To Turn a Blind Eye with J. Nicole Brooks and Kevin Douglas
Two old friends and collaborators, J. Nicole Brooks and Kevin Douglas, reconnect over their love/hate relationship with old movies and their experiences living and working in Chicago, where a history of racism hides beneath Midwestern smiles.
This Month:
J. Nicole opens up about how water trauma and her desire to heal inspired the piece she read, “Be Water.”
Kevin describes how he wrote his play, Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure, for the child version of himself and his love of old movies that lacked representation of people who looked like him.
J. Nicole laments how old movies are sometimes racist and homophobic which makes it difficult to enjoy the art that you once loved and revered as a child.
Both writers discuss the complexities of racism and segregation in Chicago today and throughout history.
J. Nicole discusses how a segregated swimming pool started the 1919 race riot in Chicago.
Kevin talks about how his Chicago high school’s flag was the Confederate flag and the discussion about changing it.
Kevin explains how racism in Texas is blatant but racism in Chicago happens behind your back.
Kevin chats about how he had to learn about black history and racial inequity in the United States and teach it to his family because they were from Jamaica, where they were the cultural majority.
J. Nicole talks about finding segregation while living in Brooklyn, Chicago, and LA.
Both writers talk about their upcoming projects.
“And then on weekends they would play old movies when I
lived in Texas and I was thinking about how I love all these movies, but there
was no one that looked like me unless they were like slaves, servants or Sidney
Poitier.
”
Pieces Read
Excerpt from Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure by Kevin Douglas, a play about two aspiring Vaudeville performers who pretend to be white people who wear blackface, even though one of the performers is actually black.
“Be Water” by J. Nicole Brooks, a first-person piece about Brooks’ experiences with water trauma, largely inspired by her white swimming instructor who refused to get in the water with black children.
J. Nicole Brooks
Writer, Director, Educator
J. Nicole Brooks (she/they) is a writer, director, and educator based in Chicago. Brooks’ writing practice includes playwriting, screenwriting, essays, and poetry. As a theatre artist Brooks is an ensemble member and Mellon Foundation Playwright in Residence at the Tony Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company. Other artistic affiliations include artistic membership at Collaboration and Sideshow Theatre Company.
Brooks is also an award winning actor appearing in theatrical productions at Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass, Court Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and Theatre at Boston Court. Recent television credits include guest recurring roles on the cult fav South Side (HBO Max), Chicago Fire (NBC) and the critically acclaimed chapter four of Fargo (FX) starring opposite Chris Rock. Brooks also appeared in the box office hit CANDYMAN (Say My Name) directed by Nia DaCosta produced by Jordan Peele. Instagram: @doctaslick
Kevin Douglas
Writer & Actor
Kevin Douglas (writer) received a B.F.A in acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Kevin is a member of Lookingglass Theatre where his play Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure had its World Premiere and garnered Kevin a BTA Award for best writing of a play. Kevin’s play Plantation! Directed by David Schwimmer had its World Premiere at Lookingglass. Kevin has commissions at Lookingglass as well as Oregon Shakespeare Festival. His short Plays “Cautiously Optimistic” and “Chickens Be Roostin” were in both Lower Depth Theatre’s Pandemic Play Festival and BIPOC Voting Plays Festival, respectively.