Tell me about The Tofu Chitlin Circuit (TCC). How and what was its impetus? The Tofu Chitlin Circuit was started out of frustration from the lack of variety in the black theater in Chicago. We either see “kitchen sink dramas” or musicals. I didn’t see Avant Garde’ or devised work written and directed by African American artists. There weren’t any classic works like Shakespeare or the Greeks with all black casts and most of the plays were written before 2000. We are looking for those types of plays as the foundation for The Tofu Chitlin’ Circuit. The Tofu Chitlin’ Circuit is a conservatory. Our mission is simple; to create fresh and vigorous dialogue with our audience about theater, empower the audience … to create their own stories on stage, share information from established and emerging practitioners, and create devised performances. The name, Chitlin’ Circuit takes on a negative connotation within black theater, it’s considered low-brow and normally describes one-night-only productions. The TCC wanted to challenge how black theater was perceived.
You were on a panel at the Goodman Theater called ‘Fierce Conversations: Audiences, Critics and Controversial Art.’
What was the outcome of that panel?
The panel came as a way to ease the controversy at the Goodman Theatre concerning the play Mary. In my opinion, theater companies are responsible for creating dialogue with their audience in order for them to continue with the companies’ artistic journey. On the panel, I shared that a theater company has to know their audience. The small business owner knows about their customers. No matter how large a company gets, I believe they should take the time to get to know their patrons. One can’t just spring something on their patrons and expect them to accept it without preparing them for it.
You are going to be in a one woman show in October at the MPAACT Theatre Company. Tell me about that.
My one woman play is called Judgment! By definition, Diaspora is the “dispersion of Jews outside of Israel from the sixth century B.C., when they were exiled to Babylonia until the present time. As a former practicing Hebrew Israelite, I was faced with my own Diaspora as a teen. Judgment! is a part comedic, part dramatic tale of my banishment from a religious sect in a small Midwest town. I endured ridicule and judgment. It’s my story of finding forgiveness and, most importantly — me. –tony binns
For a performance of Judgement on Saturday, Oct. 1 or more information visit www.tofuchitlins.org
