African ancestors are said to guide their descendants culturally and spiritually with invaluable wisdom, addressing issues and helping to guide the current generation. “What Would the Ancestors Say??,” a one-woman show by the newly proclaimed “Artistic Intellectual” Amanda Seales, “former” actress and comedian, fulfills that role at Brooklyn’s Billie Holiday Theatre, the AUDELCO and Obie Award-winning theater dedicated to genuine representation of the African diasporic experience. Brooklyn’s two shows, organized by Smart Funny & Black Productions, took place on Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27.

“What Would the Ancestors Say??” provided truth-telling while invoking laughter from the crowd. Seales’s production included African and Black American history, activism, knowledge, music, and comedic monologues. “In shedding the ‘actress’ and ‘comedian’ titles, I don’t remove them from my repertoire. However, I do commit to aligning them and my various artistic talents with the goal of education as a practice,” said Seales.

The show also incorporated acting, physical comedy, and sing-alongs with her audience. “The title ‘Artistic Intellectual’ is an amalgam of all of that expertise encapsulated with intention,” said Seales.

Seales has written and performed six of her shows, including “Musical People: How Black Music Moves the Black Experience.” She said her creativity is unlimited as a multi-hyphenate and how fortunate she is to have worked in many artistic mediums. “The one-woman show has always been a comfortable medium for me,” said Seales.

“What ancestor am I for those who come after me? What world am I creating for my soul to come back to?” she asked during the show. She emphasized the role of ancestors such as Frederick Douglass and a Revolutionary Afterlife hotline receptionist. Seales used different voices and accents for her various characters.

During her show, Seales said, “Black excellence won’t save us, because it would only mean a certain Black person mastered white supremacy.” She made it clear that Black excellence should exist beyond “the ongoing genocide” in the United States, where only 10.7 million Africans survived the Atlantic slave trade.

The show portrayed African ancestors’ existence as the purpose of Black excellence. Seales indicated that early Africans in America were forced to navigate life in an unfamiliar land. She also emphasized how African ancestors had to define being a “Black American” on land they couldn’t own.

Brenika Banks photos

Seales used Instagram/Meta to promote her one-woman show, although she has reduced her time on those platforms. She described Instagram/Meta as “a limiting and hostile environment” after she didn’t reflect the consensus of the mainstream media about Palestine and the election. “As an artivist [artist + activist], I thrive on being a free thinker and though IG [Instagram] and many of its followers suppress us, within the theatrical space, I feel limitless and at home,” she said.

Fortunately, Seales has a syndicated radio show, “The Amanda Seales Show,” and podcast, “Small Doses.” They provide financial support while funding her art, which connects her to supporters, also known as the “Seales Squad.” “The grassroots support of the #SealesSquad is a reflection of individuals who truly appreciate what I put out into the world,” she said.

Sadé Council, one member of the Seales Squad and an Amanda Seales Patreon subscriber, came to the Sunday Brooklyn show, eager to experience Seales’s art regardless of the form. She loved the one-woman show, as well as Seale’s previous “Smart, Funny, & Black” shows. Council was intrigued to see Seales’ evolution in her artistry and on-stage performance. “I was curious to see a 90-plus minute one-woman show and it was super-creative and super-interesting,” said Council. “I think she blended all her talents well, yet she kept elements from her previous works.”

Council enjoyed the sing-along part of the show with R&B classic SWV’s “Weak,” a song the majority of the crowd sang along with. She appreciates Seales educating and awakening her audience in an entertaining way. Council is also a fan of the Artistic Intellectual title, saying it embodies everything Seales does. “She has a pedigree behind what she talks about and she’s polarizing because she’s very vocal and passionate — she speaks facts,” said Council. “When you layer on the artistry, it allows folks to resonate with it in a relatable way.”

Seales encouraged new and current supporters to “join the Seales Squad, at www.Patreon.com/AmandaSeales for a social media community built on creative content, cultural commentary, and compassionate community.”

For more information, visit https://www.amandaseales.com/.