Do you want to take a master acting class with Phylicia Rashad? Then go see "Head of Passes."
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| Image Sourced by The Public Theater |
Having premiered at the Steppenwolf, and in a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Public opened Tarell Alvin McCraney’s latest on March 15, 2016. Extended after being chosen as a New York Times Critic’s Picks, it will run until May 1, 2016. But before you rush to get your tickets, expect the unexpected.
MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient McCraney starts his story in the distant present Head of Passes, Mississippi, where the tides are growing and storms are on the rise. On the eve of Shelah’s birthday (Rashad), her two sons, Aubrey (Francois Battiste) and Spencer (J Bernard Calloway) have planned a surprise party and invited close friends and family. Unfortunately, having not visited lately, they discover the home has been neglected for years, and torrential leaks have taken over the décor. Quickly assembling buckets and covers, family friends Crier (Kyle Beltran), Creaker (John Earl Jelks), and Mae (Arnetia Walker) assist Shelah with the drips. With the foundations of the home cracking, the metaphors for the play are evident from the get-go.
Intertwined between domestic drama and myth, the first act reads like a typical August Wilson play, but don’t be fooled, the second act quickly turns the play into a Greek tragedy with messengers and all. When you think you are starting to get to know the characters, you don’t. For example, act one quickly introduces Cookie (Alana Arenas) Shelah’s late husband’s illegitimate crack addicted-stealing daughter, whom Shelah raised as her own. Her arrival causes tension amongst the siblings and one expects a traditional family drama to unfold. Dr. Anderson (Robert Joy) also unexpectedly joins the dinner part and reveals Shelah’s cancer, but instead of unraveling these characters, act two disbands all relationships formed during act one and places Rashad front and center. The disappearance of these characters dissipates character buildup or attachment. Yet, McCraney might have done this on purpose, leaving Rashad for almost the entire second act in a beautiful mystical world submerged by the Mississippi waters.
Although the show feels like two separate plays, director Tina Landau manages to tell both stories and intertwines them thanks to Rashad’s powerful performance. But if not for Rashad’s masterful take on Shelah, the play would not be as successful.
"Head of Passes" by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Directed by Tina Landau. Set Design: G. W. Mercier Costume Design: Toni-Leslie James. Lighting Design: Jeff Croite. sound by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen; wig and hair design by Robert-Charles Vallance; production stage manager, Lori Lundquist. At The Public Theatre, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, Manhattan; 212-967-7555, publictheater.org. Running time: 2 hours.
MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient McCraney starts his story in the distant present Head of Passes, Mississippi, where the tides are growing and storms are on the rise. On the eve of Shelah’s birthday (Rashad), her two sons, Aubrey (Francois Battiste) and Spencer (J Bernard Calloway) have planned a surprise party and invited close friends and family. Unfortunately, having not visited lately, they discover the home has been neglected for years, and torrential leaks have taken over the décor. Quickly assembling buckets and covers, family friends Crier (Kyle Beltran), Creaker (John Earl Jelks), and Mae (Arnetia Walker) assist Shelah with the drips. With the foundations of the home cracking, the metaphors for the play are evident from the get-go.
Intertwined between domestic drama and myth, the first act reads like a typical August Wilson play, but don’t be fooled, the second act quickly turns the play into a Greek tragedy with messengers and all. When you think you are starting to get to know the characters, you don’t. For example, act one quickly introduces Cookie (Alana Arenas) Shelah’s late husband’s illegitimate crack addicted-stealing daughter, whom Shelah raised as her own. Her arrival causes tension amongst the siblings and one expects a traditional family drama to unfold. Dr. Anderson (Robert Joy) also unexpectedly joins the dinner part and reveals Shelah’s cancer, but instead of unraveling these characters, act two disbands all relationships formed during act one and places Rashad front and center. The disappearance of these characters dissipates character buildup or attachment. Yet, McCraney might have done this on purpose, leaving Rashad for almost the entire second act in a beautiful mystical world submerged by the Mississippi waters.
Although the show feels like two separate plays, director Tina Landau manages to tell both stories and intertwines them thanks to Rashad’s powerful performance. But if not for Rashad’s masterful take on Shelah, the play would not be as successful.
"Head of Passes" by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Directed by Tina Landau. Set Design: G. W. Mercier Costume Design: Toni-Leslie James. Lighting Design: Jeff Croite. sound by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen; wig and hair design by Robert-Charles Vallance; production stage manager, Lori Lundquist. At The Public Theatre, 425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, Manhattan; 212-967-7555, publictheater.org. Running time: 2 hours.
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."
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