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July 25, 2012
Gentrification Takes Top Bill in “Local” Play
The Local [Fort Greene/Clinton Hill]
by Lauretta Charlton
Real estate broker turned writer and actor, Nichole Thompson-Adams, 43, has lived in Fort Greene since 1994. She used her experiences in the neighborhood to write the one-woman show, “Black Girl You’ve Been Gentrified,” in which she also stars. The show will return to Joe’s Pub on Lafayette Street in Manhattan this Friday. We talked to Ms. Thompson-Adams about why she likes the neighborhood, what she would change and her advice to people interested in moving to Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.
...Q. What inspired you to write a show about gentrification in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill?
A. I rented on South Portland Avenue, which was the premier block in Fort Greene in the mid-early ’90s, and by the late ’90s it had become apparent to my husband and myself that we could not afford to rent, much less buy there. The house we were renting was sold and we had to move. Michael Weller, the playwright, and I were having a conversation about this and I told him about the different people and situations and how I felt. He suggested I write it down and do something with it. So I did, and he has come to every show.
...Q. If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?
A. The stadium. When have you ever heard of an arena being good for a neighborhood? A city maybe, but the surrounding neighborhood, I don’t think so.
Posted by eric at July 25, 2012 2:11 PM