The title of City Theatre’s ”Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem” is rather self-explanatory.
But while the title might sound surreal, it’s actually a historical fact; Civil Rights Movement leader Malcolm X and comedy icon Redd Foxx were, in fact, lifelong friends who met in the 1940s while working at popular restaurant and jazz club Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem.
In the co-world premiere, which is on its second stop across four theaters in the United States, the setup is simple. Two actors spend 100 minutes slowly going from antagonistic to indelibly bonded, navigating job challenges, American race issues, identity crises and one perpetually backed-up sewer system.
The story was based on real events and crafted into a dramatically effective series of scenes by playwright Jonathan Morton, whose dialogue is loose and informal with exposition casually woven in. Through easy and hilarious conversation, viewers peek in at Malcolm X — real name Malcolm Little (Edwin Green) — as he vacillates between a life of crime and religion. On the other side, John “Redd Foxx” Sanford (Trey Smith-Mills) struggles with his place in the world, the balance between chronic money problems and big dreams, and the ever-looming presence of racism in the world around him.
The two actors ae perfect foils for one another. Green is often understated but deftly wields physical acting chops, and his facial and vocal shifts through emotions feel palpably real. He feels young and vulnerable — as Little was, at the time — and he is often angry, afraid or full of despair, but almost always with a genuine dose of humor that makes him magnetic.
Smith-Mills definitely has the more larger-than-life character to tackle, and he is springy and dynamic with a booming voice and constant inertia. Whether he’s telling tired jokes, throwing out cutting barbs or breaking down with loss, he fires on all cylinders. Especially in the last 15 minutes of the play, Smith-Mills is a beating heart at the production’s core.
The duo feed off of each other the way that two close friends always do. Even at their rocky start, when Sanford balks at Little’s continued employment at Jimmy’s after the revelation of Little’s illegal activities, they have the adversarial relationship of bickering brothers. That connection only deepens, even when their paths painfully diverge and even more painfully come back together at the end.
And, of course, there’s no lack of nods to who the two young men will later become. For example, in one uproarious scene, Little coaches Sanford through acting out a heart attack — a bit that would later become famous during Sanford’s starring run on sitcom “Sanford and Son.”
The play takes place in the early 1940s, and events including World War II, the Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles and the Harlem riots of 1943 are sprinkled throughout. Both of these men rose to prominence in the years leading up to and during the Civil Rights Movement’s culmination, so this is a look at the seeds of their nascient ideas.
Dexter J. Singleton directed the production, and he has guided these actors into truly inspired movement choices, comedic line reads and economy of space. Kimberly V. Powers’ scenic design and Claudia Brownlee’s costume design both assert themselves as supporting cast members in the production, featuring functional details and symbolic flashes while still feeling real.
Howard Patterson’s sound design is a real highlight, adding the depth of background music and news reports and really shining with the tense sounds of glass breaking and gunfire during the Harlem riot.
One particularly brilliant combination of writing, direction and production comes with two different quickfire montages, using the “ding” of a restaurant bell and different shades of lighting to denote the passage of time. Lighting designer Levi J. Wilkins shifts the mood with color and brightness, especially poignant in the darker final scenes. And lest we forget the red neon chicken sign that greets the audience upon arrival before the show.
As Black History Month approaches, City Theatre’s latest production is a perfect blend of history, humor and humanity. It’s both the origin story of two historical giants and a slice-of-life story about friendship between Black men that feels ever relevant — and oh so entertaining.
City Theatre’s “Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem” will run through Feb. 8 at City Theatre on Pittsburgh’s South Side. To learn more and get tickets, visit citytheatrecompany.org.