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PRODUCTION HISTORY

First produced by Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, October 1987 under the direction of George Ferencz.

CHARACTERS AND ORIGINAL CAST MEMBERS

Awilda - Stephanie Berry

Acts - Matthew Idason

Blood - Victor Mack

Pastor - Gregory Daniel

SETTING

Time: Now, Sunday

The living room of the Benjamins' home.

PLAY STRUCTURE

Act I, Act II scene i and ii

PRODUCTION NOTES

Playwright's Notes

THE MOJO AND THE SAYSO is a story of a family: vunerable human beings who sustain pain and love, hatreds, fears, joys, sorrows, and degradation, nd finally triumph.

This play is not conceived or written in a naturalistic mode. Therefore, the directing style should serve the absurdity, fantasy, and magical mayhem that are intrinsic to the script. The monologues in the play are conceived as jazz solos. In each monologue the actor's speech is conceived as a riff on a specific instrument (the director is free to choose which instrument), and both body movements and speech are rooted in classical jazz rhythms.

EXCERPT FROM THE PLAY

This section was taken from the end of Act II scene i. Acts is talking with his son, Blood.

ACTS: Then why did you come back this time?

BLOOD: We're family. We're chained together.

ACTS: Then why are you leaving?

BLOOD: I can't stay here. Do you know what it means to be the surviving brother? You never talk about that morning that Linus was killed. You were with him when he got killed but you don't tell what really happened.

ACTS: You know Walter, you'll be okay once you get yourself together. Take care of your own self. You need to get a mojo and don't worry about me none. The right mojo will give you the sayso. Put you in the driver's seat. The right mojo will take you over those moments of terror, doubt or even surprise. Nothing surprises me no more. I am ready to take it all on.

(At this moment we hear the singing, talking, and laughing voices of AWILDA and PASTOR DELROY offstage. Blackout.)

PUBLICATION HISTORY

Mojo and the Sayso

and in the following anthologies:

Plays by Aishah Rahman

Moon Marked and Touched By Sun: Plays by African-American Women