WTKR News 3 recently went behind the scenes at the Wells Theatre to explore Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem. And the real story that inspired it.
What sounds like an unbelievable premise actually has roots in history. As shared in the piece, Malcolm X himself wrote about working alongside a young Redd Foxx (then known as “Chicago Red”) calling him “the funniest dishwasher” he’d ever met.
This play imagines that moment.
Two young men. 1943 Harlem.
Standing at a crossroads before they became legends.
WTKR highlights how the production captures a pivotal time in both of their lives, set against a backdrop of war, racial tension, and a country on edge.
It’s funny. It’s sharp. And it’s more relevant than you might expect.