[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of “The Other Brother: The Black Fraternal Experience in America As Seen Through Blue Eyes,” written and performed by J.K. Wood at Whitefire Theatre’s Solofest 2023.
“The Other Brother” is not exactly a play…not exactly a solo show. For J.K. Wood it seems to be his life’s calling. As a young man starting college, he pledged to Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, a Black fraternity. J.K. is not black. But he has always been deeply connected to the African American community. As a baby, he was fostered by Lucille McGee, an African American woman.
J.K. pledged and was accepted into the famously all-Black Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and he has continued to hold the pledge to his brothers throughout his life. It’s a strange reversal of norms, for this white man to be the anomalous “White Alpha.” But his continued involvement in the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity all over the country has endeared him to the Black community and continues to do so. It also seems to have been a center to his life, a life of Activision and humanitarianism.
So while the story of J.K.’s pledge, his continued involvement in the fraternity, and the African American community in general as “the other brother” is reason enough for a solo show, what impressed me just as much was his commitment to the discussion post show. It’s as if the show itself, his story, poses to us one giant question. The “why not” factor. Why does it seem so hard to just see each other as equals? As brothers? And this begins the audience discussion. Primed, as it were, by his experience, his positive uplifting and hopeful path, after taking a few moments to absorb everything, we are left wondering why it can’t be as simple as just deciding to…
“The Other Brother” is an unusual solo show. While J.K. does dramatize events in his life, parts of his pledge journey, his heartfelt and hilarious foray into rap, it’s not really a show that illustrates a person’s progression to self knowledge. While he has had his difficulties and his struggles and his own learning curve, J.K. Wood seems to have always known exactly who he is. Which is again, something fairly unique in the world of solo work. His approach to his life and certainly this show is refreshing, intriguing and ultimately highly entertaining. It’s a shame that his story is a bit of an outlier, let us hope that this anomalous “white brother” will at some point be the norm rather than the exception. But until that day, J.K. Wood’s story and his life of living his dream is an excellent example of a life we should all aspire toward.
J.K. Wood is an entertainer at heart, a gifted communicator and storyteller and his show “The Other Brother” is one man’s sweet and heartfelt truth and a path to a better and more inclusive world. Bravo!
You can find out more about “The Other Brother” and J.K.Woods on his website: https://iamtheotherbrother.com/