"The play's the thing," as they say on this lot, "in which to catch the consience of the King."  Nya Joseph is an English teacher in a a smart, integrated high school in an inner city environment; her son Omari is a student at a fairly posh private school. They are Black and feel the combined joy and burden of that fact. Omari is emotionally flexing his reactions to things, causing trouble and facing expulsion for his attack on a teacher. Nya is dealing with her ex-husband's new girlfriend, her son's disillusionment, her work friend's growing interest in her and her solitariness and the stresss it brings her. She is smoking and drinking a bit too much. It all is taking a toll on her well-being. Morisseau's beautiful use of language defines Nya and the others to perfection and WAM's production puts her and all that happens into a near-fantasy world of moveable walls, projected people and words, confusing lighting and the strike of a stroke.

The Playwright's Rules of Engagement, written to combat her sense of white supremacy in audiences, encourages us all to be a part of the action, to integrate this world she presents to us. It is generally good advice; some of those words the same ones I've used for audiences in our region in years past and this play seems to encourage that through it's grand and gracious writing. 

Hubens "Bobby" Cius as Omari, Alexandria Danielle King as Nya; Photo: David Dashiell

What really drives this play, though, is the mother-son relationship delivered to perfection by Hubens "Bobby" Cius as Omari and Alexandria Danielle King as his mother, Nya. These two actors have forged a connection somehow and onstage together they play the reality of this relationship without any sign of acting. They exhibit love and frustration, anger and resentment the way any son and mother do in real life. Their touches, embraces, distances all came off as so real there was a sensation of watching neighbors, people you really know, and not actors. From Row E, at the back wall of this intimate theatre, they pulled me across the space and into their situation. King's honesty in their scenes together was incredible. She is a dynamo whose energy-rushed emotions were unavoidable.  Similarly his thoughts played across his face constantly and gave access to his thought-processes. While I doubt there is a real blood-connection here, they felt like a family and for this play there couldn't have been a finer acting technique. 

Near the end of the play the three men are placed across from one another. Tensions mount instantly. The play takes on a male mystiique not frequently felt in WAM's presentations. When Dun leaves father and son together, as he must, father and son confront the reality that drives each of them to do what they do and to bear witness to their lives' mistakes. The writing here is what gives Morisseau an edge in the modern theater. The two actors, West and Cius, deliver exactly what the play needs, and director Dawn M. Simmons delivers the play to us with its underlying message on display in a brief but effective way that, unknown before, is what we've needed.

Simmons has done some beautiful work with this script. Having a superb cast hasn't hurt and the talent level throughout helps deliver an almost perfect work.  Shelley Barish's set design is functional and fascinating. John Adekoje's projection fill in gaps and reinforce the imagery in the play's words. Elizabeth Rocha's costume define the characters and Michaela Carmela Bocchino's lighting keeps the play dark, the players in half-light at times. A few scenes with dim or offset lighting and hard to grasp direction left me a bit confused, but overall, their work, along with sound designer Greg Smith's fascinating choices kept the play as interesting to watch as it was to hear.

I want to know what happens to all of these people and to their lives. I want to see these actors again too somehow. I want to see this play again, to experience it and learn from it. It's a very fine way to spend 90 minutes and I recommend it to you highly.

+  10/28/19  +