Nope! This is not what you think!
“Defacing Michael Jackson” is a play produced by Flying Elephant Productions which will take place in Chicago from July 27 to August 12, 2018 at Stage 773.
So why talking about this play with a weird title? Well, the story line is pretty interesting, the play is funny and reflect on today’s American Society!
Set among the swamps of rural Florida, a group of African-American teenagers create a Michael Jackson Fan Club in 1984. Clearly reflect on Michael Jackson’s high career from the Thriller era but when a white boy moves to the neighborhood and tries to join the fan club (as we all know, Michael Jackson and his music have no racial barriers), the rules of the community are challenged and changed!
The Play is a satire about the do’s and don’ts of blackness, hero worship (Michael Jackson is all of us hero) and American identity.
Though set circa 1984, this story is universal and will still strike a chord in the present day. It explores interracial conflicts, as well as intra-racial ones through the lens of five adolescents varying in race, gender and mental stability.
Highly recommend to see this play if you are in Chicago during that period!
for more information and tickets, CLICK HERE
First pictures of the play:
The name is provocative, of course, but if it is really about not judging / discriminating on the grounds of race/colour, etc, then it could be very interesting. I look forward to reading some fan feedback from anyone who goes to see the play. I’m sure there is some irony intended in choosing Michael as the icon the boys admire… but then, being the mid-80s, who else you gonna use who had that kind of cross-cultural impact? While this is certainly not my favourite MJ era, it is understandable why the peek of ‘Thrillermania’ would be chosen for the play’s setting. It was a time when Michael was helping to break down and transcend all sorts of barriers society had artificially constructed to keep us apart and set some apart as ‘different’/’other’ than ourselves. I am therefore very interested to hear how Michael’s legacy is used to, hopefully, remind us to be more tolerant of others.