Ten years ago, audiences began to be thrilled by the hilarious and culturally revealing play “Platanos Y Collard Greens,” written by David Lamb. In the original production, Lamb looks at whether Black and Latina love can survive and examines many of the cultural stereotypes that exist in society.
Well, now Lamb has decided to add to the production and put in a Caribbean side. This revamped production, titled “Platanos, Collard Greens Y Callaloo,” will begin playing at the Baruch Performing Arts Center this month. Lamb recently took the time to sit down and talk with the AmNews about this new creation.
Amsterdam News: How long have people asked you to add a Caribbean aspect to the production?
David Lamb: For several years. The play is based on the novel I wrote, “Do Platanos Go Wit’ Collard Greens?,” and it was always subtly part of the discussion. But what brought it to the fore in wanting to add it into the play was whenever we had union groups come to the play, there would be comments about how separate and distinct the African-American members and the Caribbean members were and how difficult it was to bring them together.
AmNews: Why did people ask you to add a Caribbean side?
DL: It was something that I always wanted to do. I mean, much of the play takes place on a college campus in New York, and many, if not most of the Black students on campuses in New York are Caribbean. There is a certain type of marginalization that can happen to African-American students and organizations on those campuses, and this gives us a chance to talk about that. In addition, in the city itself, about 35-40 percent of the Black population has roots in the Caribbean, so it’s a part of the New York story.
AmNews: What research did you do to find out the Caribbean stereotypes DL: that exist out there and that come into play when it comes to relationships?
Well, funny enough, two of my cousins are married to guys from the Caribbean, and they have had their own funny cultural misunderstandings. Anyone who has seen or heard of “Platanos” knows that we use humor to talk about serious issues. So all the while the play is talking about history and politics and romance, you’re laughing out loud because we make fun of stereotypes and misunderstandings in ways that makes you laugh out loud again and again.
AmNews: How is the Caribbean side introduced in the remodeled production?
DL: In this expanded version, we find out that the father of Freeman, the main character, has had his own hilarious and poignant romantic complications. We see what happened the first time Pops dated Freeman’s Jamaican mother, and it’s really hilarious and insightful about relations between the groups. Plus, OK, who everyone loves when they see the play has expanded his musical ambitions to not only be a hip-hop star but to conquer Caribbean music, and even though he’s very talented, he has no idea about the music.
In fact, he couldn’t tell you the difference between Calypso and callaloo, or Soca and sorrel, and he keeps getting everything wrong in a way that will have tears rolling down your cheeks from laughing so hard. In addition, there’s a new Caribbean character who ups the stakes both comedically and romantically as a potential rival to Freeman.
AmNews: What do you want the audience to come away with?
DL: Well, I remember when legendary radio host Imhotep Gary Byrd from WBLS/WLIB and WBAI came and saw “Platanos.” He said, “It was a healing,” and that he “could feel the healing in the audience.” That’s what we want. These are issues in our community that no one wants to talk about, but we’ve learned that theater, especially with the right mix of laughs and romance, can be a way to discuss serious issues in a healing way.
AmNews: “Platanos Y Collard Greens” is a production that opened the audiences’ eyes to the ridiculous stereotypes and beliefs of Blacks and Latinos about each other. In the new production, who are Caribbeans having issues with?
DL: The play deals with a lot of stereotypes between African-Americans and people from the Caribbean, most of which are ridiculous on their face, but the play gives us a chance to really show how ridiculous they are! But also, many people from the English-speaking Caribbean went to work on the Panama Canal decades ago and became part of the Panamanian population, so you have this population in the city with roots in both the West Indies and in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. And this has a great effect on music today that we think of as solely Latino, and we get into that in a very funny way.
AmNews: Why should audiences support this show?
DL: Because they will laugh out loud, they will be inspired and they will want to run out and tell their friends they have to see it.
AmNews: Is there still explosive poetry included, and is its use now expanded in the new production?
DL: Absolutely.
AmNews: Are the dates of Sept. 28, Oct. 12 and Oct. 26 at the Baruch Performing Arts Centers the only ones planned thus far?
DL: In addition to the September and October dates, we also have Saturday, Nov. 16, and we will have more shows in November and thereafter.
Visit www.platanosandcollardgreens.com or call TheaterMania at 212-352-3101 for tickets.