“Now that I’ve recently graduated, I’m ready to pour all my heart and energy into this piece and hope it resonates with audiences abroad.”
WHO: Quaz Degraft
WHAT: “Every wolf starts as a cub… some just have to claw their way up. In The Black is a gripping, dark comedy solo play about an ambitious Black accountant fighting for a seat at the table in the high-stakes world of Wall Street. Torn between love, identity and the relentless pursuit of success, he must navigate power, class and identity in a system that was never built for him. How far will he go to survive… and who will he become in the process?”
WHERE: Stephenson Theatre at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall (Venue 53)
WHEN: VARIES (50 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Yes, this is my first time in Edinburgh. I’m excited to take this story that I’ve been dreaming up while studying for my MFA at the University of Southern California. Now that I’ve recently graduated, I’m ready to pour all my heart and energy into this piece and hope it resonates with audiences abroad. I’m just as excited to see the plethora of other incredible shows. I keep hearing the festival is life changing and I can’t wait to experience it all.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2024 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
The biggest thing I’ve learned is not being afraid to fail. Especially during grad school, I came in thinking I had to do things “right,” but I’ve learned there’s no such thing. There’s the truth and then there is everything else. In writing this solo play, I’m searching to get as close to my truth as possible and in performing it, I’m doing the same. Letting go of the fear of looking bad or messing up has led to more honest discoveries and more interesting work.
Tell us about your show.
In The Black is a dark comedic solo show about Kofi, a first-generation Ghanaian American climbing the ladder of Wall Street. It’s loosely based on my own experiences working as an accountant before making a complete career shift into acting. As the first born in an African home, there’s this unspoken pressure to please your parents and be the model child. With money tight and 50 Cent’s “Hustler’s Ambition” playing in my ear, I grew up wanting to change my life and my family’s life by any means. So what happens when you throw all that into the mix and place it inside the greed fueled environment of Wall Street? This show also explores what it means to be Black in Corporate America and how we navigate those spaces.
I did a two-show run in Los Angeles to get the piece in front of an audience, which gave me a chance to tinker and improve it even further. Right now I’m fully focused on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but who knows where In The Black will go next.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
After seeing my show, the audience should definitely check out Role Play (or the Hottest Day in Belgian History) by my fellow USC Trojan alum Cameron Murphy. It’s another solo show with a distinct voice and perspective, and it’s going up at the Ivy Studio at Greenside. I think it’s exciting to see how different performers tackle solo work in their own unique way. Cameron’s show is smart, funny, and full of heart.
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