playbill vip

About the Play...

It's an Italian Thing. No, It's a Black Thing, a comedy which takes a dramatic turn, centers around Frankie, a middle-aged Italian-American trans woman who is faced with a touchy situation. She must meet Winnie, the African-American mother of Frankie’s younger girlfriend, Tanasia. Despite Tanasia's reassurances, Frankie is worried that Winnie will have serious issues with her gender, age and race. Frankie's brother,  Jimmy, in his old-fashioned approach to relationships, first suggests Frankie bring a homemade chocolate cake and subsequently, a meat lasagna. But the encounter isn’t all smooth sailing! “I am thrilled to have a cast that dove into this dramedy and really leaned into the issues it tackles. These are so important right now. Actually, racial and LGBTQ issues were always important, but people are finally starting to see them, hear them and stand up for them. What is very appealing about It’s an Italian Thing. No, it’s a Black Thing is its approachability.  The comedy of it is a great tool and it shows how much more alike we are than different,” says Director, Dakota Martin.