Month: December 2021

 

This December will mark the 17^th Anniversary staging of Black Nativity by Bishop Arts Theatre Center in Oak Cliff. Written by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, Black Nativity tells the story of the birth of the Christ Child, through the lens of the African American Community. It begins in the home of a pastor, making pancakes for her daughter, who’s listening to music and working on an essay for class. She’s been up all night, but time has run out, and they must hurry to make it to church on time. They pick up a couple more friends/parishioners, and bear down on the gas pedal. After she’s introduced as a special guest, Pastor Imani Johnson begins to preach. She begins testifying to the congregation, and us, too. She describes the infinite mercy and love that brought our Savior here, for the sake of salvation.

This being my fourth visit to Black Nativity I can tell you, that Langston Hughes (and Bishop Arts) have got a few things figured out it. You needn’t be somber to respectful. Sprawling energy can be very entertaining, even in a Bible story. Some comic relief is always welcome. Black Nativity is skillfully, cheerfully conceived to touch us with its message of radiant joy and a God who loves us, no matter what.

Co-Directors Zetra Goodlow and Albert Wash II have brightened the narrative with splendid, original touches. Dancers in glowing colors pop up throughout the show, enhancing the air of celebration. A Guardian Angel sit far upstage, beneath an enormous star, playing the cello. Members of the congregation, and those who dwell in Bethlehem, ignore the fourth wall, whether its to broaden the performance space, or interact with the audience: inviting us to buy flowers, join in the service, or share in the Sweet Tidings.

This interpretation ingeniously creates a context of how folks spend their days in the world. Children playing in the street, churchgoers bouncing in a car that’s half eggbeater, or Magi getting ready for an arduous journey. There’s lots of physical comedy and sketch work.The Three Wise Men competing for best gift, the man who must rescue a poor soul who’s passed out, but not without venting some frustration. This is one of Black Nativity’s greatest strengths. It doesn’t sacrifice humanity for the sake of piety; which is not to say it lacks for devotion. It makes the miracle of a messiah accessible, by depicting the world Jesus came into. They’re not afraid to show us Mary’s problems navigating pregnancy, or brothers taunting each other. It’s this insight and intuitive impulses that makes Bishop Arts Black Nativity an exhilarating, exuberant, memorable spectacle.

Bishop Arts Theatre Center presents Black Nativity, playing December 16th-18th, 2021.  215 South Tyler Street, Dallas, TX, United States, Texas, 75208. (214) 948-0716. info@bishopartstheatre.org

A young couple takes a shot at reconciliation. He has been sleeping on the floor of the studio where he paints. She’s been trying to function as an autonomous human being, who nonetheless wants their relationship to work. When he returns, duffle bag and birdcage in hand, he is tentative and eager to get it right. Perhaps his new bird will be company for “Sweetpea” the one they kept before he was shown the door. She sits down with him and suggests they always discuss the “big scaries”: i. e. uncomfortable truths that might sabotage meaningful connection. She also recommends they explore secret fantasies. In this realm they can be all things to each other, without fear.

Initially the situation feels reassuring. So far so good. He is vigilantly deferential and she is considerate, if subtly and (perhaps unintentionally) manipulative. Old habits die gradually. An incident of unwashed spoons (always a hazardous oversight) nearly escalates, but she manages Herculean restraint. The two birds are exploring emotions and boundaries. Sweetpea is touchy and brusque. She’s not used to sharing space. “Buddy” is respectful and ready to step out of her way, when indicated.

Our two winged consorts seem to speak the buried emotions so difficult for our intrepid couple to articulate. It seems impossible to miss that “Sweetpea” is also their safeword. Along the way there are fresh, amusing metaphors. A distinct air of tension lurks behind subdued dialogue. We sense an eruption is waiting, just around the corner. No rainbow and pie here. Mixed signals precipitate a meltdown.

Playwright Janielle Kastner lays out a congenial, conscientious narrative of two kind-hearted souls, trying to salvage a romance informed by grace and warmth. Their strategy begins with flawed (if not uncommon) myths. No lovers can meet every need. Nor should they try. That’s why the world includes say: mothers, sisters, grandads, aunts, buddies, and so on. When he suggests they each take a turn playing mother, for example, it amounts to a red flag that’s ignored. Another blind spot is the understanding that compromise is key. At the risk of creating a litany, we’ll move on.

Laudably, Kastner uncovers the excruciating detail that sends the well-intentioned into a tailspin. She explains almost nothing. But just enough to demonstrate the complicated, messy commitment that intense bonding requires. If the outcome is inevitable, we never know if it was because he and she were unable, or unwilling to hold it together. Too many near misses, too many missed opportunities. Sweetpea is powerful, compelling drama, and boy, is it painful.

Second Thought Theatre presents the world premier of Janielle Kastner’s Sweetpea, playing November 19th- December 11^th, 2021. 3400 Blackburn Street (Kalita Humphreys Campus) Dallas, Texas 75219. 214-897-3021. secondthoughttheatre.com