NY Review: 'Artificial Afrika: A Tale of Lost Cities'

"Artificial Afrika" is a calamitous attempt to concoct a theatrical production out of some compelling ideas about African-American identity and a provocative collection of cultural artifacts. Created by Vernon R Reid, the meandering hourlong performance is leadenly directed by LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs and Gabri Christa and incompetently lit by Mykael Harrigan.

The most interesting parts of the incoherent show are the brief solo hoofing and hip-hop dances created and performed by Akim Funk Buddha and the African sculpture and James Brown and Little Black Sambo vintage kitsch statuettes. Unfortunately, the table upon which the objects are displayed is in the dark, as is the area of the stage upon which Buddha rests two of them at the end of the show. Also, much of Buddha's dancing occurs under dim light while other portions of the stage are brightly illuminated.

The show's lackluster performers—Reid, Buddha, and DJ Leon Lamont—seem completely unable to connect with the audience. Reid, who sings and plays the guitar and composed the show's forgettable rock music, focuses his eyes skyward as he performs; at first I thought he was blind. Lamont, who tosses off a few funny lines, at least manages to get us laughing.

For much of the evening we are subjected to dizzying psychedelic video images (created by Reid) projected on a large screen in the middle of the playing space. Reid is situated in the back left corner, Buddha stands down right, except when he moves center stage to dance, and Lamont (who contributes additional music production) operates his electronic equipment sitting at a table in the back right corner hidden behind Buddha.

As the evening progresses, the video grows intermittently interesting as it begins to include snippets of culturally significant cinematic artifacts. Reid has added color to and stylishly manipulated archival footage of turn-of-the-20th-century African-Americans doing vernacular dances, such as the cakewalk. He has also dug up some shocking clips from an old sci-fi film peopled with offensive depictions of African "savages."

Upsettingly, this boring hodgepodge of video, songs, and talk (with words by Buddha and Reid) does not do justice to the important thematic ideas that Reid seems to want to express: the confused notions of identity faced by African Americans who feel no connection to the continent of their ancestors yet have even less affinity for the insulting roles into which they have been cast within the larger American culture.

Presented by and at Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie St., NYC. Feb. 10–25. Fri. and Sat., 7:30 p.m. (212) 352-3101, (866) 811-4111, (212) 219-0736, www.theatermania.com, or www.dixonplace.org.