The Son Of A Man
By Cooper Bates
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Company Name: Cooper Bates
City/State: Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Theatre
Ratings: All Ages
Website: http://cooperbates.com
Venue: Whim Space
Show Times:
1:30 PM Sunday, July 21
6:00 PM Sunday, July 21
7:30 PM Tuesday, July 23
9:00 PM Tuesday, July 23
Description:
Award-winning storyteller Cooper Bates thought his life was complete until a cryptic call from his estranged sister revealed a shocking secret about their father—a gesture of a legendary apology potentially worth millions. In this spellbinding one-man show, Cooper navigates a past shrouded in mystery and embarks on a quest for forgiveness. The Son of a Man delves into family secrets, identity, and the transformative power of truth.
Cast/Crew:
Tech and showrunner Niazayre McNeill
Past Fringe Shows:
Black When I Was A Boy, KC Fringe, 2022
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Mr. Bates’ ability to transform himself into other characters to tell his story is truly remarkable.
His high energy and compelling story about his relationship with his father is told with a vulnerability and honesty that is powerful.
Highly recommend this play
“The Son Of A Man” was gripping! The artists takes us on a raw, unapologetic & comedic narration of the broken relationship he has with his Father. Your on the edge of your seat with tears & laughter. A must see!
An hour of heartfelt, authentic storytelling of fragile relationships in family. Mr Bates is performance magic. One of the best performances of the 8 I’ve seen at 2024 KC Fringe!
A gripping, heartfelt story! Cooper is a great storyteller!
I so enjoy watching Cooper’s one man plays! It was very eye opening and a touching story between father and son. It will make you stop, think and reminiscence on your own relationship with your parents.
A spellbinding performance. I was impressed by the talent of this actor/playwright. Definitely worth seeing.
“My dad and I don’t like each other.” The audience laughs at an opening line that sets the theme for the deeper, more vulnerable delivery of Cooper Bates–a storyteller who nonchalantly takes you through his most disappointing moments with his father. Moving backwards and forwards in time, his stories feel like when you are on a roll around a campfire and one thing inspires you that sparks another then another and then you are somehow back to where it all started. The iconic stance and mimicry of Delano, his father, provided an immediately recognizable path for the audience to follow during the scenic interpretations. There were some moments of error, but Bates always recovered gracefully and fell back into his strong rhythm and almost hypnotic cadence.
This was a very fascinating story. One thing that was unclear to me, which could be clarified in future iterations of the script, was what the father’s intentions were and/or knowledge of value was in regard to the final gift. (Trying to say this without spoilers.) I was uncertain of this in the text of the script, and I think it would have been helpful to know. But I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommended audiences come experience this story!
Saw this wonderful story tonite. This was my husband’s favorite Preview and we both loved the show.
It was REAL, authentic, interesting.
I would love to see this show tour on circuit.
A very powerful performance. Cooper is a natural and gifted story teller. This show is a moving story of overcoming childhood aversity and the courage to come to understanding and forgiveness. Highly recommended.
In this work, there is no high drama. The action is internal. It involves the interior struggle of a man over his unhappy relationship with his father. Yet it is transformative. Cooper Bates drew me in measure by measure until I was fully invested in his story. At the end, I felt that the audience and I clapped in sync with the same energy because we were feeling the same cathartic emotion. It was a wonderful feeling.