CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp Connecticut Review
On the Grounds of Belonging
Thus, when lynching is threatened in Ricardo Pérez Gonzalez’ sharply drawn, solid On the Grounds of Belonging, having its world premiere at Long Wharf Theater, it’s no idle threat. The play, taking place in Texas in the 1950s, seems to have been written in that same time frame. That is, it’s realistic, without theatrical tricks, a straightforward, absorbing tale of thwarted love and destructive prejudice. That it’s as relevant now as it might have been then is thanks to continuing negative attitudes towards both gays and blacks. Taking place in Houston, it revolves around two gay bars. One, the Red Room, caters to whites; the other, the Gold Room across the street, welcomes blacks. When a white woman invades the Gold Room, where the play is set, the drama begins. Actually, the woman is Thomas Aston (Jeremiah Clapp), a white young man in drag who seeks refuge to avoid a Red Room raid by police who do not take kindly to drag queens. But something more than bargained for occurs when the white "woman" falls for Russell Montgomery (Calvin Leon Smith), a young black man, igniting all sorts of public and private fires, including the very real threat of lynching. Russell is pulled in several directions. There’s the other black young man, Henry Stanfield (Blake Anthony Morris) whose yen for Russell leads to violence. There’s the bartender, Hugh Williams (Thomas Silcott), a peace-loving man who has accepted his hierarchal position. Also trying to keep the peace is Tanya Starr (Tracey Conyer Lee), the saloon singer with a heart. Add the two bars’ owner, Mooney Fitzpatrick (Craig Bockhorn), a stereotypical redneck. These characters, products of their environments, are limited by society’s sexual and class strictures. Still, basically this is a love story, transcending friendship, race and family. Although we don’t know enough about the characters, beyond what we see before us, the acting is superior. Under David Mendizábal’s sensitive direction, the balance between societal threats and individual desires drives the action. As Thomas, Clapp zeroes in on his wants with such take-no-prisoners strength that you push forward with him, caught up in his quest, while Smith makes Russell’s initial reluctance believable, and his overcoming satisfying. Morris is an angry, frustrated Stanfield. If Bockhorn and Silcott are no more than figureheads, at least they convey men strangled by past experiences. As the singer, Tracey Conyer Lee is as sensible as she is empathetic. Starting with its poetic title, On the Grounds of Belonging is not only a strong work, it’s a positive harbinger of Long Wharf’s future, led by its new artistic director, Jacob Padron. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES On the Grounds of Belonging by Ricardo Prrez Gonzalez Directed by David Mendizsbal CAST: Craig Bockhorn (Money Fitzpatrick), Jeremiah Clapp (Thomas Aston), Tracey Conyer Lee (Tanya Starr), Blake Anthony Morris (Henry Stanfield), Thomas Silcott (Hugh Williams), Calvin Leon Smith (Russell Montgomery Set Design: Wilson Chin Costume Design: Ntokozo Fuzunina Kunene Lighting Design: Cha See Composition and Sound Design: Mauricio Escamilla Wig, Hair and Makeup Design: J. Jared Janas Fight and Intimacy Director: Uncledave’s Fight-House Production Stage Manager: Bianca A. Hooi Assistant Stage Managers: Amy Patricia Stern, Patrick Anthony Surillo Casting by Calleri Casting Running time: 1:45 (no intermission) Yale Repertory Theater, New Haven, Ct , Oct. 9-Nov. 3, 2019 Reviewed Oct. 17, 2019 REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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