By Rick A. Elina
Irish author Brendan Behan once said, “There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.” Akin Babatunde quickly dismisses this notion with his outstanding performance in Obituary, a play that brings to life, the subject of death. Presented by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Obituary is a one-man show about African American funerals and the cultural divide that separates them from all the other ceremonies that acknowledge mortality.
The tightly written, satirical script, authored by Mr. Babatunde, gives the audience an irreverent look at the most reverent spectacle of the human experience. The show appropriately begins at the end, as Mr. Babtunde’s character Avon Von Schmidt sits reading the obituary section of the newspaper. Through him, the audience is able to fast-forward to the ultimate ending. We are able to look beyond the final chapter directly into the very epilogue of one’s life. The summation of a life lived, framed between the allegorical bookends of “sunrise” and “sunset.” Director Ed Smith allows the character to deftly change before our very eyes, as if to remind us that life is a series of transformations, until that final transformation unto dust.
Mr. Smith expertly showcases the immense artistry of both writer and actor. Mr. Babatunde the actor speaks, sings and even dances in a poetic symphony that mirrors the precisely coordinated obsequy rituals that Mr. Babtunde the writer so adroitly describes.
This energetic show was a definite crowd-pleaser regardless of race, age or background. Mr. Babatunde possesses that rare form of talent composed of equal parts hilarity and solemnity, and he is able to effortlessly dispense both. It would be nearly impossible to not feel the range of emotions that unfold onstage. Mr. Babatunde’s fervor infected the audience who responded in kind with spontaneous shouts of affirmation. What better praise can be bestowed on a life’s work?
Regrettably, Obituary ended a two-night run on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at the Clarence Muse Café Theatre located at the Dallas Convention Center. Look for this show to return in the near future. It is well worth seeing.
Rick A. Elina is a playwright based in Plano, Texas and is the Theatre Critic for the North Dallas Gazette.
