Fairview

Beverly calls upstairs to ask Mama to come down. Entrance music plays. Mama, now played by Suze, enters dramatically in an ivory gown. The family sits down to eat, and Dayton prompts the others to compliment the food. Only Keisha senses that something is strange. As they eat, Beverly expresses concern that the potatoes might be too salty. Jasmine agrees, adding that combining them with “a bite of something less Flavorful” (82) makes them work. In an aside, Keisha expresses her discomfort and is startled when Suze/Mama joins her aside to share her own experiences. Suze/Mama tells Keisha that she understands her completely, having known her since birth. This assertion elicits a glare from Keisha. Jasmine comments about the presence of butter, a dairy product, in the potatoes, but Beverly stares her down, and Jasmine returns to eating. The doorbell rings. Keisha is in a daze, so Jasmine gets up to answer it, announcing Tyrone, who has made it to dinner after all. Jimbo now plays Tyrone; he affects the voice and dress of a stereotypical 1990s rapper.