AREN'T YOU...? Returns to the Marsh Next Month
Performances run February 10 - March 2, 2024
By: Stephi Wild Jan. 23, 2024
Following a successful East Bay run and a transfer to San Francisco, Aren’t You…? returns to The Marsh Berkeley, written and performed by Fred Pitts, directed by ShawnJ West, with dramaturgy by David Ford.
In this lauded solo work, Pitts recounts his hilarious journey to visit all 21 California Mission churches, where he discovers that being Black makes him an instant celebrity – the question is which one? Aren’t You…? follows Pitts on a summer-long tour to one Mission after the next, experiencing docents and fellow tourists. In this riotous reflective solo show, Pitt describes his startling encounters with experts on the Catholic Church, Native American history, and practically everything else, who all have one thing in common: they are all pros on which famous Black person he resembles.
Full of Pitts’ personal experiences and love of history, Aren’t You...? perfectly blends delightful insights into the Missions, cogent thoughts on early California settlers’ interactions with Native Americans, and the experience of walking in the shoes of an African American male.
Aren’t You…? will play February 10 - March 2, 2024, with performances 8:00pm Saturdays at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. For tickets ($25-$35 sliding scale, $50 and $100 reserved) or more information, the public may visit themarsh.org.
Fred Pitts’ first solo show (under an earlier title) had its debut at PlayGround Solo Performance Festival in January 2019. It went on to be featured at The Marsh as part of its Marsh Rising Series (May 2019), Dragon Productions Theatre's Inaugural Singular Stories (August 2019), and PianoFight (August 2019). Since then, it has performed in several Bay Area venues, including a limited run with Palo Alto Players in fall 2021, a five-week run at The Marsh Berkeley in spring 2023 followed by a transfer to The Marsh San Francisco summer 2023. Aren’t You…? has captured raves from local critics, with Metro Silicon Valley calling it a “timely examination of both conscious racism and unconscious bias,” while Theatrius hailed it as “a timely, important show, offering surprises, factoids, and existential awareness.”
San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)
17% of votes
2.
THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)
9.1% of votes
3.
SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)
8.6% of votes
Videos