The Marsh San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
The Marsh presents Don Reed in East 14th: Tales of a Reluctant Player. This hilarious and poignant solo show is the story of Reed's boyhood in 1970s Oakland, torn between his strict, church-going mother's upbringing and his admiration of his father, a pimp. East 14th was an Off-Broadway hit, nominated for two 2008 NAACP Theatre Awards.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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Laughter is the best medicine! Not only did I get my laugh on Don Reed's story and music fed my soul! I enjoyed the show so much
I came back 2 nights later and I brought my mother. She loved it
too!
Don Reed takes us on a wild, fun, and eventful journey into his past with his dynamic performance in East 14th.
By the time the play is done, you know each character by name, face, and body movements. I laughed until my stomach ached and there was still more laughter left!
Please go and see this play, but be advised it's not for the prudent folks. Expect adult language and sexual themes.
Great play! Don Reed is super talented!
Riveting, wry, really funny, and touching- a superb piece and a stellar performance. Don Reed's one-man show is everything you want at the theatre, interweaving crisp writing with arrestingly vibrant presentation. Run to this show!
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The Marsh books an eclectic mix of alternative and avant-garde theater, performance art, comedy, and the occasional musical act, with an emphasis on solo performances and seldom-staged plays. The room is homey and dimly lighted, and you can purchase freshly baked treats and excellent coffee at intermission.
The Marsh, a breeding ground for new performance, is pleased to present Don Reed’s East 14th: Tales of a Reluctant Player. In the spirit of John Leguizamo’s “Freak.” Sarah Jones “Bridge And Tunnel” and Whoopi Goldberg’s “Whoopi,” comes this hilarious solo show chronicling the true tale of a young man raised by his mother and ultra-strict step-father as a middle class, straight A, God-fearing church boy. The boy, however, wanted to be just like his dear old Dad. Too bad he didn’t know dear old Dad was a pimp. Very funny, definitely poignant – a ride down a street you won’t soon forget.
The play is set in Oakland, CA in the 1970's. Reed’s father was super talented, cool as hell and very funny. He would say the most outrageous stuff, whether it was sexually charged or just a good old fashioned diss. He played the congos and was offered to travel with well-known bands. But he had never learned to read and felt he might be required to interpret a hotel bill or something – thus risking his “cool.” So he let his dream pass. And for a while – got caught up in “The Life.”
He had three sons. Darrell was really focused on digging women. He LOVED women. ALL of them, and he became a beautician – a very good one - so he could be around them all the time. “You know somethin’ - every guy doin’ hair in that shop is gay” he used to say. Then he smiled like a wolf in a hen house and said, “But, I’m not.” Although a womanizer, he was deeply generous. Darrell would literally give anyone in need his very last dollar. His other brother, Tony, was a study in effeminate elegance and assassin level self-defense. Tony could whoop ANYBODY in the neighborhood and accordingly stomped the stereotype of “the weak gay man” to bits.
Reed himself was called Blinky because he had the habit of blinking his eyes. He remembers doing it on the bus ride all the way over to visit his father on Sundays. Sometimes his father wouldn’t be there – but he’d leave the door unlocked and Reed would get one of Darrell’s jackets out of the closet. Then he’d walk to the corner store, get a pint of Carnation Strawberry Ice Cream and coolly walk “The Stroll,” pretending to be older. And the street walkers would ask, “Why you blinkin’ like that?” then interject —“Wanna date baby?” And he’d say, after taking a spoonful of the delicious strawberry magic: “I could buy some if I wanted to – but I don’t want to.”
East 14th: Tales of a Reluctant Player ran the entire summer of 2008 Off Broadway in New York City. It was a double nominee - Best Actor and Best Playwright - for the 2008 NAACP Theatre Awards - as well as a nominee for 2008 Best Solo Performance for the Audelco "Viv" Awards.
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