Similarities Between 'Git On Board And Hairpiece'

In The Colored Museum, George Wolfe writes in a Brechtian fashion in order to create an atmosphere of interest and to bring the spectators to question their position and comment on the plays “Git on Board” and “Hairpiece” become a political platform by using alienation techniques through narration, character, and dialogue in order to create a take away for the audience from the “exhibit”; the audience in this manner is able to leave the “exhibit” with the historical value of a black play with an emotional or intellectual impact with the political commentary that each play causes.
The opening narration and monologue of the first scene of “Git on Board” immediately creates a connection between the play and the spectators by using the alienation technique of

time and generating a distance between Miss Pat and the “passengers” within the plot. The first narration displays slides portraying the torturing of African slaves “being flashed before us”(1). This introducing scene itself creates an impact on the audience because the slides touches upon torture and violence something that the audience can understand no matter their race. Wolfe makes the audience become the passengers by including the audience in the narration with the use of “us.” Furthermore, the audience receives a preview of what their life will be once they get on this slaveship. By directing the audience as slaves, the audience now is connected to the play on a personal level. By giving the audience an overview of the black American History, Wolfe creates a historic atmosphere because the passengers are learning during their travel of their future history. Lastly, Miss Pat, our main character holds a higher position than the audience does. She alienates herself from the “slaves”; therefore, the audience becomes Miss Pat’s puppets because she controls them by making them repeat what she says. For example when she says, “repeat after me, I don’t hear any drums”; the fact that the drums are being played since the beginning of monologue to historic facts they encapsulate of important emotions and actions that the audience feels
Likewise, in the“Hairpiece” Wolfe personifies the wigs; therefore pointing out that the black woman's choice of hairstyle is a political statement.

Throughout the constant dialogue between the two wigs, unlike “Git on Board,” this play does not directly address the audience. Instead, the personification of the two wigs is pulling the audience into the conversation. The wigs come to life and analyze the cultural connotations they each represent,and argue over which wig should be worm. The Afro wig, Janine, and the long flowing wig, Lawanda, draw on common stereotypes of black women to discourage the Woman from picking the other. For example, Lawanda says, “I am quality. She is kink. I am exotic. She is common. I am class and she is trash. That’s right. T.R.A.S.H.” and Janine replies, You think you cute. She thinks she’s cute just ‘cause that synthetic mop of hers blow in the wind. She looks like a fool and you look like an even bigger fool when you wear her.” (23) The Woman feels torn in both directions, and her indecision reflects a conflict many black women face. Each wig represents a different political stance and they both seem to dislike each other because of the connotation each one brings to the

world.
By ending the play without a resolution as a Brechtian play usually does it makes the audience think about the play and be put in the Woman’s shoes. The audience is left unsettled with the ending and has them thinking a possible endings and start a political commentary; since the play outwardly social and political and each person will have a different answer. In this way the audience will think about the play not only as entertainment or comedic atmosphere between the wigs; instead the audience will question and think about the play in a political and social manner. Overall, the Brechtian structure lets the audience connect to the play and furthermore create a platform for political commentary.