One-Woman Excellence in ‘Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains’ at Karamu

When flipping through the production photos for ‘Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains’ at Karamu House, you’ll see dozens of photos of one actress. If you’ve not yet attended the play, you might take notice of how she wears different accessories in the various photos, be it a jacket, sunglasses, sweater, earrings or gele. After attending the show, however, you will view these photos in a different light and with a new appreciation; for now, you will be able to recognize the vast multitude of characters portrayed within each photo.

To distinctively play nearly a dozen characters is a feat in and of itself. To do so as a solo performer, for nearly two uninterrupted hours, is remarkable. Karamu’s “Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains” is an entertaining coming-of-age story, but even more impressive than the semi-autobiographical script is the performance that brings the tale to life.

“Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains” begins in 1968 as our main character, Jackie, begins her freshman year at Bennington College. The Vermont mountains that house Jackie’s all-women, majority-white school are a vastly different environment from her hometown of Queens and Nigeria, where she spent the last three years with her family. During her four years at Bennington, Jackie forms diverse friend groups, navigates a complicated first love, struggles to define her career aspirations and tries to find a place where she “belongs.”

“Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains” is the third and final installment of Caleen Sinnette Jennings’ Queens Girl series. The first two installments, “Queens Girl in the World” and “Queens Girl in Africa,” follow Jackie during her childhood and years spent abroad. Although the prior Queens Girl shows might help provide context as to the character of Jackie, they are by no means essential viewing in order to appreciate “Black in the Green Mountains.”

This is a coming-of-age story full of self-discovery. The show takes place in the late 1960s and early 70s, but anyone who has worked their way through the growing pains of their late teens and early 20s will likely relate to Jackie’s struggles to define herself and determine how she wants her future to look. This is possible thanks to Jennings’ script, which is an honest, humorous and charming piece of autobiographical fiction derived from parts of her own life.

Guiding us through Jackie’s experience is the superbly talented Maya Israel under the direction of Caroline Jackson-Smith. Israel’s Jackie is a sweet, intelligent character who laughs often and approaches life with a hopeful outlook and a joyful demeanor. As far as main characters go, she’s one that audiences will enjoy spending an evening with.

Jackie’s story is told chronologically with the help of supporting characters, from rich, white dorm roommates to theater professors to her Nigerian father. With the swapping of an accessory from Brielle McGrew’s costume design, the hunching of shoulders or the donning of an accent, Israel effortlessly slips into the skin of supporting characters. Israel embodies more than 10 characters with chameleon-esque skill. While the Jackie character has many monologues, interactions with the supporting characters are common. This requires Israel to swap between personas in rapid succession. Even when holding conversations with herself, she manages to maintain distinction between her many characters–a feat that takes no small amount of skill.

The show, which clocks in at just under two hours, spans Jackie’s years in undergrad. There’s a lot to cover in four years, meaning that the show runs slightly long, but the nature of the play requires that most of the individual scenes be short and snappy. This aids in the show’s ability to hold attention and keep the narrative moving, but it also means that we are never able to linger too deeply with Jackie’s more profound thoughts and experiences.

Jennings’ script touches on many issues, the most prominent of them being Jackie accepting, embracing and advocating for her Blackness in a society where she never feels as if she belongs. As one of 12 Black girls on campus, Jackie is made especially aware of all of the ways that she is “different.” After discovering a love for the theater and acting, Jackie finds that prejudices seep into her chosen major as well, leading her to become an advocate for change and representation within the field.

Global issues and incidents, such as the Kent State killings and the heightening of the Vietnam War–aided by large projections of historical photographs by multimedia designer Jasmine A. Golphin–intermittently rear their head. These events act as touchstones that help provide historical context for the audience, but Jackie’s opinions about and interactions with the events are largely minimal.

More significant is the use of music. Jazz, R&B and soul music has a profound impact on Jackie, and these supplemental sounds and snippets of songs are well provided by designer Richard Ingraham. Laura Carlson-Tarantowski’s set design is minimalistic, but with the help of lighting designer Logan Chapman, the set contains all the trappings needed to translate the passage of time and change of place.

“Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains” contains an inspiring tale of self-discovery and belonging, but what sets it apart from other plays is the strenuous demands it places on its central performer, and in Karamu’s case, that performer is a tour de force.

“Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains” runs through March 8, 2026, at Karamu House’s Bank of America Arena Theatre, 2355 East 89th Street, Cleveland. Visit karamuhouse.org or call (216) 795-7077 for tickets, $20-40.

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