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Promotional art for Single Black Female
Cover image credit: Promotional image via Comedy Dynamics

Single Black Female

Marina Franklin

Comedy Dynamics · 2019 · 58 min

A seasoned club comic talks modern dating, gentrification, and social etiquette.

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Released , on Comedy Dynamics.

Marina Franklin treats the cultural demand for constant resilience like an unpaid internship she never applied for. Between rejecting the expectation of the strong Black woman and questioning why keeping up with woke etiquette requires so much homework, she points out that Black excellence mostly sounds like unnecessary overtime. She would rather spend her energy discussing the indignities of dating in New York.

Taped at the Vic Theatre in Chicago in September 2018 and released by Comedy Dynamics in 2019, the set marked a hometown return for a comic who spent decades working the New York club circuit. By then, Franklin was a regular at the Comedy Cellar, wrote for the HBO series Divorce, appeared on Crashing, and hosted a weekly comedy podcast.

Her delivery relies on conversational rhythm rather than theatrical punchlines. Franklin jokes about watching Harlem gentrify, the awkwardness of dating younger men, and the bizarre etiquette required when finding out she is a partner’s first Black girlfriend.

Notable bits & set list

2 bits

  1. Unpacking the expectations around being a 'strong Black woman' and Black excellence.

    Franklin questions why extra adjectives and intense pressure must be placed on Black women, arguing that being 'a'ight' and living an average, happy life should be acceptable.

  2. The exhaustion of trying to be 'woke' in confusing times.

    She jokes about the research, effort, and stress involved in keeping up with wokeness, comparing it to an unwanted second job on top of being Black.

How it plays

Tone
Conversational, honest, amusing, and not overly vulgar.
On stage
Conversational, approachable, and candid storyteller with an easy comfort level, akin to a lovable longtime friend.
Pace
Musical and rhythmic delivery that she compares to dancing with the audience, relying on natural timing and smooth segues.
About
navigating modern wokeness, dating and sex, the 'strong Black woman' trope, code-switching, Black excellence versus being average

What the critics said

Regarded as a solid, well-crafted debut highlighting Franklin's rhythmic conversational style and stage comfort, though noted for eliciting steady chuckles and amusement rather than big, shocking punchlines.

In the room: Warm and highly supportive hometown audience composed of family, friends, and comedy fans.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: comedydynamics.com, hiddenremote.com, text.npr.org, imdb.com, wherever-i-look.com, link.vulture.com, theinterrobang.com, en.wikipedia.org, npr.org.

Backstory

Filmed in her hometown of Chicago; Franklin likened the special's taping dynamic to 'the wedding you never had' where friends, family, and her mother gathered to celebrate.

Details

Released
Taped
2018, The Vic Theatre, Chicago
Runtime
58 min
Where
Comedy Dynamics
Director
Brian Volk-Weiss
Topics

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