Blu Lagoon Productions – Lisa B. Thompson’s Single Black Female

Reviewed by Paula Citron.

Roger Dundas brings commercial black entertainment to the city. His latest venture is the Canadian premiere of Lisa B. Thompson’s off-Broadway hit Single Black Female. There’s good news and there’s bad news.

Thompson’s focus is the liberal, well-educated, successfully employed black woman – sort of Sex in the City for Afro-Americans – except she’s invisible. The problem, it seems, is that SBFs can’t find a man to marry.

The play is basically a dialogue for the two characters called SBF1 and SBF2 played by Candice McKoy and Janel C. Scarborough, respectively. The two actresses perform all the parts as needed, including the Afro-American men that they have to contend with. The script is clever and the dialogue sprightly.

However, the venue is wrong, the sound is poor, and the direction unimaginative. While McKoy’s portrait of a sophisticated woman rings true, Scarborough is a cliché caricature.

Single Black Female continues at the George Weston Recital Hall until Mar. 21.

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Single Black Female 6
Blu Lagoon Productions
Written by Lisa B. Thompson
Directed by Martin Damien Wilkins
Starring Candice McKoy and Janel C. Scarborough
George Weston Recital Hall, Mar. 13 to 21, 2010
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