Ain't No Mo'

by Jordan E Cooper

Through a blend of sketch, satire, avant-garde theatre and a dose of drag, Ain't No Mo' answers the incendiary What if the United States government offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa? This unpredictable comedy speeds through the turbulent skies of being Black in today's America. A kaleidoscope of moments surrounding this great exodus are told by an ensemble cast featuring Peaches, a larger-than-life flight agent boarding the final plane leaving the United States. Ain't No Mo' leaves audiences crying with laughter - and thinking through the tears.

Genres: Plays

80 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2023

Reviews

[zz · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Lightning strikes us into darkness.)

[Aderonke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the show on Broadway, and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. The production was amazing and definitely added a lot more meaning to the play than just the written word (but ofc that's the point of theater). The written play is very, very good. It's very powerful to read and internalize the dialogue, get to know the stage instructions and remember how they were executed, and understand this play in a new way. I highly recommend this play in any format because it explores the diversity of Blackness, Black struggles, and Black heritage in America.

My review of the 2022 Broadway production can be viewed on TikTok and Instagram.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5.

I don't know what to say. It's wild and smart and provocative and funny and outrageous and angry and just totally original. Knowing the concept did not prepare me for it. I wish they had filmed it. I think I will reread it. One of my favorite plays I've read in a while. I think my favorite part was the prison release. I can't imagine how powerful some of those lines must have been live.

[Brian McCann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I’m too old for plays like this. For me, AINT NO MO just isn’t very good. A series of overlong sketches with occasional flashes by of some brilliance. But they’re fleeting and really can’t illuminate this play.

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conceptually and structurally really interesting, curious about the staging of the Broadway production. Wish it focused more on the plane rather than how the people got to the plane, would have loved to understand characters motivations and desires for getting onboard.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking, dark, and funny all at the same time - makes sense given the premise. Wish I got to see the live production.

[Bobby Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange play, especially the scene with the character Black coming up from the basement. Kinda reminded me of some of the short stories of Derrick Bell, which is a good thing.

[Rodrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Zachary Pareizs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deranged, but funny!

[Liz Farrow]

Wow. The satire in this is wild. Clever and darkly funny.