美国国家公共电台 NPR--音乐剧《黑人不再》中的机器将黑人变成白人

A machine turns Black people white in the musical 'Black No More'

Transcript¹

A new musical inspired by a satirical Afro-futurist novel called Black No More, opens off-Broadway Tuesday, presented by the New Group. Set during the Depression, both the book and the musical examine race in America with an outrageous² plot device – an inventor comes up with a machine that turns Black people white.

In a dapper suit, Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought of the Roots, appears center stage to set the scene. Sitting in a barbershop chair, he raps: "This is Harlem/The Big Apple's Core/Seventy or more years before there were any Apple stores."

Trotter wrote the lyrics⁴ and much of the music, which ranges from hip⁵ hop³ to R&B to jazz to folk. And he plays Dr. Junius Crookman, inventor of the Black No More machine, which will turn any Black person white — for $50. Trotter says, the doctor believes "this Black No More device is the solution to race relations in America. I think the line is 'to solve the American race problem as we know it.' But yeah, you know, I don't think a solution is ever reached."

And that is the Twilight⁶ Zone-like premise⁷ of Black No More, which features a script by Academy Award-winner John Ridley. The 1931 novel, by George Schuyler, has a take-no-prisoners attitude toward not just white supremacists and politicians, but thinly veiled figures from the Harlem Renaissance⁸, which choreographer⁹ Bill T. Jones finds offensive. "When I read the novel, I must admit I was kind of pissed off about it," Jones says. "Yeah, I like bad boys, too. I don't like smart asses¹⁰, of course, and particularly when they're Black ones making fun of Black people."

So, the challenge for the creative team, especially the writers, was to move the story from broad satire¹¹ to something with a beating heart, says director Scott Elliott: "I think that what they've come up with is a really fascinating morality tale."

The central character, Max, is a man about town in Harlem, but he's been beaten down by racism¹² in his job and romance. So, he chooses to go through the Black No More process and ends up in Atlanta, where he becomes a powerful figure in a white supremacist organization, called the Knights¹³ of Nordica.

"It is purely¹⁴ about perception in both its literal and figurative sense," says Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Max. "People see him as white. He sees himself as white, but he's still the same guy making the same mistakes. Like, nothing has changed."

To bring the point home, there is no physical transformation¹⁵ from Black to white onstage. Scott Elliott says he considered devices like white clothing or even white makeup¹⁶ but decided¹⁷ that would get in the way of the story.

"I thought it would be ridiculous ... because first of all, you can't really do it," explains the director. "It would always be a facade¹⁸. Right? And how do you have a facade on your main character whose heart you want to locate, whose guts¹⁹ you want to locate?"

In a powerful second act moment, Max and Crookman – who's become white and goes by the name Blaquemun – meet and sing a song called "It Takes One to Know One." As the number progresses, the entire ensemble²⁰ – male and female, black and white – enter the stage, wearing the exact same blue costumes. "Now, they're all sort of mirroring each other and wondering, 'who are you?' " says choreographer Bill T. Jones. "So, I think that is a brilliant moment of the satire, but also something that musical theater can do with great verve. I'm very proud of that moment."

Tamika Lawrence plays Max's friend Buni, who travels from Harlem to Atlanta to convince him to reveal his true identity. She says the show is emotionally engaging, with a love story and tragedy, but it also touches on broader themes: "I think it makes us ask a lot of questions about ourselves and the roles that we play in this American capitalistic, sometimes hedonistic and hegemonic society."

And while the show has ambitions for Broadway, Tariq Trotter hasn't watered down his own sense of sociopolitical commentary, which he brings to the Roots and his solo work, in the songs for the show. He says, "I've been able to stand on the same principles that I always have as an artist."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

3 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

4 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

5 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

6 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

7 premise   

n.前提；v.提论，预述

参考例句：

• Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
• We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。

8 renaissance   

n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴

参考例句：

• The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
• The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。

9 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

10 asses   

n. 驴，愚蠢的人，臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人

参考例句：

• Sometimes I got to kick asses to make this place run right. 有时我为了把这个地方搞得像个样子，也不得不踢踢别人的屁股。 来自教父部分
• Those were wild asses maybe, or zebras flying around in herds. 那些也许是野驴或斑马在成群地奔跑。

11 satire   

n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品

参考例句：

• The movie is a clever satire on the advertising industry.那部影片是关于广告业的一部巧妙的讽刺作品。
• Satire is often a form of protest against injustice.讽刺往往是一种对不公正的抗议形式。

12 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

13 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

14 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

15 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

16 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

17 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

18 facade   

n.(建筑物的)正面，临街正面；外表

参考例句：

• The entrance facade consists of a large full height glass door.入口正面有一大型全高度玻璃门。
• If you look carefully,you can see through Bob's facade.如果你仔细观察，你就能看穿鲍勃的外表。

19 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。