Blackbirds: A Transcript of Jim Crow

Blackbirds: Volume 1, written by Andre Phillip Coleman and directed by Keena Ferguson, is the story of the Jim Crow south leading up to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s. To say this topic makes some people hesitant to talk about race is an understatement. However, Coleman does not hold any punches in his depiction of the legally segregated southern United States.

A Transcript and Screenplay of Jim Crow

The author of this audio drama comes from a visual background. It shows in the way he handles setting the scene. While not obvious until after the halfway point, there’s a sense that the voice-over narration is off. It took until episode 4 to grasp that the scene description was essentially in screenplay format. Everything clicked once that happened. I can only assume its intentional because of the writer’s background as a screenwriter. Normally the idea of using audio drama as a springboard to film and television is worrisome to me as it belittles the medium. However, the uniqueness of reading a screenplay for an audio drama. combined with individual voice actors for each role is something to marvel at. It’s something that shouldn’t work, but strangely does, due in no large part to the ending.

Before touching on the ending, it’s probably best to discuss the plot and characters. The setting of the segregated south is something many people know happened, and it’s not much different than most Hollywood films about the time period. The racism is blatant and the characters don’t try to hide it.

Oral Storytelling and Narration

The narration evokes that feeling of listening to masterful oral storytelling. The long history of the oral tradition often isn’t touched by modern audio dramas. Instead, today’s creators focus on making the story as cinematic as possible. Black Birds is a nice callback to the oral tradition while still incorporating more modern techniques of storytelling.

An Ending for the Past and Present of Jim Crow

The ending is both screenwriting 101 and surprising, but not inevitable. The foreshadowing is there, but the implications are what make the finale stand out. It both subverts expectations while also fulfilling promises made to the characters inside the story. It makes the listener give a sigh of relief only to realize a brief second after that the worst is yet to come.

8/10 Stars