Black magic satire

By: Kyle Christensen
Features Editor

Ku Klux Klansmen, Black Panthers and Dr. Seuss? Oh my.

No area of history and pop culture was safe from the parodying clutches of kevINda, a pair of sketch comedians from the Chicago area who performed in the Wells Theater last Wednesday, Sept. 20.

A branch of the MPAACT (Ma’at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre), kevINda features the farcical talents of Kevin Douglas and Inda Craig-Galvan, whose latest self-produced showcase “Incognegro” seeks to analyze the role of African-Americans in our modern world, using numerous hilarious skits and send-ups to depict the many degrees of ironic racial stereotyping and bigotry that we may encounter on a daily basis.

According to Craig-Galvan, “We just want to do social and political satire that says something. We don’t like to do anything for a laugh or to be funny for funny’s sake; we like to try to do something with a point of view always.”

Scenes ranged widely in depth and social impact: a young Condoleezza Rice revealing to her revolutionary father that she wants to become a Republican, two friends contemplating the language of “ebonics,” NASCAR fans questioning the potential for minorities in the future of sports, a rhyming tribute to “Green Eggs and Ham,” an accomplished thespian auditioning as an extra in the next “Barbershop” installment and the story of Curious George retold from the perspective of an imprisoned slave.

The humor, however, did not deter from the duo’s core implication that racial intolerance has reached the point of complete absurdity.

The two have experienced this phenomenon firsthand, as they have spent years competing in an industry of entertainment that thrives on close-mindedness and discriminatory practices.

“We’re both actors, and one of the things we stopped doing was waiting by the phone. We said, ‘if we want to do it, let’s do it,’” stated Douglas.

KevINda’s travels have taken them to locations from San Francisco to Seattle, and on Nov. 15, they will be staging their routine at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival in Canada.

Additional details may be sought at www.kevinda.com or www.mpaact.org.