The Slave Who Loved Caviar - A new Play About The Life of Jean-Michel Basquiat

           by Ishmael Reed
Ishmael Basquiat Caviar Image for FB.png

A virtual reading of Ishmael Reed’s new play, presented by the Nuyorican Poets Cafe.


Playwright, poet, satirist and giant-killer Ishmael Reed takes aim at the New York City art world with his new play about the life and career of Jean Michel Basquiat. Reed's recent play "The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda" took down the Broadway play "Hamilton", and now Reed examines the racism directed at Basquiat, and the ways that Andy Warhol, the art establishment and the fashion industry exploited and profited from Basquiat's artistry.

Ishmael Reed asks the tough questions:

  • Jean Michel Basquiat was no Emmett Till, but was he lynched anyway?

  • Why was racism toward Basquiat accepted as "Art Criticism"?

  • How did Basquiat's career survive his critics?

  • Why is his work marketed in department stores, used by fashion icons, and sold for hundreds of millions of dollars?

  • Why did Andy Warhol profit so much more than Basquiat did from their collaborations?

  • Why does the art world have the ethics of the heroin trade?

There is a suggested donation of $10 for this event. Please consider making a donation to Nuyorican Poets Cafe so we can continue this free online programming.

Directed by: Rome Neal

Assistant Director: Carla Blank

Video Production: Miles Shebar

Featuring: Ishmael Reed as Baron De Witt, the son of Dracula

Cast

Ishmael Reed.jpg

Ishmael Reed

Rome Neal

Is the Artistic Theatre Director and Chairman of the Board  of the Nuyorican Poets Café. Mr. Neal received an Obie Grant with Café founder Miguel Algarin for excellence in theatre. Over the years he has received five Audelco Awards for his direction of Pepe Carril’s "SHANGO de IMA" and Samuel Harp’s "DON”T EXPLAIN" Mr. Neal also received two Audelcos for his acting: one for Lead Actor in Gabrielle N. Lane's "SIGNS," and one for Solo Performance in his critically acclaimed "MONK," by Laurence Holder.
Neal also received the National Black Theatre Festival's coveted Lloyd Richards Director’s Award. Mr. Neal is the proud director of eight of Ishmael Reed's critically acclaimed plays over the past 30 years years


Rome’s film acting credits include Michael Almereyda’s "HAMLET" Spike Lee’s "SUMMER OF SAM" and SHe's Gotta Have It !&@ on Netflix,  and Leon Ichaso’s "PINERO."

Rome Neal

Robert Mailer Anderson

is a writer, producer, activist, and 9th generation Californio. Author of the best-selling novel “Boonville,” play “The Death of Teddy Ballgame,” co-writer/producer of the films “Pig Hunt” and “Windows on the World,” and a contributor to The Anderson Valley Advertiser, among other works and publications. Anderson was appointed to the California Humanities Board in 2020, is a board member of PEN Oakland, and on the advisory board of Los Cenzontles. As a music producer, he has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and won two NAACP Image Awards. He was named a San Francisco Library Laureate three times, a member of President Obama’s 2012 National Finance Committee, and received the San Francisco Arts Medallion in 2016.

Maurice Carlton

has worked as a professional actor for more than 30 years. One of the original company members of The Billie Holiday Theater in Brooklyn, NY has won 2 Audelco Awards and nominated a total of 5 times. He has appeared on Law & Order multiple times and was a featured actor in 9 films produced by Drummond/Smith Entertainment. Most recently he produced and starred in “Uncle Tom vs. Uncle Sam”, written by Bless Ji Jaja at The Symphony Space Theater in Manhattan. Also featured in Ishmael Reed’s political satire “Life Among The Aryans “as Dr. Krokman. Latest film "Black Magic for White.Boys" co-starring Othello Harris. He looks forward to contributing to film, TV and theatrical events.

Robert Mailer Anderson

Malika Iman

Thank you to all who keep me lifted and smiling. "Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me."

Malika Iman

Credits include: "The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda", "Life Among the Aryans", "News from Fukushima" , "Muslim Dialogue through Mirrors Cracked", "Half Magic" , "Small Delights", "The Domestic Crusaders” , “Echoes” and “Ukkiya Jeevan.” Loves socially-consious political theater/ film. Her original acting classes are from people's stories of struggle. A native New Yorker. An actor with lots of opinions... one of which is that she is not a "brand".

My Facebook is at Monisha NY!

MONISHA SHIVA

Maurice Carlton

Laura Robards

is an actor, singer and writer based in New York. She has worked with theaters such as Nylon Fusion, Ten Thousand Things, Other Tigers Productions and Nautilus Theater. Laura works consistently as a Voice Over artist narrating films and commercials. She has also performed for several multi-disciplinary experimental works with artists including Emily Johnson/Catalyst, Thomas Ray Willis and Grant Cutler. As a vocalist, Laura performed for several years with Anonymous Choir and recorded two albums with the group. Recently, she was the assistant director for the world premier of John Patrick Shanley’s new One Act play Japanese Porno. She has trained at HB Studio, UCB Theater,The Wesley Balk Institute for the Singing Actor and J. Beckson Studios.

Laura Robards

Brian Simmons

Brian Anthony Simmons is a New York based actor. He has spent the last decade touring in two solo performances for Living Voices theatre company. Brian holds a a BFA in Theatre Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University. Brian's credits include commercials for Under Armour, Bromelys, Dr. Praegers and Bowlfex. He also received an Audelco award from working with Black Spectrum Theatre and performed at the National Black Theatre Festival. As with Every performance Brian dedicates his work to his family and his community.

Brian Simmons