are culturally discuss … I had never heard of important but that we don’t talk about, Cadillac crews before working on like mixed families and those racial this play, but they were real groups dynamics. I want the audience to be of women who drove across the the same as it is on stage, with people country organizing Black and white from various backgrounds coming to women for civil rights.” hear the story and each taking someThese extremely risky operations thing different away from it.” were organized by Dr. Dorothy In a world that often consigns the Height, an activist who devoted her Kenya Fashaw, Zeah Loren, Shadiya Lyons and Katelyn Kendrick in ‘Cadillac Crew.’ Photo by narratives of Black women to the life to the advancement of Black RDGPhotography. shadows, Cadillac Crew stands as a women. While these heroics may “After receiving awful news, you’re The play begins optimistically, with beacon of remembrance. Through have been excised from history textseeing a bit of fear, hesitation and fight Sampson’s eloquent prose and the activists eagerly anticipating Parks’ books, the play brings them urgently to or flight. You get to see what motivates stellar performances of its cast, the arrival to deliver a keynote speech life in part by fusing a contemporary about the importance of including wom- these women to work for an office play is a testament to the enduring connection with the Black Lives Matter dedicated to eradicating class and en’s issues in the movement. However, power of storytelling, working to (BLM) movement. color segregation,” Loren says. “The as the day progresses, things begin to ensure that these once-forgotten “I’ve really enjoyed this story climax of Act 1 is all about how far you turn. On top of receiving irate phone echoes resound loud and clear. because I love being forced to learn,” are willing to go to make the world a calls and bullets taped to their doors, says actor Zeah Loren, who plays better place for future generations.” 1960s activist Dee and BLM co-founder the women discover male leadership is blocking Parks’ speech because they Patrisse Cullors. “I learned that the ON STAGE: Cadillac Crew. believe it will be “a distraction,” which BLM movement was founded by three Various times through Nov. 26, FAMILY TIES comes alongside devastating news that One of the unique aspects of this prowomen, two of whom identify as queer, Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton four women in a Cadillac crew were which I was completely unaware of. St., Aurora. $20-34 duction is the multi-generational influkilled in Florida. The show forces you to question why ence shaping its direction. Staton fol-
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NOVEMBER 2, 2023
BOULDER WEEKLY
