Know How

Minority youth from New York foster care wrote and performed this musical based on their own lives—a polished production built around unvarnished narratives (featuring violence and strong language). The kids talk to each other as they go through their days, but at any time their dialogue can turn into R&B and hip-hop numbers. They also ride subways, attend classes, and comfort each other when things are rough. After Megan (Claribelle Pagan) tells a teacher that a relative molested her, Child Protective Services removes her and her sister from their home, and she winds up in a treatment center where she becomes the victim of bullying. CPS also takes Eva (Gabrielle Garcia) when her dad's crack habit comes to light. Addie (Niquana Clark, the film's strongest performer) has been living with her aunt since the death of her mother. The aunt criticizes everything about her niece, including her intelligence, so Addie sets out to prove her wrong, and when she applies herself, her grades improve (although her attitude doesn't). Marie (Ebonee Simpson) ends up in a group home after her grandmother dies, and when that doesn't work out, she stays with Addie. And homeless Austin (Gilbert Howard) lifts wallets for food money, although after a violent altercation with drug dealers, he decides it's time for a change. The acting and singing vary in quality, but first-time director Juan Carlos Piñeiro Escoriaza ties it all together skillfully in this film that features some genuinely touching moments. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)