Mrs. Independent (Theatrical) The Urban Theatre Circuit better known as “The Chitlin Circuit” has truly run its course, from the days of Beauty Shop and Momma I Want To Sing to the genre favorite, Madea. The shows have always fell short to traditional theatre, most lacking substance, not to mention a beginning, middle and end. Clearly, the majority of these train wrecks are based on one dimensional characters. Wannabes and “Pimpmoters” of this genre have stolen, I mean have made a lot of money on and off the books. Season after season, regurgitating the same stories, actors and washed out singers. Well here’s another “show” presented by “Pimpmoter” Marvin Gray titled Mrs. Independent. The show’s written and directed by newbie, Priest Tyaire and produced by Marvelous Entertainment's (Marvin Webster Gray) and his new “Co-Pimpmoter” Charles West. The show features R&B throwback singer Christopher Williams, the theatrically challenged Robin Givens and Dottie Peoples, who really should stick to gospel music. The show has some light at the end of this long dark tunnel with Mr. and Mrs. Urban Theatre, Tony Grant and Trisha-Mann Grant. Unfortunately, the two don’t have enough talent to save this train wreck. The show is horrific, to put it gently. The plot, direction and set design by Paula Monet (who has worked CLOSELY with Webster for YEARS…) is a HOT MESS. Urban Theatre patrons, do yourself a favor and run as fast as you can from this non-union disaster. A local Baltimore and Washington D.C. promoter who has produced the genre’s biggest names (Tyler Perry, David Talbert and JD Lawrence) said he wouldn’t touch this show with a ten foot pole. The singing is less than mediocre, despite some of the recognizable tunes that didn’t even go wood in their glory days. The characters are one dimensional on top of a production that’s all together ridiculous. Urban “Pimpmoters” like Marvelous, have been presenting these non-union nightmares for years and they’re just getting worse each year. I watched people walk out of the theatre in fury wanting their money back. Mrs. Independent needs to get married to a man that knows how to direct and write theatrical stage offerings and then find a REAL pimp unlike Marvelous. We give it two thumbs down and two more if we had them.
