The Colored Museum

Wolfe continually looks to the roots of Black identity to present a complex portrayal of an African American culture shaped by its dark history but carrying elements that unify people across generations. While in “Cookin’ with Aunt Ethel,” Wolfe addresses this concept of identity satirically, examining the most stereotypical ideas of what Black identity entails, he goes on to address the true complexity of the African American experience.

In particular, Wolfe employs drums throughout the play to track the origins and development of this complex identity. At first, drums are something to be feared and banned as Miss Pat enforces a strict rule of “no drums” aboard the Celebrity Slaveship. While drums were an important tool on slave ships, used as a method to keep up the morale of the slaves to prevent disease and sickness, they were in banned by slave owners in the United States. This was particularly true after the Stono Rebellion of 1739, when drums were used by the slaves to send messages to one another and coordinate the rebellion. Aboard the Celebrity Slaveship, although drumming is heard from the cabin in the opening scene, the time warp and subsequent landing in the United States silences them.