'Kill Move Paradise' Looks At Black Brotherhood In The Afterlife

By Darlene Donloe

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames (2022-Fat Ham) isn’t afraid to go there. 

He likes to do deep dives and evoke uncomfortable questions that audiences are encouraged to answer for themselves based on what they believe they saw on the stage. 

His 2017 drama, ‘Kill Move Paradise,’ currently enjoying its Southern California premiere at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A., is a sampling of Ijames’ diverse works.

(l-r) Jonathan P. Sims, Ulato Sam, Cedric Joe, and Ahkei Togun

The story is about four Black men, torn from the world without warning, who find themselves in a cosmic waiting room in the afterlife, which is described as being “reminiscent of Elysium” - the Greek paradise inhabited by only the most heroic or virtuous souls.

One by one we see the men being tossed down a giant slide from which there is no return.

And, one by one, they challenge their earthly fates, while trying to make sense of their new life, or in this case – death journey. 

Ulato Sam

Isa, played by Ulato Sam, is the first one to find himself alone in a waiting room of sorts. As his eyes adjust, he notices a printer, the inquisitive eyes of the audience, and nothing else. Perplexed as to how he ended up there, he enlists the help of the audience – but to no avail. He tries to remember the last thing that happened before he awakened in his sparse digs.  As things start to slowly come to his remembrance, including his proximity to law enforcement, he asks the question, “At what age is a Black boy when he learns he’s scary? At eight?”  It’s a provocative question that permeates the Black community.

(l-r) Ulato Sam, Ahkei Togun, and Jonathan P. Sims

Next to drop in is Grif, played by Jonathan P. Sims, then Daz, played by Ahkei Togun, and later a youngster named Tiny, played by Cedric Joe. The three older men are thrown for a loop at Tiny’s youth and his presence in the waiting room.  Tiny is still holding a toy AK47 when he tumbles to his fate. 

Why they are there and the question about their fate is a conundrum to the quartet, who quickly bond to figure out their circumstances. 

Ijames has crafted a thought-provoking, stimulating, and amazing drama that explores humanity on its raw terms. 

The cast of 'Kill Move Paradise'

“I wanted to create a space in which the humanity of the people on stage is undeniable,” Ijames said in an interview. “These characters embody all the ways in which we try to be human. They are jealous, they are kind, they are maternal and paternal, they are pushed physically to the edge of something and then fall. I always say that I hope this play becomes obsolete one day. That’s like a crazy thing for a playwright to say. But I hope one day that people will say we don’t need to do this play anymore because we are different. We are better.” 

While Isa has had time to evaluate his life and death, Daz, Grif, and Tiny find it easier to play, sing, tease, and uplift one another as they’re forced to confront how they arrived in this unearthly place. 

This show has some heart-breaking moments, especially when each man tries unsuccessfully to fling themselves back across a steep, angled slide that brought them there. 

Their realization that they are each, indeed, dead is a sobering moment for the men, who try to remember their last moments of life.

(l-r) Ulato Sam, Ahkei Togun, and Jonathan P. Sims

A sense of melancholy bathes the hushed theatre during a scene when Isa reads the names of an ever-growing list of slain Black men and women, coupled with the fear and threat of death the men continue to face daily. 

Some heads bowed and several theatergoers shed a tear as familiar names like Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, George Floyd…and others not as well known -  were read out loud - all being the victims of “death by cop”. For those who understand the agonizing significance, it’s a painful moment in the show – that takes your breath away, especially as the printer continues to pour out the never-ending names. 

The men soon find out that they are not stranded forever. This is just a stopover on their way to eternal bliss. 

(l-r) Ulato Sam, Cedric Joe, Ahkei Togun, and Jonathan P. Sims

Even though the dialogue is filled with righteous indignation, considering the subject matter, Ijames’ showed some restraint in this tome. 

Ijames’ light, sometimes comical injections help the audience to digest this heavy show. 

For instance, there are interludes of a painfully “playful” nature, as when Tiny has an imaginary, sitcom-esque reunion with his parents, complete with a laugh track, and when the men act out a surreally over-the-top childhood game. 

'Kill Move Paradise' is a captivating reminder of our collective humanity.

Kudos to Sam, Sims, Togun, and Joe, who through their acting and their physical performances – push the story forward.

Gregg T. Daniel

A story like this could only be put in the hands of a masterful director like Gregg T. Daniel, who has proven, time after time, that he knows how to bring a production and its emotional penalties to life. Kudos to Daniel, who has helmed several August Wilson plays at A Noise Within. He had his hands full with this one. ‘Kill Move Paradise’ at its guttural core, is no easy play to interpret. 

“Kill Move Paradise deals with ongoing violence against Black and Brown people in a highly original and unique way,” said Daniel. “The audience will laugh… while also feeling invested in the pain our heroes are feeling. We relate to these four young men as they find the humor in their situation, celebrate their culture, and revel in one another. It’s hard to hate someone when you get to know them. This is a kind of politically motivated theater I haven’t seen in some time.” 

‘Kill Move Paradise’ is a “must-see.” 

‘Kill Move Paradise,’ written by James Ijames, directed by Gregg T. Daniel, and produced by Sally Essex Lopresti, stars Cedric Joe, Ulato Sam, Jonathan P. Sims, and Ahkei Togun. 

Kudos to Toran Xavier Moore (choreographer), Donny Jackson (lighting designer), David Gonzales (sound designer), Stephanie Kerley Schwartz (scenic designer), and Wendell C. Carmichael (costume designer). 

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother, O (oh, no) N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (exceptional) ‘Kill Move Paradise’ gets an E (exceptional). 

Running time: 80 minutes with no intermission. 

‘Kill Move Paradise’, Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA; 8 p.m., Fri.-Sat.; 2 p.m. Sun.; 8 p.m. Wed., Sept 25 and Oct. 16; through Nov. 3, 2024; $20 - $40, with an additional $3 per ticket fee if using a credit card. “College Nights” on Friday, Sept. 27, and Friday, Oct. 18 are Pay-What-You-Can (reservations open online and at the door starting at 5:30 p.m.). For more information and to purchase tickets, (310) 477-2055 or OdysseyTheatre.com.