Skeleton Crew

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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."