“Mel’n E” by Terrace Wyatt Jr is a one-human stream-of-conscious demand for the audience and the world to recognize that Black people are a part of everything from the music you listen to to the reason your wife cheats on you. I saw Maya Zayn in the role, but the part is also played by Markus Raines, depending on which date you attend.
Fringe goers will recognize and connect with pop culture and Black culture references as the sleep deprived Power attempts to compose their senior capstone presentation before the looming deadline. While the script is full of salient points and hilarious quips, I found it lacking in focus. It was difficult to tell who we the audience were in relation to Power, whether they were talking to us or to themselves, and when the subject matter was meant as part of the capstone or just random thoughts.
Terrace Wyatt, Jr. always has something important to say with his scripts and this play is no different. I feel that, after some tightening up, this script as potential to really captivate and move people to “let them cook”. I look forward to seeing where this show goes in the future.
