[rating=3]In the majority of plays dealing with the African-American population, we find ourselves feeling sorry for what the world has put upon their plates. Lydia R. Diamond changes all that with her wit and sharp dialogue and shows us the “other” side of life. The side that we don’t see on the evening news or read in the headlines. Her play, “Stick Fly” takes us to Martha’s Vineyard where the LeVay brothers, Flip ( DiMonte Henning) and Kent (Eric Gerard) are bringing their girlfriends for the weekend. Each has a story and their lady friends, Kimber ( Kayla Raelle Holder) and Taylor ( Jennifer Latimore), truly add to the mix.
The home is amazing thanks to the scenic design( Linda Buchanan) where we can see a home that is on the water. The brothers love their father, Joe, ( deftly handled by David Alan Anderson) and in some ways fear their mother. As it turns out, their mother is not present and their dad is not his usual self. There is another character, Cheryl ( a powerful portrayal by Ayanna Bria Bakari ) who is the daughter of their maid, and if “filling in ” for her. In fact, the opening of the play is Cheryl preparing the house for the arrival of the LeVay clan. This number is a choreographer’s dream, but since their is no choreographer listed, we must credit director Ron OJ Parson for the clever start of an intense story.
What begins as a family weekend where the family gets to meet the loves of their son’s lives, turns out to be a sort of roller coaster of emotions. There are some surprises that I will not give out as that would spoil the experience. This is a play filled with skeletons in the closets ( of each family member). The story gets into their history, some with each other and under circumstances that were unavoidable. These characters all have back stories and during this two act production ( two hours-thirty-five minutes with an intermission) we learn many details of their lives, their ambitions, and history.
The women that are in the lives of Kent and Flip have their own backstories that they bring to the table. While they are greatly impressed by the LeVay legacy, they learn that what you see is not always what there is. Each character in this play is open to examination by the others and during this “weekend getaway” they are forced to learn more about each other as well as class, race (Kimber is White) and culture. Pay close attention to each character and the ending will make more sense. This is one where you do not want to miss any of the dialogue or interplay as each piece of the puzzle has great importance to the final story. The production from start to finish under the clever hand of Parsons has the power to keep us in the stories as they come out .
Remember, Mother is not present, dad is not his usual self, Cheryl seems different and each of the boys feels the tension of the other. Again, I say, pay close attention to what they say and how it is said. The puzzle parts will fit if you do!
The tech aspects of this production are powerful. From the set where we truly feel that we are looking through the windows into an enchanting house on the beach to the costumes (Caitlin McLeod) and lighting (Claire Chrzan) and sound (Christopher M. LaPaorte). The prop designer (Rachel Watson) truly had her hands full on this one. Keeping track of the many items is not easy and yet, we never saw a missed item.
This is a play that will open your eyes a bit and probably leave you thinking about what you saw. Perhaps even to open conversations with others
“Stick Fly” will continue at Writers Theatre located at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe thru March 15th. The performance schedule is as follows:
Tuesdays 7:30 p.m.
Wednesdays 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays 7:30 p.m.
Fridays 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sundays 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. ( no evenings on 3/1 and 3/15)
On Wednesday 2/26 and 3/11 there is a 3 p.m. show as well.
Tickets starting at $35- $80 are available at the box office, by calling 847-242-6000 or online at www.writerstheatre.org
ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES
“Open Caption” on Saturday, March 14th at 3 p.m.
After each Tuesday performance post show discussion THE WORD
After Wednesday performance THE ARTIST
Pre-Show UP CLOSE prior to each Thursday performance
Parking is free in the area and the theater is a short walk from the Metra station. Learn how Writers will help pay for your train ride www.writerstheatre.org/metra
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click “Stick Fly”.
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