by Mike Hoban

‘Barber Shop Chronicles’ – Written by Inua Ellams; Directed by Bijan Sheibani; Set Design by Rae Smith; Lighting Design by Jack Knowles; Sound Design by Gareth Fry; Music Direction by Michael Henry; Movement Direction by Aline David. Co-produced by Fuel, National Theatre, and West Yorkshire Playhouse. Presented by American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St. Cambridge, through Jan. 5.

Ever since the release of the movie series of the same name in the early 2000’s, I’ve pretty much thought of the “Barber Shop” as the social and cultural domain of African-American men. It had never occurred to me before seeing Barber Shop Chronicles (now playing at the A.R.T.), that the same elements that made barber shops a safe haven for black men in the U.S. – namely, a place where they could gather and express themselves without the judgement/harassment of an often hostile society – were also a cultural institution in other corners of the world, despite knowing that those same conditions existed pretty much everywhere, including the African continent.

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By Sheila Barth

BOX INFO: One-act, 110-minute play, written by Inua Ellams, co-produced by The Fuel, National Theatre, and West Yorkshire Playhouse, appearing at American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) through Jan. 5, 2019, on its US premiere tour, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge: Dec. 19-22. 26-29, 31, Jan. 2-5, at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 19,22,23, 27, 29-31, Jan.5, 2 p.m.. Tickets start at $25, subscriber, member, groups, student, senior, Blue Star families EBT cardholders and other discounts. americanrepertorytheater.org, 617-547-8300.

We all do it. While getting our hair cut or styled at the barber shop or salon, we engage in small talk with our hairdresser/barber. We even discuss lofty topics, solving the world’s problems. Sometimes, we lean over a bit to eavesdrop on what the person in the chair nearby is revealing. Strangely enough, we openly talk about family and friends’ secrets, our feelings, likes and dislikes, political and personal problems to a stranger. You never know what truths, boasting, or bravado may erupt, but you know the dynamic exists globally.

Read more “BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES – Where Real Men Gather, Gab, and Get Groomed”