Lisa B. Thompson’s Choreopoem Honors Black Women’s Stories

by Lynne Stevens

Balancing between the reality and the joy of Black women’s lives, Lisa B. Thompson’s choreopoem “The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body” reminds us of the struggles Black women face every day. An omniscient voice recites the grim statistics on Black women’s healthcare.

Projections of well-known Black feminist heroes pay tribute to so many genius women: Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Lorraine Hansberry, Barbara Christian, so many who passed too early.

Dr. Beatrice “Bea” Free (serene Jacinta Kaumbulu), narrates her own story—as a Professor of African American studies in Texas. Dr. Bea reminds us that Black women get cheated in life. They work like “The Mule of the World,” but what happens to them? Dr. Bea asserts:

I’ve been running ever since I hit the tenure track. It seemed that all the Black women professors I idolized began dying before I started my first job. Is this what it means to be a feminist Blackademic? Revolutionize the university then drop dead at 56?

Dr. Bea Free quickly conjures up two versions of her inner woman—her Body and her Soul. As Cee-Cee, athletic dancer Paige Mayes beautifully expresses the Body in motion. Choreographer Kendra Barnes has created lovely, unique dances that Mayes delivers with artistry and Olympic grace.

As Dee, sassy and sensual Phaedra Tillery-Boughton plays Bea’s Soul. She wears fiery red silk and tells it like it is! She warms our hearts, as she enthusiastically prods the other two into Action! The three women clean up Bea’s office in a powerful African Broom Dance, as they hike up their hips and stomp their feet.

Gutsy Dee declares, “I need folks to realize that being gifted and Black, no longer requires you to be young too.” Bea concurs: “Capitalism is stealing our generational wealth.”

Bea has summoned her Body and Soul to talk about being “no longer young.”  She’s realizing it takes a lifetime to become an expert about your own body and then your life is over.

All of us can relate to sagging skin, aches, and failing eye sight. But Black women suffer a particular humiliation. They often cannot get the medical or personal attention that they lavish on other folks. The body knows.

Professor Bea has prepared a guide to those who came before. She tells the history of Black women who paved the way—desegregating the swimming pool and the office pool! A Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body. Original music by Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr with lyrics by Lisa B. Thompson adds yet another layer of intense emotion.

Every culture has its hair styles, and these women celebrate the history of African American hair. Natural, ‘fro, weave, nappy. Chemicals, clippers, braids, or dreadlocks—until they can accept their beauty and let it explode. Free as Juneteenth!

The women tell lyrical tales of generations of Black women holding communities together. Grandmothers helped raise the children, kept the churches going, and put a meal on the table every night.

With a last projection, the Terrific Trio celebrates the triumphs of Living Black Women over 50 who continue to reshape the world. They conclude with Betty Reid Soskin, National Park Ranger and East Bay treasure, at 103!

“The Black Feminist Guide” is a magnificent collage that honors African American foremothers and moves us into the present—a beautiful and moving exploration of life.

“The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body” by Lisa B. Thompson, directed by Margo Hall, choreography by Kendra Barnes, scenic design by Brittany Mellerson, lighting by Michael Combs, sound by Alex Fakayode, costumes by Jasmine Milan Williams, projections by Tajianna Okechukwu, and music by Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr.

Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, at Magic Theatre, Fort Mason, San Francisco. Info: lhtsf.org – to October 6, 2024.

Cast: Jacinta Kaumbulu, Paige Mayes, and Phaedra Tillery–Boughton.

Banner photo: Phaedra Tillery-Boughton, Jacinta Kaumbulu, & Paige Mayes. Photos by Alejandro Ramos