“Hit’Em on the Backside” part 1- written by Julia W. Rath

Hit ‘Em on the Blackside” is a comedy show produced by Congo Square Theatre and created and directed by Anthony Irons. Today’s production is an assemblage of sketches and webisodes on subjects of African American interest, many of which are taken from the news headlines. This is Part I of a two-part series and a compilation of previously recorded short videos. Stars include ensemble members Ronald L. Conner, Alexis J. Roston, and Kelvin Roston Jr., along with Tiffany Addison, a friend of Congo Square. With COVID and the ban on live performances, theatre companies have experimented with all sorts of ways to keep the performing arts alive. So the company is thrilled to have teamed up with filmmaker Malcom Banks to develop this digital production, which can be watched for free via YouTube through their website http://www.congosquaretheatre.org.

In the various skits, the comics provide thoughtful commentary, satire, and “black humor” (i.e., dark humor with an African American twist). For instance, one sketch has to do with portraying evidence of murders of black people throughout the country with reference to a map of the U.S.A. Other examples have to do with the debate on whether there should be in-person or remote learning in the public schools and what could be expected when the police are asked to do a wellbeing check on an elderly or disabled person. The subject matter may not be necessarily limited to current events. For example, one segment has to do with science; specifically, what can be found in fortified cereals being fed to young children. The segments are short, and it’s more like watching a TV variety show than live theatre per se.

So what holds this 30-minute presentation together? Each of these skits represents all or part of a television program that can be found on a fictional cable or satellite TV service (HOTB TV). The programs are accessed through the listings guide, such that the virtual TV watcher simply clicks on the name of the program on a given channel, and then it immediately appears on their television set—which we, the audience watch remotely but not interactively. (Note that HOTB is an abbreviation for “Hit ‘Em on the Blackside.”) In addition to being differentiated by subject matter and type of humor, the segments differ in video production style. Credits follow each one. The substantive tie is the black experience in the United States, having to do with racial discrimination, marginalization, economic disparity, and the distinctiveness of African American culture, especially in contrast to the dominant white culture.

This article is not a review. The main reason is that there needs to be something above and beyond the fiction of TV listings to update the total performance for streaming video, such as adding a welcome at the beginning or some statement about when the original performances took place. In this vein, a recorded introduction by the director would be helpful if not also a Zoom aftertalk with some of the comedians. This additional ten or fifteen minutes would not make the video too lengthy and would greatly improve the current situation where the audience is left hanging at the end of the stream. Plus it never hurts to say “Stay Tuned” and that Part II is forthcoming and that donations are used to provide a theatre arts education to young people in Chicago and to help to strengthen black theatre during these uncertain times.

Part I of “Hit ‘Em on the Blackside” is currently available on demand through March 2021 on the Congo Square Theatre website http://www.congosquaretheatre.org.

New bi-weekly webisodes will resume from March to June 2021, and Part II of the show will be compiled for streaming in June.

For more information on this show, the bi-weekly comedy episodes, and future shows or to make a donation to Congo Square to support their fine work, please go to http://www.congosquaretheatre.org.

For additional questions, email info@congosquaretheatre.org or phone 773-296-1108.