On this edition of SNAPSHOTS, Unlimited Entertainment, LLC presents When A Woman’s Fed Up – a compelling stage play that delves into the intricate web of various types of relationships, focusing on the challenges women face and the empowering journey of self-discovery when they reached their point of no return.
This new show leaves us a message of empowerment and liberation, encouraging the audience to have compassion, break free from the societal expectations and embrace their independent and prioritize their own happiness. It’s coming to the Warner Theatre for four amazing shows starting this Friday, May 10th – 12th. Tickets can be purchased through LiveNation.com.
Our guest today was a football player who actually spent some time with our Commanders, but he has turned into acting. You may have seen him on Meet the Browns, Mann and Wife, the 2019 film Little and he has recurrent role on Bounce TVs Saints and Sinners and BET+ The Black Hamptons. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s welcome to SNAPSHOTS. Karon Joseph Riley!
Well, thanks for having me, bro. That was a great introduction. I appreciate the love. I appreciate the support, man.
I do the best introductions when it comes to wonderful people and especially during our 15th anniversary run. So glad to be talking with you.
Congratulations on all your success, man. 15 years of consistency and doing your thing. It’s a lot and it should be it should be commended and salute to so salute to you.
Thank you so much. I appreciate the compliment. I want to ask you is what can our Washington theatregoers look forward to When A Woman’s Fed Up when it comes to the Warner theater this coming weekend?
I can tell you right off the bat, great singing great acting. Dynamic story. Again, this play was a hit 20 years ago, and it’s still relevant even today. It just addresses the different dynamics between us in our culture, and our relationships and things that we have to address. It goes everywhere from an abusive relationship to some scandal and just not being honest. And just in even simple stuff, like running with the wrong people. I’m saying those are the type of things that affect our community. And I think it’s a really good play. It was good 20 years ago, and it’s even better now.
I’m so glad that you are a part of it. Tell us about your character, and what got you interested in playing in this production?
Well, we got that we got me interested in playing this production. Nate, the producer and promoter, reached out to me, one of my dear friends link us and put us in contact. I love performing on stage as an actor. I believe that as an actor, it’s the foundation for all great actors on stage. If you’re gonna be a great actor, I feel like you should definitely do as much stage as you can. So, get aligned with my purpose, my journey as an actor, as well as I love the story.
And to be quite honest, man, we were coming out of a strike. So again, for me, it was just to get back in the saddle, get back to flexing the muscle and just really getting warmed up to get back really flowing with the TV and film that I do mostly.
As I always tell people that the one key thing that I missed during the pandemic out of everything was live theater. It takes you away take you to new locations. You get to meet a different cast of characters and enjoy a production. And for those 90 minutes, two hours, two and a half, three hours….
You feel locked in! I mean, you can sit at home and watch TV. But inevitably, you’re going to pick that phone up somehow, some way, and it’s gonna distract you. But in a theater, you feel like you have people watching you. You can’t crack that light open, because everybody’s gonna see you. And you almost forget that you have the phone, you can actually escape. So it’s really a great escape. It’s like going to the movies. But even in the movies, you find yourself checking your phone, because it’s just not as taboo, as it isn’t a theater. So again, it gives everybody an opportunity to live in a world that’s long gone. But it’s also such a great enriching experience. So anybody who’s watching, please pull up and experience if you’ve ever experienced a play, you should definitely experience it. For, its definitely no replacement for live performances.
Absolutely, you could not have said it better, and I definitely hear the passion in your voice. Now when I saw this play when I first heard about it, not only you’re in it, but the legendary Jennifer Holliday and I just interviewed her a year ago. So I want to talk about working with Jennifer Holliday, Patrice Lovely and the rest of this amazing cast.
It is invigorating man. Just to be around so many creative individuals, people who are really, really, really good at what they do. And, being around that kind of talent. It can’t help but inform your talent help inform your instrument. I’m learning so much just being around them. You spoke of Patrice lovely, who’s a dear friend of mine. She’s basically family. Jennifer Holliday, she is the original Dreamgirl. Where else can you go and you get to be on stage and share time with generality. So for me, every time I get to work with people like Patrice and Jennifer and the folks that you know, crossed over into the acting because football is entertainment as well, but crossed over into the acting side of entertainment.
And you know, my career if anybody’s been following who’ve been with me on this journey, I’ve had the beautiful opportunities to work with some really, really dynamic legends in our community. Even just sitting on my shoulders of The Black Hamptons with Vanessa Bell Calloway as my mother. Vanessa and I played on this and now Saints and Sinners as you mentioned. Goodness, “I watched you when I was a kid on Coming to America. Barking like a dog and d now we’re working together. There’s so many things for me is confirmation that I’m living in my purpose. I always like to live by the three L’s – love the people you work with, love what you’re doing and love the message you’re sending why you’re doing it. And this display is doing that for me. So I’m just grateful and thankful.
And I know he appreciates the shout outs. In fact, you are the third actor I have interviewed in the last week or so. And there’s been a surgency of black theater, especially in the DC and Baltimore area. I want to know from your perspective, why do you feel we have to continue to promote black theater, not only here in DC, but everywhere?
I think I think you answered a question. I think you asked me a question in the question, it’s very imperative for blacks and Africans to continue to tell our story, because as you know, our story has been tarnished and taken away and switched around so many times because the spoils are basically war or wherever the Conqueror is the one who gets to write the history. So, at this point, our history has been submerged, taken and put it on the ground. And everybody who doesn’t even know it knows and everybody who needs to know it doesn’t know it. I think that’s why it’s so important for us to tell the stories and it’s also important for us to see ourselves in different lights and outside of what network television programs just to see of ourselves, you know, like that to say we honestly, we have some networks, but outside of totalitarian.
If you want to see Karon & this amazing cast in When A Woman’s Fed Up on stage this weekend, May 10th through 12th at the Warner theater. Tickets can be purchased at the Live Nation website. Go to livenation.com for tickets. And by the way, there are VIP tickets available but just for the Friday and Saturday evening shows.
If you want to see when When A Woman’s Fed Up coming to your city, you can go to whenawomansfedup.com
You can follow Karon at
Until we meet again, See you…. Out There!
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