Compelling and thought-provoking, “Yes… My Name Is LUCY!” is the best online show I have seen since the COVID outbreak. I loved it!
This two-woman show features stellar performances by Deanna Dunagan as Lucy Hassell Montgomery and Camille Robinson as Sarah James. Each character is gripping in how she relates her own autobiography. The two of them feed on each other, with neither one more or less prominent. To accomplish this so well, the actors draw each other out with a spontaneity that seems almost unrehearsed. High praise goes to playwright Wandachristine Hudson for creating two strong, valiant women in leading roles and fashioning their finely-crafted interchanges.
The dialogue is very real and very deep. You can burst out laughing one moment and be moved to tears the next. The baring of souls and the focus on painful things that have taken place in each woman’s life simultaneously reveals an honesty and a vulnerability inherent in both. Neither is afraid to say what she thinks. The intimacy gained by focusing on these two performers via the medium of Zoom is a credit to the brilliant directing of Chuck Smith.
There are moments when the performance feels as if you are intruding on a private conversation, and there are other times when you feel as if the characters are speaking to you directly. Above all, there is a growing closeness and trust between two women who are of different races and who come from different generations, cultures, and walks of life. You can feel the bond between them in wanting to understand the other. Yet can an older white woman born in the South ever truly understand a younger black woman born in the North, and vice versa? More generally, the audience needs to reflect on how we feel in relation to both of these women characters, keeping in mind that each of us witnesses their interaction through our own cultural lens and unique set of internalized experiences.
There are many layers to this staged reading, and you can learn a lot about history by listening closely to the dialogue. If you grew up in the Chicago area or have lived here for many years, parts of the story can be a trip down memory lane. If you don’t know the city—now or in the past—you’re in store for quite an education.
Hudson’s razor-sharp, beautifully-written script is considered a work in progress. Though the next incarnation may be a bit different if it were to be produced for live theater, the fine acting by Robinson and Dunagan makes this production stand out and portends infinite success to come.
“Yes… My Name Is LUCY!” is produced by American Blues Theater and is the second installment in its reading series “The Room”, a forum for plays in various stages of development dealing with social equity issues and social consciousness in contemporary America. Future readings include “Alma” in October, “Days of Decision” in November, and “Red Bike” in December. Go to https://americanbluestheater.com/ or call (773) 654-3103 for more information.
Online single tickets per performance are pay-what-you-can. The suggested donation is $10 each.
Please keep in mind that ticket sales cover only 25% of the expenses involved in putting on shows, so consider making a tax-deductible donation to support American Blues Theater by clicking on this link: https://americanbluestheater.com/donate-now/. Your generous support will allow the company to continue its artistic programming and arts education initiatives.
Special note: November 3rd is the date of the general election. “Vote” t-shirts and sweatshirts are available through American Blues Theater with proceeds going to Chicago Votes, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization. These colorful shirts are attractive, and their message lets other people know that all of our voices need to be heard.
Super soft t-shirts are $20 + $5 shipping. Hoodies are $30 + $9 shipping.
Free, safe pick-up is also available from the American Blues Theater office, at 4809 N. Ravenswood, in Chicago.
Contact Suzy Robertson, Director of Patron Services, at SuzyR@AmericanBluesTheater.com to place your order now.
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