How to Raise a Freeman

Reviewed by Katie Buenneke
Ammunition Theatre at The New Collective LA
Through March 26

It should be a truth universally acknowledged that it is difficult to be a black man in today’s society, and always has been. Zakiyyah Alexander’s new play, How to Raise a Freeman, takes a look at what that means for a parent, deftly switching between moments of comedy and drama.

The show follows the Freeman family: mother Denise (Karla Mosley), father Keith (Terry Woodberry), and 15-year-old son Marcus (Aric Floyd). Denise is a high-powered realtor and the family’s benevolent breadwinner, while Keith works a lower-paid job and worries about all the black boys on the news who have died needlessly. Marcus doesn’t try to get too caught up in his father’s anger — he’d rather play complex, fantastical video games online. Each relationship is fraught, but loving, and the Freemans are a sympathetic family unit.

Aric Floyd’s performance is, like his character, charming and quietly powerful, but the real star is Alexander’s writing. Though the play takes a strange turn in the second act that doesn’t quite land, the play overall is impactful without feeling preachy. Alexander creates an effective environment for the audience to empathize with this family, cracking jokes one moment and evoking fear the next. It’s a tricky balance, but the playwright knows what she’s doing.

Unfortunately, Alexander’s writing is undermined by weak performances; as the parents, neither Mosley nor Woodberry resonates in their role. Mosley’s interpretation of Joan lacks depth and subtext, while Woodberry too often appears as if he’s searching for his lines or using volume to communicate feeling. The staging, under Fred Thomas Jr’s direction, could use some finessing too, with long pauses between scenes.

It’s impossible to leave How to Raise a Freeman without outrage at the injustice towards the black community. As Joan and Keith teach Marcus the ways in which the world is looking to punish black men, the audience absorbs those lessons too. But the play’s most compelling moment is its finale, as Marcus recounts his own experience, a haunting image that likely won’t leave the audience’s mind any time soon.

New Collective LA, 6440 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, Fri-Sun. 7:30 p.m.; through March 26; www.ammotheatre.com. Running time: two hours and 20 minutes including a 20-minute intermission.