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by The Minister of Information JR Valrey, SF Bay View Oakland Bureau
One of the most jaw dropping exhibitions of any type of art that I have seen this year is a one man theatrical piece called “Hat Matter: Thoughts of a Black Mad Hatter,” written and performed by thespian Michael Wayne Turner III. The play explores the thoughts of a Black man living a precarious existence, oftentimes forced to deal with warring identities placed on him by the oppressor, in much the same way that W.E.B. Dubois spoke of the double consciousness and schizophrenic social nature of the so-called “negro” a century ago.
Michael Wayne Turner III did a majestic job at bringing the issues with the Black American social and political identity before a younger audience with the same intensity as W.E.B. Du Bois or Marcus Garvey did before him. Check out this very eloquent brother as he describes his art.
JR Valrey: What inspired the creation of “Hat Matter: Thoughts of a Black Mad Hatter”? How long did it take to create from conception to the stage?
Michael Wayne Turner III: “Hat Matter: Thoughts of a Black Mad Hatter” was inspired by the character Mad Hatter from “Alice in Wonderland.” From conception to stage, it took about three years to develop. As an artist, I’ve been building my arsenal and wardrobe for the past 12 years and this show is representative of that.
JR Valrey: What was your creative process like when you were writing this theatrical piece?
Michael Wayne Turner III: My process was pretty straightforward: write, edit, practice – on repeat for three years. However. Whenever. Wherever!
We can be whoever we want, while being whoever we are.
JR Valrey: Why did you choose to express yourself in a one man play rather than creating a feature film or just a poetry piece? Why is the stage important to you expressing yourself in this moment, with this piece?
Michael Wayne Turner III: I chose to express myself in a one man show because theater is the perfect crossroads for something accessible, yet magical. A movie with lights, sound and special effects is extremely magical because you can make fantasy out of what looks to be reality.
The big hurdle with making a movie at this stage in my life is cost; a movie can cost a great deal to produce at a high quality. Poems delivered as only poems are void of the magic created by lights, sound and costume as well as the set design of the stage. The theater is the form that allows my work to be accessible yet transformative.
JR Valrey: There’s an iconoclastic element to “Thoughts of a Black Mad Hatter” in the sense that hard Black revolutionary politics are usually not expressed by well dressed Black men who look to be assimilated into white society, especially those with British accents. Was that intentional? If so, what was the vision?
Michael Wayne Turner III: It was intentional with this piece to blur the lines of what a proud Black American man looks like, sounds like and thinks like. We are not a monolith, no matter which way you come at the Black male identity from. We are individuals. We are unique. We are special and common. We can be whoever we want, while being whoever we are.
JR Valrey: During the show, you were dressed real dapper. What role did fashion play in this theatrical piece?
Michael Wayne Turner III: Fashion is the wallpaper; fashion is the eye candy; fashion is the vehicle in which we present the character, the man and the myth. Fashion is how we visually see the character develop. Fashion is at least 50% of the whole show. From the 50+ suits on stage to the multiple outfits and costume changes, we witness throughout the 60 minutes.
JR Valrey: Your rhyme schemes during the play were definitely head and shoulders above most of the local rappers and spoken word artists in the area. Are you a spoken word artist or rapper also? How and where did you hone your craft of rhyming? And why did you make rhyming an essential part of this piece?
Michael Wayne Turner III: Thank you for the kind words. I am a poet, who knows how to rap. I was born into hip hop culture, and rap music has been the soundtrack to my generation. I am not the biggest consumer of rap, yet I have a great appreciation for it.
I tried my hand at writing at a very young age; I began writing raps then developed into poems, then stories, speeches, monologues and lectures. It is new for me to write songs, and I’m having a lot of fun doing so. Rhyming had to be essential to the piece, because it is essential to my life and times. It is the most popular and effective way to communicate a lot of information.
JR Valrey: Where did the name, “Hat Matter: Thoughts of a Black Mad Hatter” come from? What are you expressing through the title?
Michael Wayne Turner III: It’s a play on words from the “Mad Hatter.” Hat Matter means headspace, to communicate that the mind of a Black man is complex, brilliant and delicate.
JR Valrey: How long have you been a thespian, and how did that journey begin?
Michael Wayne Turner III: I’ve been a thespian for 11 years. It started fresh out of high school hired by Marc Bamuthi Joseph to travel with a play titled “Word Becomes Flesh.” I was also hired for a part in a play written by Chinaka Hodge titled, “Chasing Mehserle.” Both Bay Area juggernauts in the hip hop theater world.
JR Valrey: What do you want people to get from attending “Hat Matter: Thoughts of a Black Mad Hatter”?
Michael Wayne Turner III: I want the audience to walk away entertained, inspired and full of questions to ponder on the way home. I want people to walk away realizing how complex one person can be, so they may remember how complex we all truly are.
JR Valrey: Do you have any more local performances of “Hat Matter: Thoughts of a Black Mad Hatter” coming up? How can people keep up with you online?
Michael Wayne Turner III: We plan to take this show on the road for sure; starting here in the Bay Area, of course. We are in conversations with a few theaters now to solidify dates. After a successful run here, we plan to chart our way across the nation and the globe. You can keep up with the journey via www.MichaelTheThird.com or on Instagram @Sir_MichaelWayne.
You can catch Michael Wayne Turner III on stage for a special performance on Tuesday, July 26, at 7 p.m. at Zanzi’s, 19 Grand Avenue in downtown Oakland.
JR Valrey, journalist, author, filmmaker and founder of Black New World Media, heads the SF Bay View’s Oakland Bureau and is founder of his latest project, the Ministry of Information Podcast. He can be reached at blockreportradio@gmail.com, on Facebook and on Instagram @ministryof411podcast. Visit www.BlackNewWorldMedia.com to read more.
