New York Review: New 42nd Street Presents at New Victory Theater Step Afrika!’s “Drumfolk”
Natalie Rine, Associate New York Critic
Step Afrika! electrifies, stealing hearts and minds in a riveting 95-minute original performance piece Drumfolk, now playing at the New Victory through March 15. Quasi-historical excavation, quasi-contemporary celebration, Drumfolk is inspired by the Stono Rebellion, an uprising by enslaved African Americans you may have never heard of thanks to a calculated, white-washed façade of American history. Drumfolk aims to elucidate this overlooked part of American history, exploring the realities and expressionisms of the group that could be some of this country’s first activists.
The Stono Rebellion began on September 9, 1739, near the Stono River in Charleston in the colony of South Carolina. This rebellion, the largest in the British mainland colonies, ended with 25 whites killed and approximately 35 to 50 Africans killed, captured or executed. One effect of this uprising was the passing of the Negro Act of 1740, making it illegal for Africans to assemble, get an education, speak in their native language, earn money, learn to write in English—or use and play their drums.
This erasure of African culture as part of an attempt at erasing humanity backfires in the grand scheme of things, as Drumfolk weaves historical and contemporary influences to paint how this historically impactful code of law carries through to 21st Century American culture in unexpected ways. While the drum was physically taken away hundreds of years ago, art forms like beatboxing, hip hop and stepping demonstrate how the instrument retained a significant space in the lives of African Americans.
Founded in 1994, Step Afrika! is the world’s first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping—a polyrhythmic, percussive dance form that uses the body as an instrument. With stepping at the core, as practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, Drumfolk integrates song, storytelling, humor, and audience participation in each performance to stirring effect.
The show is divided into three movements “Drumfolk20” (Choreography by David Pleasant, Jakari Sherman, Jeeda Barrington and Mfoniso Akpan) introduces the twenty activists and environment, setting the tone as a pulsing insurgence impossible to look away from. The second movement “Stono” (Choreography by Roniqué Murray, Jakari Sherman, Jordan Spry, Mfoniso Akpan and Júlio T. Leitão) continues the confrontation between the enslaved community and their tyrannists, building stakes, sound, and steps to a thrilling act of defiance before the intermission. “Un/Afraid” (Choreography by Jakari Sherman with contributions from Jeeda Barrington, Conrad Kelly and Dustin Praylow) carries us through the consequences of the squashed rebellion, from the Negro Act of 1740 to present day. The ensemble of performers exemplify power, precision, and punctuality, hitting each beat and emotion with sheer perfection. Accompanied by the stunning costume design of Kenann M. Quander and lighting design of Marianne Meadows, Jakari Sherman’s direction tightens and expands the focus and playing space of the performers in accord with the narrative to vacillating heartbreaking and uplifting effect.
While Step Afrika!’s signature audience participation is introduced early in the show inviting us into the slaves’ call-and-response, one shortcoming perhaps too behemoth to capture in such a short piece is that then our complicity in the situation set before us isn’t addressed. While outside of the scope of this particular piece to address overtly, there exists a delicate line of presenting these difficult histories as entertainment and mitigating the literal involvement of the audience (while performed in the US) in the continued suppression and misrepresentation of the African diaspora’s impact on culture back then and today. While I enjoy audience participation, I craved taking it to a deeper level, as I was left feeling good about “helping” the performers by clapping along, which was in direct opposition to the intellectual understanding that my American whiteness was what was being challenged and needed to be held accountable as the external antagonist of the entire show. I look forward to seeing Step Afrika!’s next piece, as this is part of a potential trilogy that could elucidate these complicated expressions and interwoven American identities further.
Drumfolk is ultimately a riveting and entertaining evening, never heavy-handed in its careful examination and triumph over history, but majestic, self-assured, powerful with every breath and beat. Infused with infectious energy and gusto, the show will make you want to get up and join them in the aisles and on stage, declaring to the rooftops that this complex juxtaposition of activism, oppression, and art is in our blood as Americans, whether flowing through us or on our hands.
New 42nd Street Presents at New Victory Theater Step Afrika!’s “Drumfolk”
“Drumfolk” is directed by Jakari Sherman. The cast includes dancers Kofi Agyei, Jeeda Barrington, Dionne Eleby, Matthew Evans, Conrad Kelly, Misha Michel, Vincent Montgomery, Joe Murchison, Ronniquè Murray, Dustin Praylow, Anesia Sandifer, Brittny Smith, Jordan Spry, Nicolas Stewart, DJ Jeeda Barrington and beatboxer Jamaal Collier. C. Brian Williams is the founder and executive director of Step Afrika! and Mfoniso Akpan is the company’s artistic director. Simone Baskerville is the production manager and touring stage manager, Kenann M. Quander is the costume designer and Mary Rathell is the wardrobe assistant. Lighting design by Marianne Meadows; lighting supervisor Yannick Godts. Steven M. Allen is the composer, Kevin Alexander is the sound designer and Jeremiah L. Davison is the sound engineer. Mask design by Erik Teague.
“Drumfolk” runs at New Victory from February 28 - March 15, 2020, as part of the production’s 10-city tour across the U.S. The running time is approximately 95 minutes, with one intermission. For tickets and more information, please visit NewVictory.org.
Photo Credit: Jim Saah