Hooded, Or Being Black For Dummies presented by First Floor Theater at The Den Theatre

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...A bit involving a "laugh" sign attempts to identify and comment on the racist underpinnings of American comedy, but isn't used definitively enough to make more than its initial statement, and distracts from the rest of the action. Like the black experience, Hooded is messy, unpredictable, sometimes fun, sometimes shocking, and should probably come with a trigger warning."

Theatre By Numbers - Somewhat Recommended

"...Chisholm’s work is well supported by Lee and Gilbert as a pair of mismatched friends who understand each other better than anyone else onstage. Montgomery is hilarious as Lee’s pushy lawyer mother, and just as effective playing a mean girl underling. Morris goes places I did not expect in his performance, and his seduction scene with Scrantom is as ridiculous as one could hope for. Hendricks sees Clementine with clear eyes, and doesn’t excuse her bad judgment just because she legitimately enjoys Marquis’ company."

Picture This Post - Highly Recommended

"...Relevant and well-crafted, Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies is, in this writer's view, a story that must be shared."

NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...It’s gallows humor—about as literal as it comes—and it sets the stage. Marquis (Jayson Lee) and Tru (Jalen Gilbert) meet in jail where the former has been arrested for trespassing (he was “Trayvon-ing”—a jarring meme-ification of a hate crime—in a graveyard) while the latter is there for “being while black.” A series of initially repetitious scenes sets a structural pattern that is picked up and dropped at will throughout. “Hooded” is tonally flexible, moving between philosophical dialogues, satire and abstraction, with each new mood adeptly handled by director Mikael Burke, though it feels at times that the play overflows with more interesting ideas than it has adequate time and space to explore."