...And To Never Count The Cost!

I was triggered by James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner.

Popular psychology (or pseudo-psychology, I’m not knowledgeable enough to assert either with certainty) refers to being “triggered” as that strong emotional reaction – usually distinctly negative but always uncomfortable – in response to some external stimulus.

With that context, I state again: I was triggered by The Amen Corner.

Shakespeare In Paradise presented The Amen Corner at The Dundas' PAB Black Box on Saturday, October 11, 2025. I was there. And as I have said and will repeat, boy, was I triggered.

There are characters in the play, there is dialogue in the play, there are situations in the play that might have been lifted wholesale directly from my life. I will not define any of them more specifically because, of course, we live in a fishbowl and even what I have said has doubtless caused people with whom I grew up and who are familiar with the play to start the excavating of our shared history.

I will, however, say that the situation as presented by Baldwin’s first play – which centres on the story of a female pastor of a Harlem church in 1954 and considers issues of racism, poverty, and the role of the church in the lives of Black Americans – is intimately familiar to us who grew up “in church” in The Bahamas. The difference between Black America and The Bahamas is a crucial one, especially in terms of trying to parse what the play might mean to and for our audience.

Perhaps this was why I was also extremely affected by the way the audience responded to the play. There were many instances of laughter in places where I feel – frankly speaking – that only psychopaths would laugh. The death of Luke comes to mind most strikingly, in this regard. The fact that this character with such pathos, such emotional pain and such a profound impact on the action of the play died to the titters and chuckles and snide comments of many in the audience shocked me to the core.

While that moment was – to my mind – the most egregious, there were many such moments where the audience members reacted to the action on stage as though what was on stage was funny, when Baldwin clearly meant it to be cutting. The part of me that silently ascribes meaning to the actions of people around me whispers that those who laughed at what I consider inappropriate places (and I recognise and accept my hubris in determining what is or is not appropriate) are people who in those moments did not want to deal with the serious emotional impact of the moment on stage. It was simpler by far to laugh than to deal with the feelings the action on stage excited – anger, pity, sorrow, bitterness, empathy. Easier to laugh than to feel. Right?

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the evening mightily. Thanks to Shakespeare In Paradise for a provocative, engaging and thoughtful staging. Well done!