TheaterJones
by Mark Lowry
Published Thursday, February 11, 2010
Buster Spiller wrote and directs The Cosby’s: The Lost Episode, an inspired idea that imagines what might have happened had the groundbreaking TV show followed in the footsteps of previous African-American sitcoms, such as Sanford and Son, Good Times and What's Happening!! In other words, what if the Huxtables were blue-collar and uneducated? It presents the "lost" pilot, in which Theo (J.R. Bradford) is in junior college, Rudy (Bradford) gets knocked up and Clair keeps saying the phrase that also serves as the episode's title, "Mama gon' tear that ass up!" Akron Watson plays the big sweater-wearing Bill Cosby, who introduces the episode. He then slips into the role of Heathcliff, the husband who doesn't get enough, um, pudding pops from his worn-out wife. If this script were fine-tuned a little more and the episode not so broad, it could really be a strong commentary on portrayals of blacks in popular culture. It's still pretty funny, though.
Arts Performance Picks: If you have never witness the extraordinary vocals of the New Arts Six, do it before you die! These gifted gilded voices bring Hughes' work to life, weaving a legacy of music that will have you humming all the way home.
