Welcome to The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden. Where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show, we have the directors of the new movie “Freaky Tales.” Then we’ll glide over to the ODC/Dance company to hear about one of their upcoming shows. And in our final act, the play “Fat Ham” puts a Black, Southern, queer twist on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
Ryan Fleck and Anna Bolden
The Bay Area has been buzzing about the movie “Freaky Tales.” The title comes from a song by rapper Too Short, who is also an executive producer of the film. There are a lot of big names in the film including: Pedro Pascal, Tom Hanks, Jay Ellis and Dominique Thorne. This fun, gritty, sci-fi, action film takes place mostly in Oakland. The story is set in 1987. There’s a green, glowing, electric energy that hovers in the air above Oakland and it makes people do powerful things. The movie is an anthology of four separate stories that connect. All of the main characters are underdogs: a young female rap duo trying to make a name for themselves, a bullied punk community, Warriors legend Sleepy Floyd playing against the dominant Lakers, and a hitman trying to change his life.
Anna Bolden and Ryan Fleck are the writing/directing team behind the movie. Ryan is from Oakland. He and Anna have worked on big projects like “Captain Marvel.”
Sidra Bell and Brenda Way
Next week the ODC/Dance will grace the stage for their show “Dance Downtown.” You can see it at the Yerba Buena Center’s Blue Shield of California Theater in San Francisco from April 10-13. It’s going to be a night of dance and live music. Veteran dancer Sidra Bell is the guest choreographer. She is the first first black female choreographer to create works for the New York City Ballet. Sidra joins the conversation along with Brenda Way, who is the Founder and Artistic Director of ODC/Dance.
Devin A. Cunningham
The Pulitzer Prize winning play “Fat Ham” is currently running at the San Francisco Playhouse until April 19. The show puts a modern spin on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” And like Shakespeare, there’s a whole lot of drama. It’s about a young, Black, queer, Southern man named Juicy. His father ran a barbecue joint. Juicy's uncle had Juicy’s father murdered. His father’s ghost haunts Juicy, demanding he kill his uncle and avenge his death. The play takes place at a cookout celebration for the marriage between Juicy’s mom and Juicy’s uncle. The show is funny but hits on a number of deep issues, including expectations of masculinity. Actor Devin A. Cunningham plays Juicy.
