Not a Genuine Black Man Faces New York Critics

Popular California DJ Brian Copeland's one-man show Not a Genuine Black Man was a huge hit in San Francisco. It has now traveled eastward for a limited engagement at DR2, where the piece opened on May 17. Did critics think it was the real deal?

Here is a sampling of what they had to say:

Ron Lasko in his Broadway.com Review: "The show moves back and forth between tales of childhood trauma and stories of Copeland's struggle raising his own kids. Particularly moving is a scene in which he is forced to pull a knife on his own father… In the middle of the show, Copeland acknowledges that we've all heard stories like his a million times. What he brings to the telling of his tales, however, is a refreshingly mild-mannered approach filled with charm and humor. This isn't a rant against racism; it's more a universal comedy about overcoming obstacles."

Jason Zinoman of The New York Times: "In a squeaky, high-pitched voice, Mr. Copeland, who also confesses to liking the Beach Boys and a dry martini once in a while, tells mostly stale jokes, but he knows how to spin a dramatic yarn, especially the terrifying stories of his family being harassed. Mr. Copeland deftly plays his no-nonsense grandmother and his effete, dignified mother, who says she was born in Providence, R.I., even though she's actually from Alabama. But a funny thing happens when Mr. Copeland switches to his own voice. He sounds overwrought, false and, when the script calls for anger, oddly unconvincing. His personal tales are riveting, but the manner in which they are told makes it seem that Mr. Copeland might have been better off casting someone else to play himself."

Howard Kissel of The New York Daily News: "What is remarkable about his show is how funny he can make his life seem… The many conflicts in his psyche may account for the disjointed quality the show sometimes has - at times he stresses irony; at others he has an air of grievance, as if this were the standard monologue of several decades ago, geared to nurturing white guilt. Overall, however, the show, directed by Bob Balaban, conveys the sense of a man overcoming insuperable odds and emerging whole, sane and triumphant."

Steven Suskin of Variety: "Copeland, who admits he likes the Beach Boys and doesn't 'talk ghetto,' is charming and sometimes poignant. In the end, though, Not a Genuine Black Man in not a genuine play… In the last half hour, Copeland switches among his tales-in-progress as if someone were playing with the remote, hoping to finish up every thread simultaneously. Despite several gripping segments, Genuine Black Man doesn't quite satisfy."

Michael Kuchwara of The Associated Press: "Not a Genuine Black Man has more on its mind that the persistent racism that dogged Copeland's childhood. It's a story of family. Affectionate portraits of his mother and grandmother. A not-so-happy picture of his rarely seen father, a brute of a man who abused his wife and terrorized his children. That Copeland, now a radio talk-show host in San Francisco, seems to have turned out so well-adjusted is a marvel. He is a genial, accomplished raconteur, able to switch back and forth between the characters in his show… The man refuses to be categorized. And it is that refusal to be stereotyped that makes Not a Genuine Black Man such an intriguing and entertaining evening."