Both And (A Play About Laughing While Black)

Boston Court Theatre, Pasadena, CA

As her mother is dying, Teayanna finds herself in a netherworld between life and death. Her task: to help her mother cross over. The journey reveals the legacy of the Middle Passage, the power of laughter, and profound discoveries about what’s inside her mother’s purse. Written and performed by Carolyn Ratteray. (Solo Performance, General Audience) 

“Carolyn Ratteray’s mesmerizing and magical fable about the death of a mother so beautifully presented a vision of transition from life to afterlife that it felt like a pre-comforting.” Larchmont Buzz

“Transformational…This performance could change your life. I know it has changed mine.” Colorado Boulevard.net

“Both And” delves into the heart of Black joy through a blend of clowning, poetic text, and a dynamic tour-de-force performance by Ratteray.” South Pasadena News

“In the mythic world of Both And… (A Play about Laughing While Black), the Black Mama’s purse stretches so far that it contains not only necessities and memories, but the keys to ancestral healing…Laughter becomes more than an antidote. It becomes a treasure.” Stage Raw, LA

Friday, August 2, 2:00pm, $45
Friday, August 2, 8:00pm, $45
Saturday, August 3, 2:00pm, $45
Saturday, August 3, 8:00pm, $45