By Aja Hannah
Due to popular demand, the play Sassy Mamas is returning to the historical Karamu House stage this year. When Sassy Mamas made its regional debut in 2018, it sold out a week before the play opened. Karamu House has been eagerly awaiting its return ever since.
What is “Sassy Mamas?”
The popular play features three longtime friends – successful, wealthy women living in Washington, D.C. – who suddenly find themselves middle-aged and single. They decide to turn the tables on societal convention and use their “black panther” status (think “cougar”) to attract younger men, or “bucks.”
It’s not your typical rom-com, as the sassy ladies undergo an evolution of personal growth throughout. Written in 2007, “Sassy Mamas” was created by the award-winning playwright Celeste Bedford Walker, the recipient of several NAACP Theatre Awards for her positive portrayals of blacks in the media. Most recently, “Sassy Mamas” won Best Play for the 2017 Broadway World Regional Awards after its run at the Houston Ensemble Theatre.
Karamu House has given their production of “Sassy Mamas” an ‘R’ rating for sensual scenes and steamy goodness, so definitely leave the kids at home.
Coming to Karamu House Again
This year’s staging features a new cast and an ensemble diversified with the inclusion of a white couple for the first time. “In keeping with Karamu, we cast the best actor who auditions for the role who happened to be a white woman and man. That speaks to the diversity of our audience as well,” said Tony Sias, the CEO of Karamu House.
Sias originally chose “Sassy Mamas” because he needed a comedy for the 2017-2018 season and this play was exceptionally well-written.
“What excited me about producing [“Sassy Mamas”] is that there are usually very few roles for women over 40-ish to play where the characters have done well in their careers, take control of their lives, and are brilliant women,” said Sias.
Karamu House, at nearly 105 years old, is the oldest black producing theatre in the country.
About the Playwright
Although she’s far away, Walker appreciates the love that Clevelanders have shown for “Sassy Mamas,” and she hopes more of her plays will be selected and performed at Karamu House.
Walker has won and been nominated for numerous other awards— too many to include here—for her life’s work. She has written over forty plays and screenplays, which have been shown all over the country at major venues. She was even recognized by the U.S. Congress for her contribution to African American history through plays like “Camp Logan” and “Greenwood: An American Dream Destroyed.” This hard-working woman also has her own stage production company, Mountaintop Productions.