Still More Theater Saturday - Having Our Say

We were given complimentary tickets to Having Our Say for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Having Our Say

Where: NBPAC

             11 Livingston Ave.

             New Brunswick, NJ

Who: Recommended for Ages 13 and Up

When: Through December 17, 2023

Having Our Say was a 1993 bestseller written by Amy Hill Hearth. The book was the oral history of  Sarah (Sadie) Delany and Elizabeth (Bessie) Delany, a pair of centenarian sisters who after being born the daughters of a former slave became a part of the civil rights movement.  In 1995, a theatrical version of the book adapted by Emily Mann appeared on Broadway. Now that version is being presented by George Street Playhouse.

Although the show is very talky, watching it is more like being invited to dine with a pair of sweet old ladies and listening to them reminisce than just hearing a couple of actors pontificate on stage for a few hours. In fact, the two spend a good deal of the play making food although they never eat any. This is definitely no gentle tea party, these two have lived through quite a lot and not everything they have to say is easy to hear. Don't let the sweet old lady part fool you either. These two can be as feisty as anything, particularly Bessie, especially after everything they have lived through. 

The show is a living history lesson. As some of that history involves talk about such disturbing topics as lynching, the show may be triggering for some people. However, what these women have to say is more important now than ever since whatever progress our country has made in the over 200 years of its history seems to be regressing to at least some degree. Accordingly, this is an important show worth seeing.

And that's our view. For more about Having Our Say or to purchase a ticket to one of the remaining performances, visit georgestreetplayhouse.org/shows/show/having-our-say.

Tune in tomorrow for this week's Sunday Scoop.