The place: Chicago, the year: 1964. Set around the time of the mid 1960s just before segregated schools merged, music brought two friends together but race and prejudice tore them apart in the play “The Good Times Are Killing Me,” based on the book by playwright, cartoonist, and author Lynda Barry on Saturday, March 27, directed by Lone Star College’s Ron Jones, Director of Theater.
Both Prairie View A&M University and Lone Star College in Cy-Fair came together to bring the play to life. PVAMU students, faculty as well as Lone Star College students and four others of the Cy-Fair community starred in the production.
The narrator of the story, Edna Arkins (as portrayed by Liz Herrera Hermes, Lone Star College student) told of how her old neighborhood went from being a segregated community to a diverse street overnight, “…white, white, white, and Filipino,” said Edna as she pointed out into the audience describing how the street she lived on one time had only one minority, at least on the side that she lived on. The other side of the street as Edna had narrated was where the other minorities (black, Hispanic, Asian) lived on the far end. Despite those who moved out as minorities moved in, there was always music. With a great love for music, Edna slowly becomes more and more exposed to races other than her own, and through their mutual appreciation for music, befriend one another.
In the beginning, the people in the community are separate. The minorities play only among each other. Edna’s curiosity toward Bona Willis, played by PVAMU education major Tiffany Cole, is sparked by the fact that they’re the same age. All the other kids are either too young or too old. Despite the warnings of Edna’s mother, Edna constantly tries to make conversation with Bona.
The neighborhood is full of people living in poverty. The Arkins are no exception. Edna’s father owes their uncle thousands of dollars; money that has piled up from loans and things that her father borrowed from his brother and broke. Edna’s father also later leaves her, her mother and sister for another woman who he secretly had another family with.
Despite the hard times both Edna and Bona have, they both stick together through thick and thin. Bona was there for Edna when her father left, and Edna was a true friend to Bona when her little brother, Elvin, drowned in Lake Washington. Although each race had their own differences, Elvin’s death hits the community hard. The tragedy brings them closer together. And then there’s the music. With new songs and new dance moves come tighter bonds with one another.
However, as the girls grow up, society challenges their friendship altogether. Once the two get into seventh grade, things have changed completely. Black and white schools have merged completely and racial tension has become high. Bona is coerced by her friends to fight her old friend Edna as she pleads to her, trying desperately to make Bona remember their old friendship. The play ended on a bittersweet note, the two girls’ relationship dissolved with no one making amends with one another.
“Doing the show was amazing,” said Cole, “It was a great learning experience working with Lone Star [College] and lifetime friendships were made.” Cole spoke of how enjoyable it was playing her character, “Playing Bona was exciting and fun, it was so much fun to play her character. Fortunately I’ve never had the experience of the loss of a friend due to race.”