Karamu’s ‘Queens Girl – Black in the Green Mountains’ is a bit of theater magic

61 pages of script. 18 characters. 1 actor.

This is the delight that you have to look forward to with Caleen Sinnette Jennings wonderful coming of age tale “Queens Girl – Black in the Green Mountains”. The show is appearing on stage in the Bank of America Arena Theatre at Karamu House located at 2355 E. 89^th Street, Cleveland, Ohio.

Raised in Brooklyn, New York by two professionals (a teacher and a doctor), Jacqueline Marie Butler (Jackie for short or Jacqueline Marie by her mother) is a Black girl who goes to school at a progressive Jewish school in New York City. When the family suddenly moves to Nigeria she continues her high school education at an international school near where they live. When it comes time for college she decides on attending Bennington College in Vermont (at that time an all girls school of higher education). There she meets a variety of room mates, teachers, advisors and friends some of whom are eccentric but all of whom add to her life education.

It is the late 60s into the early 70s as America in embroiled in a costly Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement is fighting for basic human rights by holding marches and strikes and the Kent State massacres serve as a wake-up call. It is a time of National Guard brutality, slain civil rights organizers and leaders, draft card burning and civil unrest.

Bennington College is a predominately white college with only 12 BBGs (Black Bennington Girls) enrolled in the entire school. The BBGs give Jackie the nickname “Tinkerbell”. At the college the buildings are white, most of the students are white, all of the teachers are white...heck even the snow is white and there is lots of it. Jackie has to deal with the pressures of picking the right courses, sorting through friends and room mates, getting involved in social activities, dating and all the other worries a young female college freshman has to deal with along with fitting in as a young Black woman in a predominately W.A.S.P community.

Over the course of just under two hours (without intermission) actor Maya Israel takes us on an amazing journey where one by one we meet the people in her life. The show is the third of a trilogy of plays (the first being “Queens Girl in Africa” and the second “Queens Girl in the World”). From this brutal historic period of the 60s and 70s comes a story of hope and beauty coming from the ashes of that not too long ago time.

Jackie experiences culture shock when she returns to America after years in Nigeria with her parents. She finds it hard to understand the profound social, economic and political changes that have undergone the country she was born in.

Her first major decision is to cement her major in college even though her first choice is to obtain an English degree. Taking a theater elective course her mind is suddenly opened up to an entirely new world of performance art. Without consulting her parents she makes the switch to Theater as her major. All goes well until the college threatens to send a letter to her parents concerning her failing two courses (philosophy and French) because of her neglect. During a trip to New York City where her parents now reside she is forced to admit her changes in curriculum much to their distress.

Then there is the long distance relationship with her boy friend, Gilliam, from the Nigerian High School who is of mixed race and an exile from South Africa. Her Aire Postal letters become fewer and less intimate as time goes on as the boy is attending college in Glasgow Scotland.

Maya Israel as Jackie is absolutely superb playing all 18 characters with distinct voices, minor costume changes and mannerisms (sometimes holding a conversation between two characters at once). The back screen projection by Jasmine A. Golphin sets the location for each scene. The stage set itself is a series of platforms and walkways that represent various locals in the story. There is the dorm room, her aunt’s and parent’s homes, the classrooms, the college theater stage and etc. Brielle McGrew’s costuming is just enough to convey a message sometimes with something as simple as a scarf. Logan Chapman’s lighting is used for emphasis and Richard Ingraham’s sound design adds era authentic music and sounds. The show is creatively directed by Caroline Jackson-Smith.

With all the high tech gadgets that have overtaken modern theater it is nice to come across a bit of true theater magic. This show is a prime example of how low tech can still tell an entertaining story by letting our imaginations fill in the blank spots. Come be wowed and entertained.

The Karamu House production of “Queen’s Girl – Black in the Green Mountains” will be on stage in the Bank of America Arena Theatre at 2355 East 89^th Street, Cleveland, Ohio through March 8, 2026. For more information and tickets go to https://karamuhouse.org/ or call (216) 795-7070.