From Left to Right: Trey Smith-Mills as Foxy and Edwin Green as Little sharing the stage in “Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem” | Photo Courtesy: TheatreSquared.
Humor and history take form in the TheatreSquared play, “Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem.”
The play premiered Oct. 1 and ran through Nov. 2. Playwright Jonathan Norton opens up a world of possibilities and what could’ve been of the relationship of Malcolm X and Redd Foxx while showcasing humor, history, struggle, loyalty and brotherhood.
The role of Little (Malcolm X) is played by Edwin Green and the role of Foxy (Redd Foxx) is played by Trey Smith-Mills. Best friends and graduates of the University of Arkansas, viewers can see the affectionate bond being displayed on stage.
“Edwin and I have this great camaraderie and relationship and we truly always want the best for each other. Sometimes, he’s my little brother and sometimes I’m his little brother, it switches all the time, but I’m very happy that I get to share this stage with him,” said Smith-Mills.
The stage is set at the dishwashing room in Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem. The year is 1943. In the beginning, viewers see Foxy, a dishwasher that’s been around for a while at the chicken shack. He is convinced he doesn’t need any help with his job. Next onstage is Little. Little used to work out front in the restaurant, but because of his past he’s told by his manager to wash dishes with Foxy.
Throughout the play, we hear of Detroit Red, a name that Little went by when he was engaging in criminal activity before wanting to turn his life around. The police started poking around the chicken shack due to Detroit Red being there.
As the performance goes on, the audience can see layers of Little be revealed throughout his relationship with Redd Foxx and vice versa. The audience learns that Little’s mother was institutionalized for 23 years and his father died at a young age, and how deeply that affected him.
“It truly thank Malcolm every day for letting my play him. I know that sounds kind of weird, but it truly is something I’m really thankful for, because not many people know this side of Malcolm, you know, they know him as the civil rights advocate, the leader, the man that he was as a civil rights activist. No one really gets to see him vulnerable and young and figuring it out, so to share that with the world is incredible. The world is now getting to see the duality of this really fantastic, iconic black individual,” said Green.
The audience also can see Smith-Mills embody the character of Redd Foxx and bring that to life. Just like Little, Foxy goes through his own troubles. The audience learns that Redd Foxx has an alias of Chicago Red, was bad with money and that he lived on a rooftop. Throughout all his troubles, he kept a photo of his incarcerated brother, Fred G. Sanford, by his side and maintains a confidence even throughout his tough times.
“I’ve been growing in a way too with this character. Maybe Trey as a person should take the confidence of Redd Foxx where he’s going and embody that,” said Smith-Mills on his relationship between him and Foxy.
While the play does show the brotherly side of the dish-washing duo, the audience also sees them in their most vulnerable state as well.
A pivotal moment the audience can see is whenever the two men are at their lowest. Little is back in the front of the restaurant and Foxy has quit. Foxy is having trouble making it in the comedy industry and comes back to the chicken shack for food. Foxy bribed Little with cocaine in order to get fried chicken.
In the play, Little and Foxy both have red hair, but Little has a conk. Little confided in Foxy about his parents and how his mother was trying to collect his father’s life insurance and was later institutionalized. Little believes that his father is speaking to him, something he constantly mentions throughout the play. Little expresses to Foxy that his father wouldn’t want to see him like this (with a conk) and that he’s going to cut it off. Listening and resonating with what Little said, Foxy comes to work the next morning with a shaved head out of solidarity for Little.
Little decided not to shave his hair in the end, leaving Foxy without his.
The audience sees the constant loyalty and struggle between the two since the beginning of the play and in the end, Foxy becomes a comedian and Little becomes an activist. The two later ascend into the heavens together, concluding the play.
“Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem” has been picked up by Dallas Theater Center in Dallas, Virginia Stage Company at the Wells Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia and City Theatre in Pittsburgh for additional showings.