Title: BETWEEN TOMORROW AND YESTERDAY
Language : English
Paperback : 190 pages
ISBN-10 : 1524558613
ISBN-13 : 978-1524558611
Item Weight : 10.1 ounces
Dimensions : 6 x 0.48 x 9 inches
Featuring two plays written by the actor Felton Perry (AKA Ev’one-yaY Eulasson), Between Tomorrow and Yesterday provides modern readers with the opportunity to examine the
timelessness of the themes he explores in his works.
Between Tomorrow and Yesterday showcases two of Felton Perry’s plays: a musical
comedy reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth titled Sleep No More, and a black theatrical satire called buy the bi and bye. Perry is an actor who has appeared in movies such as RoboCop and Magnum Force and, as evidenced by these works, he turns out to be
a talented playwright as well.
The main concept of Sleep No More is its focus on background characters such as the old and young chamberlains, the porter, and the kitchen maid. Lady Macbeth still skulks around and plots schemes, but her ambitions take a backseat to the personal dramas of
the servants. Perry transforms the witches into the MagicMindMonster, which was perhaps greatly influenced by the 1970s vibe that he infuses into the dialogue.
buy the bi and bye, meanwhile, is a play within a play that contrasts the drama between fiction and real life. As the actors deal with their commonplace issues, they must rehearse for a performance that explores the experiences of a black family when the son marries a
white woman and has a baby with her.
Of the two, Sleep No More is definitely the more ambitious work since it attempts to tackle the Bard and recontextualize a classic to fit in a more modern sensibility. The differences between Shakespearean language and black vernacular make for a jarring experience, but it ultimately contributes to the overarching idea that the concerns of the upper and lower classes are worlds apart. The second play, buy the bi and bye, provides comedy in comparing the overly dramatic events of the fictional play called Killin’ Flo’ and its actors’ real-life issues.
If you are wishing for a different reading experience and would like to go beyond prose, Felton Perry’s Between Tomorrow and Yesterday is an interesting addition to any library or reading list.