By the way I know who you are. You were in the daytime drama The Edge of Night. I wondered what happened to you.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-ca-blackfamilies30-2008nov30,0,6866514.story
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-ca-maturity30-2008nov30,0,837198.story

…which prompted a Google search that led me to Michael Langston Moore’s article, “The Demise of the Black Sitcom” on Starpulse (and your blog). Impressed by his observations – and writing – I lingered to read: “The Most Memorable TV Wives” and “Realistic ‘Coming Of Age’ Shows Desperately In Need Of A Comeback.” But the essay that that really got my notice was “The Image of Black Women in Entertainment,” and the nails (in the coffin of the careers of black actresses) that it hit on the head with these points …

* In The Cosby Show, Claire Huxtable was the epitome of a strong, dignified, and highly intelligent black woman that rarely was seen on television before and has been noticeably absent since…
* But something has happened in Hollywood. A regression has occurred. Black women have been marginalized or altogether phased out in popular culture…
* Black actresses are even having trouble getting cast as the romantic lead opposite a black male co-star…
* If there was more of a balance of black female expression in entertainment, it wouldn’t be an issue…
* Due to all of this, is there any wonder why Tyler Perry is so successful? Though some will argue that his films are mediocre at best, it is undeniable that Perry has tapped into a market that has long since been abandoned by Hollywood — the appreciation of black women…Perry has created a brand that Hollywood refuses to tap into.

Fortunately, the theater world is far more accommodating of race, age and gender. So that is where Iona Morris (her dad was Greg Morris of the ’70’s “Mission Impossible” TV series) and I took our talents as writers and performers, resulting in “MOIST!” ( http://www.moistonstage.com ) – our “sexistential” musical comedy celebration of the “seasoned” woman ­– prepping to open Off-Broadway, Spring, 2009…with a treatment already written to adapt the adventures of “The Peechee Sisters” into a sitcom with a “Girlfriends” meets “The Golden Girls” meets “AbFab” POV.

I’m including links to a video promo of “MOIST!” and monologues from our show which preceded this one (a smash hit for 18 months in LA!) which we incorporated into “MOIST!” My goal is to get as much word-of-mouth going as we can prior to opening in NY by “viral-izing ” these clips and getring as may hits and comments as we can on Youtube. So please, please, please, forward to all your friends…and ask them to do likewise.

Thanks!
Mariann Aalda
http://www.mariannaalda.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHmvr2v7z2I

********************
“MOIST!” promo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEKNr5DrLo

One Niight Stand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsLYKZxkWCM

Make Him Wait!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkQkOtlmOoI

I Wanna Beg and Scream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FopRO5fESl8

Comin’ in the Kitchen

Nice post!