El Coqui Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom

Reviewed By A.J. Muhammad

Image Sourced by Studio Edgardo, LLC

Marvel Comic's Luke Cage and Jessica Jones have set the stage for a Latino superhero in Matt Barbot's witty action adventure play: “El Coqui Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom.”

Alex (Michael John Improta), a young Nuyorican comic book artist from Brooklyn has created a Puerto Rican superhero named El Coqui that he pitches to publishers and is rejected for ignorant reasons. With no other prospects he moves back home to mom Patricia (Annie Henk), and older brother Joe (Omar Perez) who works in advertising. Not to be deterred by failure, Alex dons a mask and blue onesie with the logo of the Puerto Rican national symbol of a frog (el coqui in Spanish) on it and watches out for citizens in peril. As his alter ego El Coqui, Alex attracts the attention of a fast-talking photographer Yesica (Christin Eve Cato), who turns him into an underground internet sensation while Patricia pressures Alex to get a job.

After Joe almost loses an account for a soft drink campaign that he objects to because of the stereotypical way it is marketed to Latinos by his colleagues, he selfishly enlists Alex's invention in a Puerto Rican Parade scheme to save the campaign. Once El Coqui becomes a smash, Alex’s alter ego gets co-opted by corporate America which causes him to lose Yesica's admiration and at the same time he fends off his arch nemesis in his mind--the well read El Chupacabra who plans on using the soft drink (“the bottle” referred to in the play’s title) to wreak havoc on society.

Barbot has larger ideas at play besides a conflicted superhero. He adds in issues that impact Latino Americans -- health, economics, gentrification, and assimilation -- while critiquing racism in media and advertising. He also presents a stable and functional Latino family. The areas of El Coqui that could be tweaked for a return and bigger production are tightening the script, developing the scenes within-a-scene between Alex and El Chupacabra, and cutting the intermission. Also, are Joe's monologues about Spanish grammatical rules necessary? They’re supposed to foreshadow events but ultimately sap the pacing of the play.

The fresh face cast display good comic timing and turn in nice work. The low key tech design is fine including Ian McClain’s comic book background projections. With the upcoming "Black Panther" film and other projects featuring people of color as superheroes in the pipeline, the time is right for a play about Latino superheroes. Barbot is on the right track with “El Coqui Espectacular” and it could be a contender if he wants to branch out into a series or film.

El Coqui Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom. By Matt Barbot. Directed by Nelson T. Eusebio III. Stage Manager: Ayisha Hunt. Lighting Design: Burke Brown. Co-Lighting Design: Joe Thompson. Projections Designer: Ian McClain. Costume Designer: Caitlin Cisek. Sound Design: Luqman Brown. Fight Choreographer: Ray Rodriguez. Mask Designer: Sean Devare. Ran from Nov 3-Nov 13, 2016.  Julia de Burgos Art Center at 680 Lexington Avenue.  New York City.

Where Did We Sit On the Bus?

Brian Quijada in "Where Did We Sit On The Bus?"
Image sourced from Ensemble Studio Theater

Reviewed by A.J. Muhammad

In the solo show “Where Did We Sit On the Bus?” Brian Quijada convincingly dances, sings, spits rhymes on top of live looping of his voice, music instruments and beat-box sounds to tell his story of being the son of immigrants from El Salvador and navigating race, culture, and education while striving to carve out a career as a Latino-American performing artist.

Quijada was born to a parents who immigrated to the U.S. and settled in a working class suburb in Illinois and he is caught between two worlds as a bilingual child. The feeling of being divided recurs throughout the show. The solo show’s title comes from a response that Quijada received when learning about Rosa Parks in elementary school. He asked “Where did we (Latinos) sit on the bus?” to which his teacher replied Latinos weren’t there. This reviewer hoped that Quijada would’ve use that as a jumping off point to include a couple of accounts of lesser known but equally pivotal contributions that Latinos have made to American history. Instead, Quijada solely focuses on his own childhood and recalls being transformed by watching Michael Jackson’s footwork on TV which then sparks his desire to become a professional performer much to his parent’s disapproval. The most poignant segments in this section are when Quijada recounts being mesmerized by the work of a DJ at parties in his community and incorporating Michael Jackson’s choreography into traditional Latin dance styles which is symbolic of the pop culture patchwork that is America.

Recalling his teen years attending a predominantly Jewish high school, Quijada caught flack for befriending Jewish classmates by his Latino friends who accused him of wanting to be white. He also experienced being racially profiled and discriminated against. In a poem, Quijada directly responds to Donald Trump's hate speech and demagoguing by explaining why people from Latin American are fleeing their home countries and what America stands to lose by preventing them from migrating to the U.S.

Quijada is likeable and works hard to get his points across, however, other artists of color have mined similar territory in their solo work over the past two decades. There’s a universality to Quijada’s stories and it’s clear that Latino men remain underrepresented on stage despite the successes of “Hamilton” and John Legiuzamo (from whom Quijada borrows the scene in the solo show "Freak" where Leguizamo does the voices of his parent's lovemaking during which he is conceived).

Director Chay Yew may have served Quijada better by getting him to delve deeper and making Quijada's narrative more of a sensory experience than giving us quick highlights from his accomplishments as a young actor.  Quijada could’ve also expanded on a section of his upbringing for the entirety of the show as did Charlayne Woodard in her autobiographical solo show trilogy (“Pretty Fire,” “Neat” and “In Real Life”).  This reviewer is curious to see Quijada evolve as a storyteller and performer and where his career transports him to next.

Where Did We Sit On The Bus? Written & Performed by Brian Quijada. Directed by Chay Yew. Scenic Designer: Angelica Borrero-Fortier. Lighting Designer: Diane D. Fairchild. Sound Designer: Brian Quijada. Projection Designer: Liviu Pasare. Production Stage Manager: Lloyd Davis Jr.  At Ensemble Studio Theater at 545-549 W. 52nd St. New York, NY.  Runs from Sept 10-October 9, 2016.

Night of the Living N-Word

Reviewed By A.J. Muhammad

In full disclosure the busy Kevin R. Free and I are colleagues as we both are on the producing team of The Fire This Time Festival. I missed developmental readings of his play "Night of the Living N-Word" which received its world premiere in FringeNYC in August, so I viewed his highly anticipated play with a blank slate.

In "Night of the Living N-word," the n-word may be symbolically dead and buried, but like characters in the iconic film "Night of the Living Dead" on which Free riffs and borrows the names of his lead characters, the n-word can't stay buried for long. It keeps rising and wreaking havoc on an interracial couple and their family. Although the play is billed as a "slasher-comedy," it is less a slasher than it is a dark psychological comedy that's both campy and provocative.

Ben (playwright and actor Kevin Free) is an actor on cop TV show and his activist wife Barbra (Eevin Hartsough playing a parody of a white woman) is uptight and self-righteous. Barbra and Ben plan to celebrate their teenage son Channing's (Aaron Parker Fouhey) birthday on the island plantation estate that Barbra inherited from her parents whose ancestors were slavers. The family is joined by Ben's father, preacher Clayton (Stanley Wayne Mathis) who has previously received Barbra's support in his effort to symbolically bury the n-word. Clayton also has an unusual interest in Channing's sexuality and has hired a private investigator (the versatile T. Thompson) to go undercover to find out personal information about Channing.

Although Barbra is invested in killing the n-word and rebelling against her racist parents, she has no problems calling a Black long time family servant "Aunt" Jinny (T. Thompson again) and benefits from the material wealth generated by her slave-holding ancestors. It doesn't take long for the play to set up that "Something bad happens" when the n-word is spoken, but at whose hands? It is the unemployed Ben, whose acting career has tanked and is perturbed by the closeness between Clayton and Barbra? Is it Barbra who is too eager to resort to violence to prevent her family from uttering the n-word? Or Aunt Jinny, who goes missing after a boat ride early on and re-appears late in the play with a shocking revelation or two?

Free gives us a post-Obama, but never post-racial, take on mixed race America, how society views mixed raced people and how they identify themselves. Free revives the debate about who can and can't say the n-word as well as the intergenerational divides between African Americans. Through Ben, we get a glimpse of the dehumanizing of the toll that racism takes on Black men in America. Barbra is presented as a well meaning white woman who can't help prescribing how Black people should live, but is unable to help Channing who is torn between the worlds of his parents while trying to maintain a romantic relationship with another young man.

By setting the play in the south instead of urban American, Free reminds us that that beneath the idyll and splendor of the south lies the real terror which he uses humor to depict: slavery, miscegenation by rape and illegitimacy, and land theft (enacted in flashbacks with non-traditionally cast Romeo Lacandola as Barbra's ancestors). Free uses the motif of mirrors throughout the play including a scene in which Barbra looks into the mirror and white America's fears of a Black man (Channing) in a hoodie is reflected back to her.  The play's ending is true to "Night of the Living Dead" which resonates all the more in modern day America with the senseless shootings of Blacks by law enforcement.

In keeping with the FringeNYC's low tech and DIY style, the cast provide sound effects using different instruments which adds to the tongue and cheek quality of the production. Locations are established by the cast holding up prop designer Joshua Coakley's black and white drawings like cue cards and Coakley's clever prop weapons evoke a theatricality that fits nicely within Free's story within a story device.

The cast expertly play the physical comedy and slapstick moments, and shift to drama when called for with ease. Broadway musical theater veteran Mathis is smooth, convincing and displays great comedic chops. It's Aaron Parker Fouhey who steals the scenes he's in as a sulky iPhone obsessed teen going through a sexual awakening and this could be one of the first plays where the n-word is used as an afrodesiac in a highly charged phone call between Channing and his would be boyfriend. Director Nicole Watson stages Free's play efficiently and doesn't overdo the silliness or camp aspects. She finds the balance between the thornier subjects, humor, and cinematic qualities of the play. Though at times the fast pacing caused a few of the more truly chilling moments to seem glossed over and some of the transitions could have been clearer.

"Night of the Living N-Word" deserves a full production where Free and his team have the time to tease out and expand the complex ideas Free compresses into the play. Free has such a crowded funhouse of ideas that it's easy to get lost in subplots and gags and he can find more gradations to the characters of both Ben and Barbra and their relationship with Channing.  Overall, Free has delivered and "Night of the Living N-Word" is just the play that should be seen regionally to generate much needed post-show conversations about race, white privilege and why it's so hard to kill institutional racism -- particularly in American theater of all places.

"Night of the Living N-Word!!" by Kevin R. Free.  Directed by Nicole Watson. Lighting Designer: Laurren Parish. Sound Designer: Carl Riehl. Dramaturg/Graphic Designer: Todd Brian Backus. Properties Designer: Joshua Coakley. Stage Manager: Clarrisa Ligon.  Production Manager: Clara Antonia Reyes.  2016 FringeNYC at The Player's Theater.  New York City. Ran Aug 16-Aug 26, 2016.

Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Reviewed by Daphnie Sicre

Towards the end of "Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed," Harlem Renaissance era photographer and artist Carl Van Vechten (portrayed by Brooks Ashmanskas) sings to the teams who wrote the 1921 musical Broadway musical "Shuffle Along," Sissle (Joshua Henry) & Blake (Brandon Victor Dixon) and Miller (Brian Stokes Mitchell) & Lyles (Billy Porter) that no one will remember them; no one will remember the show; and, it will fade into obscurity. That song strikes a higher cord. With the surprise announcement from the producers that they would close the show as soon as six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Lottie Gee) left at the end of July, the accomplishments of the current "Shuffle Along" and its entire company felt unfinished.

When you are watching a musical about the struggles the creators that first African-American Broadway musical faced and then the musical is cut short of ever reaching it true potential on Broadway today, one wonders what will the future hold for this "Shuffle Along..." as well? How will it be remembered? Will it also fade into obscurity? I hope not.

Robbed from earning any Tony Awards, especially for best choreography, producers claimed poor sales after the announced exit of McDonald, and decided to close the show early, but in reality, they did not allow the show to speak for itself. The musical is strong even without McDonald. Although she was exceptional, so was her understudy Darlesia Cearcy. The story stands on its own, and with all the other powerhouse performances from the leading cast and ensemble, anyone who saw the show would agreed and question why did it close so early?

As I was watching these incredible gifted actors giving it their all through the stories of Sissle, Blake, Miller and Lyles, I could not help but wonder were they projecting their frustrations with the politics of Broadway onto their characters. And if so, I wouldn’t blame them.

Here you have a musical that speaks of the accomplishments of the original production of "Shuffle Along." Yes, the musical would be considered racist by today’s standards, of course, especially because of its use of Blackface. But as an audience member, you can clearly understand why that was relevant then. But more importantly, as an audience we should be able to see the historical significance of the first Broadway show to be produced, written and performed by Black artists, and that should take precedence. We should be able to look past the racial divide of those times and recognize the musical's accomplishments given the 1920’s. We should be able to see these stories on stage today and celebrate its influences and how far we’ve come.

"Shuffle Along" was truly a gift to Black Theatre today. With incredible choreography by Savion Glover, dynamic performances by all cast members, and a hard, but true story of strife and struggle that artists behind the original "Shuffle Along" faced, it did not get the credit it deserved.  Had "Shuffle Along..." opened next season, and had it not ran against its counterpart "Hamilton," I am sure it would have swept the Tonys.

"Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All that Followed" Directed by George C. Wolfe. Music and Lyrics by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. Original Book by F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles; New Book by George C. Wolfe. Choreography by Savion Glover; Music Supervision and Orchestrations by Daryl Waters, Set Design: Santo Loquasto. Costume Design: Ann Roth. Lighting Design: Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer. Sound Design: Scott Lehrer. Production Stage Manager: Penelope Daulton. The Music Box 239 W. 45th Street, New York City. Ran from March 15 - July 24, 2016.

Daphnie Sicre is a full-time instructor at BMCC-CUNY, where she teaches courses in theatre, social justice, and advanced public speaking.  Some of her NYC directing credits include: "Shower Me" at FringeNYC, "Stranger" for Stage Black where she won a Best Director Award and the Audelco nominated "Not About Eve."

Turn Me Loose

Reviewed by Daphnie Sicre

For some reason, I was expecting to see Joe Morton in "Turn Me Loose" in which he portrayed the comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory with a Dick Gregory beard, even though the posters showed him without one. I thought to myself, how can you create a show about Gregory without his iconic beard? Let me assure you it can be done, because the moment Morton started talking, he was Gregory. His posture, his mannerisms and his voice were Gregory’s. Plus, the play switches back and forth from the 1960’s to present day and in the 1960s, when Gregory did not have his iconic beard he had his iconic presence.

In "Turn Me Loose" the audience is taken on a journey that exposes how little racism has changed in this country over the past five decades. Morton uses humor to discuss racism and then quiets down the audience to talk about prejudice, just like Gregory was capable of doing at his first iconic debut at the Chicago Playboy Club. Morton, relives that moment on stage where Gregory addressed a white southern audience and won them over through his humor and class. Morton also relives the moment Gregory was called to perform on the "Tonight Show" starring Jack Paar, but refused because Black comics would only perform, but were not allowed to sit on the coach and talk with Paar.  Thanks to Gregory declining the offer, the producers allowed him to stay after his performance and sit on the couch; a first on prime time for a Black comic. Through a beautiful internal monologue we understand how Gregory would later become a civil rights activist.  Gregory said, “You can not laugh social problems out of existence."

Morton’s physicality and voice of Gregory are right on. He is able to adapt, regardless of the time period, from young to old, and old to young with swiftness. For anyone who has seen videos of Gregory’s performances through time, Morton nails every moment of them.  Although the show can get preachy at times, the message is necessary as the play is relevant to today’s contemporary issues on segregation and race.

Produced on a minimalistic stage, with just three tables and a couple chairs, Morton's performance is the show. The Off-Broadway show was produced by singer John Legend, written by Gretchen Law and directed by John Guild.  It opened to great reviews, and extended its run for an additional month. Gregory was in attendance on opening night; he loved it and so did the audience.

"Turn Me Loose" by Gretchen Law. Directed by John Gould Rubin. Set Design: Chris Barreca. Costume Design: Susan Hilferty. Lighting Design: Stephen Strawbridge. Sound Design: Leon Rothenberg. Production stage manager: Erin Cass. At The Westside Theatre, 407 W 43rd St, New York City.  Ran from May 3 - July 17, 2016.

Daphnie Sicre is a full-time instructor at BMCC-CUNY, where she teaches courses in theatre, social justice, and advanced public speaking.  Some of her NYC directing credits include: "Shower Me" at FringeNYC, "Stranger" for Stage Black where she won a Best Director Award and the Audelco nominated "Not About Eve."

Macbeth

Reviewed By Karl O'Brian Williams

Image Sourced
by Classical Theatre of Harlem

With the temperature hanging hot and humid in Harlem it was perfect for a tropical re-imagining of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” produced by the Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) and staged in the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park. The stage design immediately took you back to the colonial West Indies, with its colors, window treatments, burlap draping, and intricate properties. However, director Carl Colfield, and his team keep the Caribbean aesthetic fresh with contemporary Jamaican, and Eastern Caribbean notes wafting through the music, the movement, the fabrics, taking liberties with the language, and even coloring the villainy that plays out before us. Hats off to all the creators for immersing us into a world that was easy to navigate as our imaginations went wild, but never too far off.

For those who maybe unfamiliar with the play, in short, Macbeth gets a prophecy from witches that he is to rule, but with the king being alive this poses a problem. He shares the prophecy with his wife Lady Macbeth. Thus is birthed not only a double ambition to get the crown, but a great plot, and a thirst for evil so relentless it’s legendary. The play remains one of Shakespeare’s most popular and quoted works.

CTH’s artistic director Ty Jones sits in the title role of Macbeth with ease, and though there were some questionable choices made, it was a strong performance. The stage however, belonged to Roslyn Ruff as Lady Macbeth. From her first entrance to her last exit she lifted the bars of the Bard’s muscular language and threw them at us with precision, passion, and painful purpose… she was on point, and you felt every piercing moment of it.  CTH favorite Anthony Vaughn Merchant once again satisfied his Harlem audience with his accessible sense of humor and charisma as the Porter. CTH followers will remember him fondly from last year’s “The Tempest.” 

The witches were a wonderful spectacle, and so too were the dancers. This had much to do with Rachel Dozier-Ezell’s costuming, and the smart choreography of Tiffany Rea-Fisher – a combination that enhanced Colfield’s overall concept, and the execution of Christopher and Justin Wader's scenic design. The music and sound, the lighting design, the projections, and the make-up aided in rooting the production to bloom at such a high level of artistry on stage that it was clear another success had been cemented for the CTH.  As it closes on July 31, run to see it!

Macbeth by Williams Shakespeare. Directed by Carl Colfield. Choreographed by Tiffany Rea-Fisher. Scenic Design by Christopher Swader & Justin Swader. Lighting Design by Alan C. Edwards. Sound Design by John McKenna. Projection Design by Katherine Freer. Props Design/Video SFX Makeup Artistry by Samantha Shoffner. Music Direction by Shayshahn MacPherson. Fight Direction by Emmanuel Brown. Stage Management by Haylee Scott. Production Management by Rachael Harris. Voice & Text Consultant by Michael Early. Assistant Direction by Amen Igbinosun. Assistant Stage Management by Chelsea Friday.  Runs July 8-31, 2016. www.cthnyc.org/macbeth

Karl O’Brian Williams is a playwright, actor, and director who currently lectures at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in the Speech, Theatre & Communications Dept. His play Not About Eve has received awards in his native country Jamaica, as well as 3 AUDELCO nominations including one for Best Playwright.

A Man Like You

Reviewed by Karl O'Brian Williams

A man is held hostage and ends up sharing meaningful dialogue with his captor over a board game, meanwhile his wife frets away at home. This is the simple set up of "A Man Like You" an original play from Silvia Cassini influenced by the real life tragedy of a terrorist attack on shoppers at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2013, which killed 67 persons. The more complex inner workings of the play however, attack all your senses like viruses looking for a host. You won’t be able to look away. The play had its world premiere earlier this year in Nairobi, and is now brilliantly disturbing New Yorkers on east fourth street until July 31st.

Cassini identifies as a Kenyan playwright, but from this work she clearly wants us to see "A Man Like You" as a universal human story that explores the differences in how faith, and largely socialization, birth place and country shape one’s perspectives and actions. The captor presents himself as Somalian, and the captured as British. One is white, one is black, one is Christian, the other Muslim, both have families, hearts and, other organs, and urges that make them want to survive, and thrive. Through an incredible set up the audience gets a glimpse into how they feel about each other as each judges the other’s racial, ethnic and religious group and tries to justify himself as victim, or soldier of a righteous cause, if you will. At times Cassini overindulges, but what’s on the stage is so engaging you keep listening. Heyer’s direction prods everything forward, and a part from some odd movement in the space, which could easily be re blocked, I can remember no dull moments.

The overall design of the show was excellent. The separation of worlds we receive and easily believe was maintained throughout, and only punctuated by the strong performances of the cast. The lighting was sublime, flickering with tension and uncertainty, and manipulating our gaze to what we needed to see or attempt to un-see. Lev Choubine’s original music haunted us, and its subtlety toyed with our emotions as much as Cassini’s words. Jenny Boote as Elizabeth the hostage’s wife was a lone figure juxtaposed between the mental and physical space of middle class ease and discomfort. Her New York debut should not go unnoted here. Matthew Stannah as North the hostage, and Jeffrey Marc as Abdi the captor, both had provocative moments, especially when their characters displayed human frailty and the kind of civility that can only happen when shreds of honesty are mixed with genuine compassion. The henchman, a character ably played by Andrew Clarke, then interrupts this atmosphere keeping the threat of death and doom ever real.

"A Man Like You" is worth seeing. It is a violent play, but not just in a traditional, blood-shedding, physical sense; the greater violence comes from its ability to provoke varied thought that constantly shifts and creates psychological battles. In debating who wins or loses these battles, if it truly matters is part of the violence.

"A Man Like You," written by Silvia Cassini. Directed by Yudelka Heyer. Directing Assistance by Christopher Wharton. Original Music by Lev Choubine. Lighting Design by Michael O’Conner. Costume & Props Design by Yedelka Heyer. Set Design by Christopher Wharton. Stage Management by Annie Rosenberg. Produced by Red Soil Productions.  Runs through July 31, 2016. At IATI Theatre 64 E4th Street. www.redsoilproductions.com

Karl O’Brian Williams is a playwright, actor, and director who currently lectures at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in the Speech, Theatre & Communications Dept. His play Not About Eve has received awards in his native country Jamaica, as well as 3 AUDELCO nominations including one for Best Playwright.

War

by A.J. Muhammad

Image Sourced by LCT3

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins says the titles of his plays have double meanings and his latest play, “War,” is no exception. As a play in which the German language acts as a barrier between estranged family members, it should be noted that in German, “war,” means “was.” Both definitions of the word describe the central conflicts in “War.”

Joanne (Rachel Nicks) is with her comatose mother Roberta, a stroke patient, at the hospital and doesn’t know why a German speaking stranger Elfreide (Michele Shay) is at her mother’s bedside. No sooner than Tate (Chris Myers) -- Joanne’s impatient and conceited younger brother who is a political strategist -- joins his sister at the hospital that the battle begins. Understandably, Tate is less than empathetic when Elfreide’s son Tobias (Austin Durant) barges into Roberta’s room insisting that Elfreide is Roberta’s half sister who was sired when their father served in War World II and was stationed in Germany. Tate is dubious when a confrontational Tobias demands Elfreide’s portion of an inheritance that Roberta promised Elfreide and he wants to transfer Roberta to a better hospital against Joanne’s wishes.

Meanwhile Roberta (Charlayne Woodard) has an out of body experience and her company in this dimension is an ape named Alpha (Lance Coadie Wilson), who communicates in sign language. Roberta struggles to make sense of memories, her dreams deferred as a middle aged educated African American woman, and how she wound up in hospital before she can come to terms with her mortality.

“War” can be considered a companion play to Jacob-Jenkins’ “Appropriate” which was about an Caucasian family who gather at the home of their deceased patriarch and discover horrible secrets about their father.  In “War” Jacob-Jenkins revisits some of the themes he mined in “Appropriate” such as unearthing family secrets and hostile siblings. Tate resents Joanne’s past irresponsibilities and also her white “regular” husband Malcolm (Reggie Gowland) whom Tate verbally eviscerates. Additionally, Jacob-Jenkins touches on an under-examined topic in theater: the experience of people of African descent in Europe which takes on a new significance in a post-BRexit Europe.  As much as characters are at odds, he also draws comparisons between both Roberta and Tobias, both of whom cared for parents with Alzheimers: Roberta did in the past for her father, and now Tobias is running on empty tending to an ailing Elfriede.

In “War” Jacob-Jenkins interrogates the concepts of race/racial categorization, family, evolution (via apes), and spectatorship. Whatever issues one can find with the script, his cast and director, Lileana Blain-Cruz are his net. Blain-Cruz balances the two worlds of Jacob-Jenkins’ adeptly and shapes the complex narrative organically. Both Charlayne Woodard and Michele Shay are welcome veteran artists and his younger actors bring heft to the crisis mode in which their characters are engulfed.

"War" by Branden Jacob-Jenkins. Director: Lileana Blain-Cruz. Sets: Mimi Lien. Costumes: Montana Blanco. Lighting: Matt Frey. Sound: Bray Poor. Stage Manager: Charles M. Turner III.
LCT 3/Lincoln Center Theater at 150 W. 65 St.  Ran from May 21 - July 3, 2016.

Skeleton Crew

Image Sourced by
Atlantic Theater Company

Reviewed by Daphnie Sicre

Dominique Morisseau clearly has an ear for dialogue. From the realities of keeping a job after leaving prison, to working while pregnant to making it to work despite being homeless, Morisseau pays close attention to the conversations each character has in "Skeleton Crew," the third installment to her Detroit trilogy.  In it she, touches upon the lives of factory workers in the Motor City and perfectly depicts their stories at the start of the 2008 recession.

The play takes place in an auto factory break room, which heartfelt Faye (Lynda Gravatt) has appropriated as her home as the union representative for the factory and assembly line worker for 29 years. Faye mediates between Dez (Jason Dirden), a former ex-con and Reggie (Wendell B. Franking), their foreman. We also meet Shanita (Nikiya Mathis) a very visibly pregnant single mom and line worker, who also turns to Faye for advice. As the story progresses, each relationship has a deeper tie to each other than expected. Morisseau creates an interwoven tableau that explains the complexity of the human connection and the ensemble of four, masterfully un-weaves these relationships for the audience. She leave us feeling their desperation as we find out the factory is eventually closing.

Probably the least expected scenes in Skeleton Crew come from the transitions, where Adesola Osakalumi dances to original music in a rhythmic machine robot movement style, reminiscent of continuity and repletion of assembly lines. Although it seems out of place, these solo dances may be a reminder to the audience of how technology has appropriated the traditional jobs of those who used to work on assembly lines.

Morisseau isn’t just telling a story, she is telling the story of the American worker today and brining to life an American crisis by allowing the audience into the world of these factory workers.  She is reminding us that we are all involved in the state of things.  As we leave the show, we are frustrated at the injustice in the lives of these characters; and despite the feeling that little can be done about the prejudice that affects citizens of Detroit and other Detroits around the country, Morisseau reminds us just how powerful hope and resilience are in the most dire of situations.

Director Ruben Santiago-Hudson does a great job at painting this canvas on stage, through strong direction and thoughtful stage pictures. The play is also supported by a realistic set, lighting effects and projections with newspaper clippings and freighting real statistics.

Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau. Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Set Design: Micheal Carnahan. Costume Design: Paul Tazewell. Lighting Design: Rui Rita. Original Music & Sound by Robert Kaplowitz. Original Songs: Jimmy “J Keys” Keys. Projections: Nicholas Hussong. Choreography: Adesola Osakalumi; Production stage manager: Laura Wilson. At The Atlantic Theatre Company – Linda Gross Theatre, 336 West 20th Street, Manhattan, NY, Ran from May 13 - June 19, 2016.

Daphnie Sicre is a full-time instructor at BMCC-CUNY, where she teaches courses in theatre, social justice, and advanced public speaking.  Some of her NYC directing credits include: "Shower Me" at FringeNYC, "Stranger" for Stage Black where she won a Best Director Award and the Audelco nominated "Not About Eve."

The Block

Reviewed by Daphnie Sicre

Image Sourced by Working Theater

No borough is safe from gentrification, especially as developers eye the latest untouched land in New York City, the South Bronx, or what they are calling, SoBro.

"The Block" is part of Five Boroughs/One City, a theatrical initiative by The Working Theatre that aims to devise plays about each of the five boroughs based on conversations with residents in those communities. As soon as the pieces have been developed, they will be performed on a borough wide tour. "The Block" is the first in the series, and after the opening at Urban Stages in Manhattan, it toured all five boroughs.

In "The Block," proud residents of the Bronx reminisce about the good old times while dealing with gentrification, social stratification, classism, and simply trying to stay afloat. Clinton Lowe’s genuine portrayal of Dontrell, showcases a born and bread Bronx hustler who returns from upstate after discovering his girlfriend has cheated on him. Upon his return, he notices all the changes to his old neighborhood, barely recognizing it or its residents. Fortunately, he runs into his long time friend Rick (Flaco Navaja) at Moe’s (Nathan Hinton) storefront. Through lively conversations about the good old times, Moe, an African Immigrant admits that things are not the same and plans to move. Shortly after, Dontrell’s former roommate, Soria (Yvette Ganier) makes a grand entrance with a solo phone conversation with her girlfriend. Soon after, Dontrell and Soria sit down to discuss the realities of a landlord trying to kick her out of her home after 30+ years of living there. The only character that seems to be slightly disconnected with the story is that of Eddie (Robert Jimenez). Although heartfelt, his drunken accounts seem dropped in more than weaved into the story, while Navaja’s character Rick, breaks up the seriousness of the topics discussed through jokes and comic relief.

As the story unfolds, the passage of time is not fully developed making it hard to determine how much time has gone by throughout the course of the play. In between the scenes, we can hear hip hop music and recorded conversations that inspired dramatist Dan Hoyle to write "The Block." Hoyle is better known for his excellent solo performance work, but in "The Block," he manages to successfully interlace a series of sketches through conversations of interconnected characters that grew up in the Bronx. But in doing so, we are left wanting to know more about the stories of these characters and their respective fates, not the themes.

The Block by Dan Hoyle. Directed by Tamila Woodard. Set Design: Raul Abrego. Costume Design: Sarita Flores. Lighting Design: Alan C. Edwards. Sound Design: Mark Van Hare. Prop Design: Claire Kavanah. Dialect Coach: Beth McGuire; Production stage manager: Danielle Teague-Daniels. Off-Broadway Tour Venues. Urban Stages. 259 W. 30th Street, Manhattan. | Ridgewood Bushwick Youth Center .1474 Gates Ave, Brooklyn. | Local 3 IBEW Auditoriu 158-11 Jewel Ave, Queens. | Pregones Theatre 571 Walton Ave, Bronx. | Sung Harbor Cultural Center 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island.  Ran from May 28 - June 23, 2016

Daphnie Sicre is a full-time instructor at BMCC-CUNY, where she teaches courses in theatre, social justice, and advanced public speaking.  Some of her NYC directing credits include: "Shower Me" at FringeNYC, "Stranger" for Stage Black where she won a Best Director Award and the Audelco nominated "Not About Eve." 

The Total Bent

Reviewed by Daphnie Sicre

From the creators of "Passing Strange," Stew and Heidi Rodewald, comes "The Total Bent," a gospel/blues/rock musical about the relationship between a preacher (Vondie Curtis Hall) and his son (Ato Blankson-Wood). With text by Stew and music by Stew and Rodewald, this small musical has a lot of bite.

Set mostly in the 1960’s, it tells the story of gospel preacher Joe Roy, trying to resurrect his career. Working along his side is his son, Marty, who urges him to sing about the civil rights movement. Joe refuses to stand behind the movement, causing a rift between him and his son. Soon we discover the rift is deeper than civil rights with hints of Marty’s homosexuality. Shortly, Marty meets Byron Blackwell (David Cale) a British wanna-be producer obsessed with Black music. Together, Marty’s music rises to the top through a very visual transformation, but not short of controversy as Byron also tries to signs Joe.

Image Sourced by The Public Theater

The only problem with the musical is the book; it is hard to follow at times. Time and space are not always clear, but what is clear are the phenomenal musical arrangements, songs and melodies. Stew also does an excellent job at introducing comical side comments from the onstage band that interacts with the characters, audience and each other.

Although this musical might not be everyone’s cup of tea, as it does not follow a traditional American musical theater format, the music and the vocal arrangements are superb. Stew and Rodewald are excellent composers plus Hall’s voice is heavenly. Equally as gifted is Blankson-Wood’s voice, as it hits all sorts of vocal ranges. More than once I had to re-adjust my seat to make sure it was him singing all those arrangements. Jani Kearse and Curtis Wiley do not fall short of talent either--respectively they play Andrew and Abee, Marty's backup singers.

The musical feels more like a rock gospel concert than a musical, but that is ok. If you want to hear incredible music through story, "The Total Bent" has it. And if that is not enough, trust me. These songs will make you think about social justice, sexuality and God.

The Total Bent by Stew. Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald. Directed by Joanne Settle. Set Design: Andrew Lieberman. Costume Design: Gabriel Berry. Lighting Design: Thom Weaver. Sound Design: Obadiah Eaves and Sten Severson. Hair and Wig Design: Cookie Jordan. Music Director: Marty Beller. Music Coordinator: Dean Sharenow. Choreography: David Neumann; Production stage manager: Chris DeCamillis. The Public Theatre. 425 Lafayette St, New York, NY.  Ran from May 10 - June 19, 2016.

Daphnie Sicre is a full-time instructor at BMCC-CUNY, where she teaches courses in theatre, social justice, and advanced public speaking.  Some of her NYC directing credits include: "Shower Me" at FringeNYC, "Stranger" for Stage Black where she won a Best Director Award and the Audelco nominated "Not About Eve." 

Kentucky

Reviewed by A.J. Muhammad

Image sourced by Ensemble Studio Theatre

What better way than to close out the theater season than with the play “Kentucky” by Leah Nanako Winkler to get everyone ready for all the upcoming summer weddings? A coproduction between Ensemble Studio Theatre, P73 and The Radio Drama Network, “Kentucky” calls to mind Charles Mee’s spectacles and EST’s dark comedies (“Year of the Rooster”).

Kentucky opens with a singing chorus of young women who later double as bridesmaids before we’re introduced to our hero named Hiro (Satomi Blair), a young Asian-American woman who has escaped a traumatic childhood in Kentucky, and now lives in New York City working in marketing. Like most New Yorkers, Hiro has a therapist Larry (Curran Connor) on call who may be falling for her. Hiro is called home to attend the wedding of her born again Christian younger sister Sophie (Sasha Diamond) to someone she has only met several months before. Against Larry’s counseling, Hiro plans to rescue Sophie and bring her back to New York City where Hiro thinks Sophie can start a new life and break from their oppressive and dysfunctional parents: submissive and kooky Japanese mother, Masako (Ako), and boorish Caucasian father James (Jay Patterson).

It’s clear why Hiro has ditched her family and white trash upbringing which includes her paternal Grandma (Marcia Haufrecht). That and Masako’s cat with a serious attitude, Sylvie (Amir Watchterman) caused me to wonder if the play was going to be a surreal version of the interracial and intergenerational family dramedies that dominated the season.

Things shifted for me when an African-American family that is the polar opposite of Hiro and Sophie’s enters late in the first act: Sophie’s fiance Da’Ron (Ronald Peete) and his parents, Ernest (Mikumari Caiyhe), a church pastor and his first lady, the glam Amy (Lynnette Freeman). Nanako Winkler presents an African American family that is loving and nurturing, which was surprising and subversive. Presumably by marrying into Da’Ron’s family, Sophie will have the normalcy and support she didn’t receive from her biological family and this nucleus is something that sister Hiro is lacking.

The joy of "Kentucky" lies in Nanako Winkler’s characterization of Hiro as a millennial who is stubborn, selfish, but is engaging and she makes the other people on the canvas identifiable. The playwright also gives Hiro a subplot romance (and what hero doesn’t deserve one?) with Kentuckian Adam, played by Alex Grubbs.

All around fine work by the cast and director Morgan Gould who served the changes in Nanako Winkler’s styles, genres and tones with clarity and highlighted the play’s many themes without hitting audiences over the head. Nick Francone’s scenic design evoked rural life and multiple locations without making EST’s black box seem cramped. Solid work by the rest of the design team.

Kentucky by Leah Nanako Winkler.  Directed by Morgan Gould.  Music Direction & Vocal Arrangements: Sariva Goetz. Costumes: Suzanne Chesney.  Lighting: Ryan Seelig. Sound: Shane Retting.  Props: Justin Cox. Choreographer: Katie Spelman. Stage Manager: Eileen Lalley. Ran from April 20 - May 22, 2016 at Ensemble Studio Theater, 549 W. 52nd St. New York City. 

Born For This: The Bebe Winans Story

Reviewed by Tracey Conyer Lee

THIS AIN'T “MOTOWN”

I can't lie. After Googling the theatrical events available to me during my week on tour in Atlanta, I was wholly disappointed to find The Alliance Theatre's "Born For This" was the only major production on the boards when I wasn't working myself. The Charles Randolph-Wright helmed musical biopic chronicles the beginnings of the careers of gospel duo BeBe & CeCe Winans.

Now... 

I was a decided BeBe & CeCe fan during their late 80s/early 90s heyday when they had “crossed over” and made get-right songs in a style that we heathens couldn't resist. I am a child of God, but be clear, those unmistakable voices are what pulled dollars out of my pocket for cassette tapes and concert tickets. I assumed "Born For This" would offer up some SANGIN' but I also assumed it'd be bestrewn with horribly-written sketches of already-known-about or not-at-all-play-worthy information that often undermines the “jukebox musical.” And plagues a Black one. We already know we need to be better than “they” to succeed. For every "Motown" (the very type of theater I was describing above) we watch open then close, “they” watch "Beautiful" and "Jersey Boys" run for years on end. Our stories are worthy of more than being sung sublimely and danced to perfection, they deserve to be told with excellent crafting and groomed with unapologetic care for the art, not the ego. Ironically, ego is one of the themes of "Born For This." Yup. There are themes. 

So... 

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Alliance Theatre

I was prepared to be underwhelmed and salty only to leave hopeful and proud. "Born For This" isn't just a concert with some trite anecdotes dropped in around it. It's a play. It isn't a revolutionary play. It's not especially innovative or groundbreaking. What it is is an expertly performed, solidly crafted story about siblings I thought I knew...but didn't. This ain't no "Motown." It's what "Motown" wanted to be and should have been, but wasn't. Mr. Randolph-Wright, who co-wrote with BeBe Winans, happened to be in the house for the performance I saw and I told him so. Was he insulted (having also helmed "Motown")? Maybe. But since Berry Gordy's egomaniacal yearnings to tell his story his way were the well-known downfall of "Motown," it is my hope that Mr. Randolph-Wright heard me saying “had you the power to truly collaborate with Mr. Gordy (as it seems he had with novice playwright Winans), maybe "Motown" would still be running, out-selling Carole King and Frankie Valli.” 

What I most appreciated about "Born For This" is that instead of trying to cram the lengthy careers of the huge Winans clan into one sparse story, they focused on BeBe & CeCe's enduring relationship with "Praise The Lord" (PTL) televangelist icons Jim and Tammi Faye Bakker (played by Chaz Pofahl and Kirsten Wyatt) to highly entertaining and truly enlightening effect.  Later, I Youtubed all four of them for two additional hours because what I learned in the play really “Change(d) My Nature.” (See what I did there?) It's the story we weren't told in the tabloids and scandalous media coverage. 

The cast is unanimously gifted. Aside from some questionable interpretive dance moments that I hope gets cut, their charge is a lofty one and there are no weak links. Led by BeBe & CeCe's niece and nephew, real-life siblings Juan and Deborah Joy Winans, the entire company will join the remount at DC's Arena Stage in July and August. It's mesmerizing to watch the next generation tell their family story in this way, but as beautiful as their voices are (and they are awesome singers), don't count on hearing the identifiably fierce clarinet-trombone-like blend that makes BeBe & CeCe's sound so signature. You can go home after the show and dust off your “Different Lifestyles” album. You're welcome. Again, not brain surgery, but if you want to be entertained and have a little hope for the jukebox biopic format, get you a Boltbus down to DC and check out "Born For This."

Born For This: The Bebe Winans Story.  Book, Music & Lyrics by Benjamin "BeBe" Winans. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright.  Costume Design: William Ivey Long. Set Design: Neil Patel. Choreographer: Warren Adams. Musical Director and Player/Conductor: Steven Jamail. Projection Design: John Narun. Sound Design: Jesse Stevens. Stage Manager: Bret Torbeck.  At Alliance Theatre . Atlanta, GA.  Ran from April 13 to May 15, 2016.

Tracey Conyer Lee has originated roles Off-Broadway and regionally. 2015-16 credits include Yale Rep and Denver Center. Her TV/film work includes a Best Actress Audience Award. Also a playwright, Ms. Lee has had her work developed and produced in New York, Boston and Chicago. She is a Merit Scholar for a 2018 MFA in Writing For the Stage & Screen.

Mabel Madness

Reviewed by A.J. Muhammad

Image sourced by Urban Stages

There aren’t enough accolades to describe the treasure that is Trezana Beverley who starred as the real life singer Mabel Mercer in “Mabel Madness,” an elegant solo-show that was also written by Beverley and produced by Urban Stages Theater.

Mercer was the biracial British born singer who came to prominence in first half of the 20th century and was the muse to composers and a generation of recording artists. In "Mabel Madness," we meet Mercer in her later years waiting for a meeting with a promoter who promises to revive her career. She then flashes back to her childhood in the U.K. as the daughter of a young single mother who was an itinerate singer, and a Black vaudeville performer. As a young woman she relocated to Paris during the 1920 and 1930s and made a name for herself performing her signature style of singing while seated. It was there that she encountered a host of celebrities including Marlene Deitrich and the African American performer Ada Smith aka ”Bricktop” who took over as the owner of the venue where Mercer sang and also became one of Mercer’s close friends. 

Fearing for her safety, Mercer fled pre-war WWII Europe for New York City where she quickly became a fixture on the nightclub scene. The grueling demands on her and long hours proved taxing on her voice and spirits. A trip to the Caribbean to recover from her health conditions without her identification documents made her unable to re-enter the country for three years. While there, a sympathetic queer singer, Kelsey Pharr, proposed marriage so that Mercer could finally return to the states.  Mercer agreed to the platonic union, but later found love and counted Frank Sinatra, who learned the techniques to deliver a song from her, among her suitors. 

Beverley outlines enough details about Mercer’s life to fill the show’s 90 minute running time and played a host of secondary characters with considerable skill. She recreated a bygone era in two continents and included both racial and familial issues into the narrative to flesh out Mercer. Beverley, in excellent voice, performed a dozen of standards by composers such as Cole Porter, The Gershwins, Dubose Hewyard, and others.  Kudos to musical direction and off stage accompaniment by Tuffus Zimbabwe.

Although in the context of the show having Beverley seated for long stretches makes sense, she could have used staging that was more dynamic and less static, as well as a bigger stage to fit her larger than life talents and Mercer’s incredible stories. Tech quality, including projections and video, underscored Mercer’s recollections nicely.  Here’s to an encore!

"Mabel Madness" written by Trezana Beverley. Directed by Frances Hill and Peter Napolitano. Musical Direction: Tuffus Zimbabwe.  Costume Design: Tabitha Pease. Lighting Designer: Christina Watanabe. Video Designer: Nicholas Blade Guldner. Technical Director: Douglas Mills. Choreographer: Brenna Hughes. Production Stage Manager: Jill Woodward. Ran from Feb 19- April 10, 2016 at Urban Stages Theater.  259 W. 30th St. NYC.