Honky

Directed by Don Roy King, this PBS-aired filmed version of Sam Woodhouse's staging of Greg Kalleres's tiular satire about race in America features members of the San Diego Repertory Theatre acting out scenarios tied to a shoe company. Honky begins with Davis (James Newcomb), the white company president, and Thomas (Gerard Joseph), a black designer, discussing Sky Shoes' flashy new sneaker. Thomas says he wouldn't wear the Skymax 16, but Davis thinks that if they can convince black youth to buy them then white kids will follow suit. But Thomas is haunted by the murder of a black teen over a previous shoe design. The next vignette involves Peter (Francis Gercke), a white ad copywriter, and Emilia (Tanya Alexander), a black psychiatrist. Even before Emilia gets a chance to ask what's wrong, Peter launches into a convoluted speech about the many ways in which he isn't racist. In other words: her race took him by surprise. The relationships between these people come into focus as the configurations shift. When Thomas drops by Emilia's office to discuss his exchange with Davis, it turns out that Thomas is Emilia's brother. Peter also discusses race with his fiancée, Andie (Jacque Wilke). He feels that she is whiter than him, because she comes from money. Just like Peter, demographic factors also frequently guide her impressions of people. When she meets Thomas, he tells her, “I find your honesty refreshing,” although it's hard to tell if he's being sarcastic or sincere. Historical figures, such as Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, also add their perspectives in this amusingly profane play that leaves few racial stereotypes unexplored. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)