THE PLAY: This is Anna Deavere Smith’s collection of 26 interviews: The first act sets up the concept of identity, while Act Two addresses the Crown Height riots in 1991. Three days of violent unrest erupted after a Black boy was run over by an Orthodox Jew, followed by the stabbing of another Jew by a group of Black men.

THE PRODUCTION: Considering that this is simply a string of monologues, the amount of directorial creativity and performance excellence propel this into a masterfully-realized theatrical experience. Jamar Jones is fully immersed in every character with an assured presentation, spot-on accents and appropriate physicality. Unquestionably, it’s a tour de force. In one of director Katrinah Carol Lewis’ many distinctive contributions, he starts to assume each character before even uttering a word, while changing into the costume/wig. The musical breaks and informative projections by Bobby Finley added depth and important information. Production designer Todd Labelle kept the supporting tech simple to allow full focus on the performance, while Margarette Joyner’s costume pieces enhanced the characters even more. Because of the strength of the production, the long running time was never an issue, but it did seem like the overall effect is an objective social commentary documentary with only a few moments of effective emotions. Running time: 2:50

THE POINT: The numerous masterfully-realized characters from Jamar Jones and the immeasurably creative hand of director Katrinah Carol Lewis combine to make this an impressive dramatic event.

 

(5 / 5)

 

At Firehouse Theatre thru 4/25 including streaming