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.