San Francisco Fringe 2022
Angry Black Woman 101
Kathryn Seabron
Genre: Solo Performance
Venue: EXIT Theatre, San Francisco
Festival: San Francisco Fringe
Low Down
Angry Black Woman 101 takes a introductory dive into the microaggressions, tropes and stereotypes Black women grapple with daily. Using slides, videos, music and history this storyteller deftly illustrates misogynoir and it’s effects. This show is couched in a truthful and hurtful work situation during her tenure at TechSoup, a nonprofit.
Review
Kathryn Seabron tells a story based on a recent work situation that is bigger and more important than the sum of its parts, it is about her experiences with Misogynoir, experiences Black women grapple with daily.
The origins of the term Misogynoir come from Moya Bailey who stated that “It is a term used to explain how sexism and racism intersect and impact the lives of Black women, due to harmful depictions in the media” according to an article in Black Voice which has more information on this subject.
Seabron’s performance style is conversational, matter of fact and personable. She is charismatic and the show is well crafted – told through images, video clips, data, statistics, pop culture, quotations by James Baldwin, information from magazines and examples from her own life.
The topic is deeply important and Seabron intersperses the work situation story with other examples of Black women experiences – and then it’s back to HR and the work situation. There is drama, wit, humor, and irony in her storytelling style, which is compelling and vital.
Seabron shares a vivid story about her mother straightening her hair and hair products from her childhhod, and an interesting prop used to emphasize a gender stereotype situation. Seabron’s writing is witty, and she is poignant and hard hitting in her dramatic performance where she interacts with the audience. She shows a full life of emotions from vulnerable, sensitive to rage. She reasons out loud and ask why it’s OK for harrowing things to keep happening – and are we outraged?
This story and the events described by Seabron are moving and relevant and the show is meaningful, entertaining and enlightening. It is the type of theatre that we can all learn from, then take away the examples in order to do better.
At the show I attended a teacher from Idaho brought a group of her thirteen and fourteen year old students and requested a Q&A after the show. The young students had the opportunity to ask Seabron questions. Seabron’s answers were direct and provided solutions to arm these students – and the rest of the audience – with ways and strategies to do better in the future. Although this was an addition to the show, it feels like this should always be part of the performance.
Everyone should see this show.
Note: The show is recommended for age 18+
