Chit-Chat with playwright Michael Sidney Fosberg: Chicago playwright discovers identity in 'Incognito'

All it took was one phone call to shake up Michael Sidney Fosberg’s life. The Chicago playwright, who grew up in a middle class white family in the Chicago suburbs, didn’t know what he was in for as he searched for the truth about his past. Eventually, questions were answered and all was revealed, as told in his production “Incognito,” a true story of stereotyping, race, diversity and identity.

Playwright Michael Sidney Fosberg performs the true story of his search for his father, "Incognito," through May 29 at 16th Street Theater in Berwyn. SUBMITTED PHOTO   

On the 16th Street Theater Web site, your play is the only one that doesn’t provide a plot. Why is that?
(laughs) There might be a reason for that. There’s a surprise in the story that Ann Filmer [Executive Director of 16th Street Theater] may not have wanted to give away in the play’s description. But the play is a true story about my search to find my biological father. … I never had any recollection of who my biological father was because my parents divorced when I was at a very young age. I wanted to find out who he was.

And did you?
My mother told me that she remembered him last living in Detroit, so I went to the library to look up his name in a Detroit phone book. This was before you could easily look someone up on the Internet. … I didn’t think it could be so easy. (But) I realized I tracked my father down in the first phone call. He said, “There are a couple of things you should know. First of all, you should know that I’ve always loved you and thought about you a lot.” … And then he said “the second thing your mother probably didn’t tell you is that I’m African-American.” That kind of rocked my world. 

How does your audience react to this?
When white people hear this, it comes as a shock. When black people hear it, a smile comes to their faces because this is something that is understood in black history. … This play confronts the audience on the topics of stereotyping, race, identity and diversity. There is a lot of things in this show that speaks to a variety of ages and cultures. 

This is a one-man show, correct?
I play all the different characters. There are over a dozen characters. I play myself, my mother, father, grandmother, grandfather and some cousins. In a lot of one-person shows, a person will play one character and then switch to another with costume changes. … I play each character through (varied) dialogue. The change happens in my voice and physicality, which takes a lot of concentration on my part so the audience will be able to recognize the differences.

What’s it like to have the stage to yourself?
I didn’t really set out to do a one-man show. … I like acting on stage with other actors because its sort of give and take. Before I go on stage, I always ask myself “Why am I doing this again?” I get nervous backstage but when I get out there, I’m ready to perform. The audience is actually my scene partner. I get my energy from them.

You still get nervous?
Yes, I do, and I’ve probably done over 500 theater shows. I get asked all the time “Why do you get nervous?” But I think that has to do with feeling like there’s a lot at stake. (The performance) is that important to me.

SEE THE PLAY
WHAT “Incognito”
WHERE 16th Street Theater, Berwyn Cultural Center,  6420 16th St., Berwyn; (708) 795-6704, www.16thstreettheater.org
WHEN through May 29; 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 5 and 8 p.m. Saturdays
HOW MUCH $16
WEB www.incognitotheplay.com