Three Bone Theatre production of '...what the end will be'

THREE BONE THEATRE

A scene from rehearsal of the Three Bone Theatre production of "…what the end will be," which takes the stage May 2-18 at The Arts Factory at West End Studios, 1545 W. Trade St.

James Webb knows what it means to be Black, gay and male.

Webb is director of Three Bone Theatre’s production of “...what the end will be,” which follows three generations of queer Black men living under one roof and challenges stereotypes of masculinity, Blackness and sexual identity. The play runs May 2-18 at The Arts Factory at West End Studios, 1545 W. Trade St.

“...what the end will be,” written by Mansa Ra, explores heavy subject matter including internalized homophobia, grief and how each character experiences them differently.

“What we really try to do is lean as much as we can into truth and authenticity,” Webb said. “And so, the characters react and relate to each other in a very real way and what they’re dealing with is something that is what scholars have identified as something that is prevalent in the Black community. There is an internalized homophobia.”

The play, which debuted in New York in 2022, takes the audience through a journey into what life looks like for the characters within their home, a behind-the-curtain glimpse of their private moments.

“I am just one little shade of the spectrum of what it means to be Black, gay and male. It is not a monolith,” Webb said. “This play really leans into being a full person, it's about being able to accept your masculine and feminine energy and to be able to do that in a healthy way.”

Webb, a theater professor at Davidson College since 2023, spent time commuting between New York, where he taught in the Bronx and Charlotte before joining Davidson’s faculty. “…what the end will be” is his first play with Three Bone, which is the second theater company to stage the play since its opening.

Webb said the play is not about pushing norms but reflecting real experiences. 

“All of the characters that the audience will see on stage exist,” he said,” but it may shine a light on someone’s own internalized indifferences. … This play is about telling the truth. It's about having an uncomfortable conversation about who we deem acceptable and who is not.”

Webb said Ra reached out to him to take on the production, which he considers an honor.

“I want to make Mansa Ra proud of what we have accomplished and what we have done to honor the words that he has written and tell the story the way he would like for it to be told,” he said.

At the production’s core is authenticity. There’s no sugar-coating, Webb said, just truth from the characters’ perspective and inviting the audience to be part of the conversation.

“The playwright did not write code-switching into this play,” he said. “He wrote authentic words where, when three Black men are together, they can have an authentic conversation.”

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