I probably shouldn’t say this but I’m going to because it’s the truth. Sometimes I think black people are entertainment for whites. Don’t get that twisted, when I say entertainment I mean modern day minstrel shows.
Think about it. We are underrepresented on mainstream networks and if we do have a show, the networks wait for one slip up to cancel it. Then the shows we do have often represent our problems and portray us in a way that makes me want to hand in my black card because it is embarrassing. I still don’t fully understand the Black in America series. Is there something more special about being black in America? I’ve been black in America for 23 years and I never knew it was anything extraordinary. But that’s just me. Plus, will they do a white in America? But anyway, this is not a rant about blacks on TV, this is about Anacostia. When I first wrote the proposal for the column, I knew I wanted to include local actors and not just any actors. I wanted actors who were propelling forward and making a name for themselves. I found just that in Anthony Anderson.
This is how I found out about Anacostia. One Saturday morning, I decided to do a little googling for actors in the Baltimore/DC area. As I was doing my research, I found a wanted ad, of sorts, from Anthony Anderson, an independent director, actor, writer, and producer who was looking to fill a role in his then upcoming Anacostia- the Web Series. It all seemed promising, so I contacted him the way any serious journalist would - a Facebook message. A phone call later, I was scheduled to meet the cast in Baltimore.
Here is a list of the cast members:
Walter Maxfield Jones - Michael Stephenson
Tamieka Chavis - Mia Stephenson
Chante' Bowser - Salina Taylor
Wil “Onix” Lash - Scott Taylor
Kena Hodges - Nicole Reese - Davis
Rabon Hutcherson II - Andre Davis
Anthony Anderson - Sean Taylor
Jermaine McNeal - Andrew Carlton
Tia Dae - Deanna Talbert - Grayson
Kareem Petteway - Craig "Creeko" Grayson
Pasha Diallo - Dominique Johnson
Marion A. Akpan - Nancy Cook
Shortly before my interview with the cast, I did more googling and found a two minute scene with Mia and Michael. It was then, I knew I had to watch. This was the scene where Mia found a condom in Michael’s pockets, despite the fact that they’re married, threw mashed potatoes in her face and ordered her to sleep on the couch. I think every woman in America was appalled and shocked, even Tameika Chavis, who plays Mia, stated that the scene “was emotionally taxing.” “My first thought was, “Where are my matches?” I won’t elaborate on that one. From there I began the countdown to September 11 because that’s when the first episode aired.
Mini Rundown: Anacostia-the web series
Anacostia is a ten episode web-series that focuses on several professional couples and their lives. It will be coming to DCTV, and hopefully Baltimore, before the end of the year. In order to properly do this, I must give a rundown.
This is what has happened on Anacostia so far: Nicole, and her husband Andre, move to a nice upscale D.C. neighborhood called Anacostia. Nicole befriends Sean and Mia after she notices them spying on her. Michael (Mia’s husband) comes home early and orders her to have dinner ready in a half an hour. After Mia slaves to get the meal ready, Michael informs her that he’s not hungry and rudely tells her to eat all the food. “Did I mention I still have those matches and that knife?” she said. But I don’t think Mia will need it because she’s plotting against Michael. It’s not revealed what she is plotting but in the first scene of the first episode, Michael is gunned down. Remember, I don’t know any more than you guys because I am watching the series too.
Also, Salina has a problem with alcohol; I mean the girl drunk a nice-sized glass of something in under 15 seconds. I think that’s a record. But anyway, it’s affecting her relationship with her husband Scott. Nicole, who is a former model turned crack-head, is trying to get back into the modeling game, unbeknownst to her husband, who seems to be against it. Andre, Nicole’s husband, has just “reconnected” with his NFL rival, who is responsible for his career-ending injury and just moved to Anacostia to play for the local team. That’s where the show is so far. Be on the lookout for Episode four: part II in a few days.
So what can you expect from Anacostia? James Robert II, who plays Brad, has this to say about the show, “It’s a high intense, dramatic piece, with a lot of twists. Twisted plots, stories and tales and even though it came from a person’s mind, in a way it is sort of a reality. The things that are going to happen in here, are things we see in the news or stories we hear from someone’s everyday life. You might get a phone call saying ‘girl, I cant believe what happened to me today.’ Or ‘man, I can’t believe what happened.’ so when you look at it, you see real life. Someone can, and will, relate to these characters.”
The thing I love most about Anacostia, is the fact we are portrayed as people. We’re not sex objects or people eating chicken, wearing a big clock that does not work, and a Viking helmet. It shows us as professional people, who are married, with careers, and the same problems as our counterparts.
“The characters happened out of sheer what I would want to see from a soap opera that I wasn’t really seeing. You always have your damsel in distress, your heal characters, and the rest play around that story line. What I wanted to do was make all of the women really, really strong women because that’s what black women are,” says Anacostia creator, Anthony Anderson. “I wanted to make the men all professional men and the ones who weren’t professional men, were in the process of trying to better their lives. They may have had stumbling blocks along the way, but they’re recognizing it’s not too late to be a better person. I think people will see the show and see someone that they know or it may be a perception of them,”
I hate to make these comparisons because I personally hate them and feel that no true artist wants to be compared to a successful person, but I must do it. When I first looked at Anthony’s credentials, I immediately thought of Tyler Perry. With the exception of being a playwright and Tyler Perry’s questionable writing, Anderson pretty much holds his own against Perry. He writes, directs, acts, produces and runs his own magazine called Velocity, which sponsors an annual awards ceremony to honor the independent creative community. I am not mad at Mr. Anderson because he is definitely creating his reality. For that he gets major love.
The Rundown: Tapas Teatro
It’s no secret I like to eat. I wouldn’t say I’m a picky eater, I would just say, I know what I like and how I like it. And yes, I am a big believer in “Have it your way.” I believe I should have what I want, exactly how I want it, especially if I’m paying for it and if the people don’t like it, too bad maybe you should get another job. But anyway, Jessica (yes the same Jessica from Stone Soul) and I had the pleasure of eating at Tapas Teatro a few weeks ago, and had an amazing time. In late July or early August, I was made aware of Chef Tony through restaurant week and after interviewing the self taught chef, I knew I had to come back to eat. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. When I say this food was amazing, I mean it was some of the best food I’ve eaten. You know that feeling you get when you taste something really good and your eyes roll into the back of your head so you let out a heavy sigh? That was our reaction to everything we ate. Everything was immaculate, even the complimentary French bread and olive oil. So here’s the rundown of our Tapas Teatro experience:
Before we get into it, it’s important to have the background on the Spanish tradition of Tapas. I read a lot of reviews on the Tapas Teatro, many were good, the most common one I read was the serving size was too small. A small note to everyone: the food is supposed to be small. Tapa is the Spanish name for the snack/appetizers that are served in Spain before lunch or dinner. The Tapas is regarded as a time to socialize and eat with friends. It’s our version of happy hour or going to the bar. You may have a drink or two and some appetizers such as hot wings or mozzarella sticks, but it’s not dinner. So generally, Tapas are not meals, but in America it is a meal and you can have as much or as little as you want. Also, you won’t go broke trying to eat in the recession because most items are under $10.
The service was great; we were immediately seated and given a small cup of olives. I am not going to lie, neither one of us know how the olives tasted because we didn’t touch them, but they were pretty with a variety of colors shades. We started our meal off with Manchego and Crab and Spinach. The manchego is a fried sheep’s milk cheese that is coated with crushed almonds, and drizzled with honey. It was so good that even Jessica, who has a peanut allergy, risked her life to have a bite. The Crab and Spinach was a very simple dish of spinach that was cooked just enough so that it wasn’t soggy with lump crab meat in a white cream sauce. It was simple, yet divine. For our main course, Jessica decided to try the Beef Escalope, while I opted for the grilled calamari. Mind you, this was my first time trying calamari and I’m still not exactly sure what it is, but it was good. The best way I can describe calamari is similar to scallops. The flavor is very light but the texture is rubbery. It’s just like regular seafood, so don’t be scared or let the fact that calamari is squid scare you. The steak was very tender and was covered with gravy and mushrooms with a very fine cheese underneath. Not your typical rib eye but still good. To complete our meal, we had goat’s cheese cheesecake. Before anyone says eww, which I see already, this was some of the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted. It was better than most cheesecakes at the Cheesecake Factory, except the red velvet one; everyone agreed that was one of their favorite cheesecakes. Even then, I have a hard time picking that cheesecake over the goat’s cheese cheesecake. The texture was nice and creamy and the strawberries were flavorful and juicy. That cheesecake was amazing. I would definitely rate my experience an A+. I definitely want to give a big thank you to Chef Tony for his hospitality and graciousness.
“Just because” Rundown:
Why is this a rundown? Because it was very funny that’s why. A few months ago, me and Jess were on our way to first Thursdays at Hopkins Park. As we were waiting at a red light on Baltimore Street (the name should have said something to what was about to happen) a car pulled up beside us and the backseat passenger tried to holla at her. Jess asked him to roll his window down, to which this man replied “I can’t.” He was in the back of an unmarked police car on his way to central booking. I was rolling. The police officer was laughing like it was just another Thursday. He proceeded to yell his number out the window, while Jess fiddled with her phone. Then he told her to call him when he got out the next day. Am I the only one confused? I don’t know if this is funny or sad. It’s funny because it’s ironic, it’s sad because obviously this man and the police are too well acquainted. If you’re under arrest, the only thing you should be doing is crying. Also, I want to shout out Mullyman (The State of Baltimore/DC Hip Hop) who recently won Baltimore City Paper’s best MC award 2009. Cue hand clap and cheers.
This is how I found out about Anacostia. One Saturday morning, I decided to do a little googling for actors in the Baltimore/DC area. As I was doing my research, I found a wanted ad, of sorts, from Anthony Anderson, an independent director, actor, writer, and producer who was looking to fill a role in his then upcoming Anacostia- the Web Series. It all seemed promising, so I contacted him the way any serious journalist would - a Facebook message. A phone call later, I was scheduled to meet the cast in Baltimore.
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