A Heated Discussion by Levy Lee Simon

 

Ben Guillory (l), Vanja Renee, David Bollar - Photos by Jermaine Alexander

By Joe Straw

 

Yemaya – Creation, water, motherhood, rivers, lakes, streams, wells, pregnant women, fishermen, shipwreck survivors.

 

Oya – Orisha of winds, lightning, and violent storms, death and rebirth.

 

Oshun - Goddess of divinity, femininity, fertility, beauty and love.

 

Charyse Monet  (l.), Ben Guillory, Ayonna Michelle, Toni-Ann Hampton

 

 

Orishas are spirits send by the Supreme Being. They are sent, because they are needed.   Needed because these are troubling times on earth, troubling times for the human race, and in particular for black people. “Black people are murdered in the streets with impunity.”

 

Yemaya (Tori-Ann Hampton), representing motherhood, cries continuously because of what is going on in the United States of America.  Oshun (Charyse Monet), goddess of divinity, and Oya (Ayonna Michele), sword at her side, tries to calm Yemaya with some success. Each, in their own way,  know trouble plagues this part of the earth and the only way they can solve the problems is to call upon the creators to see if they can offer solutions.

 

The creators appear to enter through a portal, long coils of pipe-like structures that run horizontal to a non-earthly plain, one that ventures to and from the neither regions of time and space. But however they appear, the creators come ready to do verbal battle, or speak a truth that is familiar to them but a truth nevertheless. (Earthly accouterments were provided in this setting to those who still take human sustenance in the hereafter.)

 

And they come, shadowy vibrations, not knowing why they come, but they are happy to engage and offer a resolution if they can overcome the conflict among them, to set that aside, and offer solutions. To be here each has previously shaken their mortal coil, some long since past, but they come not knowing why they come, but still happy if only to please.

 

James Baldwin (Julio Hanson), Dr. Francess Welsing Cress (Rosie Lee Hooks), Nina Simone (Lashada Jackson), Zora Neale Hurston (Vanja Renee), Tupac Shakur (Kyle Sparks), Maya Angelou (Kimberly Bailey), Ida B. Wells (Quonta Beasley), Richard Pryor (Philip Bell), Malcolm X (David Bollar), Bob Marley (Alex W.S.T. Chumley), Lorraine Hansberry (Tiffany Coty), and Dr. Martin Luther King (Carret Davis) are called together to find answers.

 

The Robey Theatre Company in association with the Los Angeles Theatre Center present A Heated Discussion written by Levy Lee Simon and directed by Ben Guillory through May 15, 2022.

 

One is not sure how to start, how one is to overcome the humanity in the room, all at once, relating, seeking solutions to unspeakable problems. One thing is certain and that is the feeling of elation, when listening to the dialogue of this strongly driven character play. Levy Lee Simon has written an astounding piece of theatre, bringing together characters from different periods relating to each other, seeking answers from within to address the common good. It is exquisitely written and a breathtaking dramatic work that moves to find a solution to racial inequities and inequality.  

 

Based on an ideal by Ben Guillory, Guillory superbly directs a truly remarkable cast of characters. He expertly guides the characters to a mysterious plain of existence. And each character is at the pinnacle of their being. They are reasonable, articulate, and physical enough to be vocal to express their point of view in the discussion in a controlled setting. It is magnificent work created in part over the course of the two year pandemic layoff.  

 

That said, there are several standout performances in this presentation.

 

Vanja Renee was remarkable as Zora Neale Hurston, vibrant and bubbly. Her dark dress had white dots invoking champagne bubbles. And, the way she projected, in a manner of vibrant bubbles, seemed to be a conscience choice, suggesting that this was the manner in which Zora actually spoke. This personality trait made for an incredible character choice and moved her along splendidly in the role.  

 

Julio Hanson (l.), Tiffany Coty, Rosie Lee Hooks

 

 

Julio Hanson performance of James Baldwin was just shy of perfection. He spoke with benevolent volubility and mannerisms that equally captured Baldwin’s desire to set humanities conflict right.  His performance is sublime and moves with a grace that James Baldwin always invoked.   

 

A statuesque David Bollar plays Malcolm X with a smooth voice and a commanding presence. Bollar captures that truth in Malcolm, angry, and somewhat defiant, but measured in his words when creating his truth.

 

Tiffany Coty is perfect as Lorraine Hansberry a woman who carries a sincere and articulated truth in trying to find a solution. She is a woman who hasn’t forgotten her past, which gets her into a little trouble in the hereafter.  

 

Philip Bell is extremely funny as Richard Pryor, coming back to a terrifying unpredictable situation. Bell brings all the mannerism to the character; the wisecracking stretched left side of his mouth, the blinking eyes, and the left arm that doesn’t bend behind his back when telling a story.

 

Kyle Sparks also presents some fantastic work as Tupac Shakur.  His role is carefully crafted, the voice, the cackle in his laugh, the refulgent smile, his looks, and mannerisms complete the character. It is a remarkable work of art.

 

Lashada Jackson has a nice song as Nina Simone.  She hasn’t captured Nina’s voice but manages to be uplifting to those around her.

 

A reporter asked Martin Luther King Jr., why he was the face of the Civil Rights Moment and he said he didn’t know why. It was possible only because he was there at key fastidious time and moments.  Garret Davis projects another image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. one that is low key, and subtle. But, King had a projected voice like Barry White and offered a peaceful movement, one which carried him with a solid backing of a religious truth.  Also, it did not appear that the other characters gave King the reverence he deserved, that his peaceful message carried any kind of weight when it should have carried a groundswell of support. King presents a lyrical and yet an opposing voice to the proceeding.

 

Rosie Lee Hooks does well as Dr. Frances Welsing Cress, oftentimes raising the hackles of others around her with her off beat comments and lurid point of view.

 

Kimberly Bailey does well as Maya Angelou, somber and intelligence played an important part in her character.  

 

Quonta Beasley, as Ida B. Wells, presents horrific stories from history.  Especially horrific is the story of Mary Turner’s lynching in southern Georgia. It is a story to motivate the others around her for more change and finding a solution. Nicely done.

 

Alex W.S.T. Chumley plays Bob Marley rousing the people around him to get up and stand up for your rights. This should have subtly moved others but may not have had the desired effect of uniting this group who couldn’t agree about anything.  Chumley’s rigorous simplicity gives us a hint of Bob Marley with an infectious wry delivery.

 

Charyse Monet presents a strong visual as Oshun decked out in a wonderful costume. There may be a little more to add in her presentation of peace. Ayonna Michele is Oya and Tori Ann Hampton is Yemaya. All three Orishas are set behind a curtain and at times totally obscure from members of the audience.  That brevity of obscurity on the upper deck loses a little momentum in the projection of their purpose.

 

Ben Guillory plays a spirit, a less benevolent one, dressed in military garb and ready to fight the world.  He seems to be the ultimate decider but one that the others defer to rather than be offended by his rhetoric.

 

But, is there a satisfactory resolution? And, since they are called into the room, shouldn’t it be up artists to come up with a solution? Without giving too much away, shouldn’t the pen take precedent over the sword? If the heated discussion works to find an answer, why is it taken away by one being?

 

Costume Designer, Naila A. Sanders, and Assistant Costume Designer Natalya Shahinyan have created a stunning work of art.

 

Other members of the delightful crew are as follows:  

 

Ben Guillory – Producer

JC Cadena – Associate Producer

Jermain Alexander – Video Production/Associate Producer

Jason Mimms – Graphic Designer

Crystal Nix – Production Stage Manager

Christina Childress – Assistant Sage Manager

Cydney Wayne Davis – Music Director/Composer

James Manning – Music Production/Engineer/Musican

Dave Iwataki – Sound Designer

Benedict Conran – Lighting Designer

Evan A. Bartoletti – Set Designer

James Museitif – Scenic Crew

Joe Seely – Scenic Crew

Lisa Lechuga – Associate Designer

Jan Bouldin Blunt - Choreographer

 

Run! Run! Run! And take a sociologist with you.  It will make all the difference.

 

Also, on this night I sat next to Danny Glover co-founder of The Robey Theatre Company and who was also recently presented with the Academy Award’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.  What a delightful surprise!

 

Reservations: 213-489-7402

 

Online Ticketing: http://therobeytheatrecompany.org

One Way Ticket to Oregon by BC Caldwell

 

L - R Synthia L Hardy and Eve Sigall

 

By Joe Straw

 

Some days here in Southern California I reminisce about the time I lived in the south. The rustling elms, thundering maples, and sycamores leaves all laughing in the nightly breeze accompanied by sounds of bullfrogs and crickets that came in through my open bedroom window.    

 

So, I jumped at the invitation to visit the sounds again, farther south to Alexandria Louisiana, and what a better way to spend the night watching a play that takes place where people move slower and life is all about living gently and getting by the best way that you can. But, in this show, there’s more to living than just getting by.

 

One Way Ticket To Oregon written and produced by BC Caldwell, and directed by JJ Mayes is now playing at the Blue Door Theatre in Culver City, CA  90232 through April 24, 2022.

 

This is my first foray into The Blue Door and it is a beautiful 50-seat theatre.  The greeters were pleasant and the mood was very festive with a slight taste, well the unmistakable flavor, of southern charm. Joyce Hutter, Scenic Designer, sends us to that place in Alexandria, Louisiana, on the porch, ice teas on a table, and comfortable chairs to rest the weary souls.  

 

Leigh Anne Rainey (Eve Sigall) and June Collins (Synthia L. Hardy) do just that  - sit back and talk. June is Leigh Anne’s caretaker, sage, and most importantly a friend.  Leigh Anne has lived in her majestic home everyone calls the White House. And that home has been in her family for more than 150 years.

 

In the telling, Leigh Anne is suffering to what appears to be more than a slight ailment.

 

Dr. Cavanaugh (Rick Steadman) pays a house call and tells her that her white blood count is elevated but there are more tests to run. June, coming back onto the porch, wants more information from the doctor and he will give her the information when Leigh Anne returns.

 

Leigh Anne delicately implores June for more help, taking her to get to the doctors and tests, but June is hesitant because she can’t live on the little Leigh Anne pays her.

 

In an apartment, not far away, Bobby Rainey (Travis Goodman), Leigh Anne’s son lives with is wife Eve (Kate Krieger) and their son Duke (Ethan Aldridge) in a God forsaken cluttered apartment.  Bobby is an opinionated homebody who would like to make love to his wife or have a beer - and not necessarily in that order.  But Eve wants more out of life.  Her dreams of a successful life include traveling and becoming a model. Their dreams are not mutually inclusive.

 

And now their life is wrought with interruptions as Duke comes into the living room and Eve has to send him off to sleep with a song. And oh, does she have a lovely voice.

 

Prominently displayed, above the door, an overbearing shotgun looms in a gun rack, foreshadowing what may be an unbearable event.  Or, maybe it’s just something people have in the south.

 

Well, the news comes for Leigh Anne, and it’s not good, she is heading for troublous times, and is advised to get her affairs in order.   And the pain slowly becomes excruciating for her.  She asks June if her nephew, Andre Calhoun (Matt Jennings), would stop by with some weed to help with the pain. Andre is happy to oblige.  He is going off to dental school in Atlanta and one supposes he does this to supplement his future expenses.

 

Bobby, coming by, doesn’t like Andre around the house.  He calls him “boy”.  Andre lets this go, this time. Bobby’s relationship with his mother is amicable.  It’s been tough living with the knowledge that his father committed suicide. (And the shotgun is still above the head jam.)

 

Leigh Anne has found her answers, but she seeks her pastor, Father Brooks (Carl Weintraub) after his unctuous sermon, for consultations. Father Brooks’ faith is unshakeable and he is not in agreement with her choice of going to Oregon. But, a choice has nevertheless been made and she makes it clear that it is not a willful renunciation of her faith.      

 

BC Caldwell, the writer, tells a story which is an amalgamation of his history living in the south. It is a ubiquitous play and a toast to the southern way of life. One Way Ticket to Oregon is both beautiful and excruciatingly painful to watch. Beauty in the way one see love, and painful in the way one sees the other side of love. And in addition there is darker side of humanity beyond the disease and that is a play that showcases humans coming to terms too late.

 

JJ Mayes, the director, leads an outstanding cast. And while there were only a few miscues, this night was a very pleasant experience with performances that were exceptional. Exceptional work on an exceptional night.

 

A very spry Eve Sigall manages a steady pace as Leigh Anne Rainey.  Aside from the pain of the disease Leigh Anne holds a competitive edge over the frustrations of her kinfolk and stays the course in this time of her life.  She has made her decisions and firmly moves forward despite the conflict that it will bring. Sigall is beautiful when she meets with the pastor, and when the disease takes over; she slowly moves to take control.   Sigall is remarkable in the role.

 

Synthia Hardy brings a lot of warmth and humor to the role of June Collins. Her performance is a joy to watch.  She dances when spirits needs to be lifted and dances with joy when things go her way.  It is a delightful performance, true to nature, truthful in execution.  

 

Travis Goodman as Bobby Rainey has his work cut out for him. He must move from being a homebody racist to someone who has our complete sympathy.  He loses everything and only comes to an understanding after he retrieves the shotgun above the head jam. (How that happens one is not sure.)  It is a moment when he has lost everything.  But that moment is an accumulation of all things that preceded it and should not be lost in the execution. His last meeting with his mother needs another level of emotion, not only for him but for us as well.  That aside, Goodman was superb in the role.

 

Kate Kreiger’s voice is lovely as Eve Rainey a wife and mother on the eve of her destruction. Her destruction is not so much as to what she wants; it’s how willing she is to sacrifice everything to satisfy her needs. And when drugs are part of the equation then her road will be a difficult one in satisfying those needs. Eve’s character needs to be open to all opportunities the moment we see her.  If wanting a better life, we need to see that when she interacts with the other characters. Relax the hands. Use them when you need to showcase the vitreous glitter of your nails and the model-like hands, and let your objective be the force that guides you.

 

Ethan Aldridge plays Duke Rainey and does very well in the role. He is a cute kid, doing cute things, who could ask for anything more.

 

Rick Steadman does well as Dr. Cavanaugh, a nice guy, doing nice things, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But, there’s very little insight in how the doctor feels, how he really feels, about a woman, a friend, a patient wanting to end her life. The conflict is very subtle here. Steadman also play Quickdraw, a man who is unsure of his role when it comes to a family squabble about football. Pick a side and go with it in this scene. That aside, Steadman showcases some remarkable work.  

 

Carl Weintraub plays Father Brooks as a man who believes in the good book, finding answers in that book, and knowing how to guide his parishioners. His words are for naught which must have some kind of effect on him. He also does well as Uncle Lou.

 

Matt Jennings is Andre Calhoun who is June’s nephew. Andre is working to become a better man, possibly a dentist. But for now, in this town of Alexandria, he appears when he is needed. A ride, some drugs, an unwanted friend/lover are some of the things he does to make life easier. But two of those things drugs and lover will get him into a lot of trouble.  He may be able to manage the solicitation of drugs, precariously, but a married lover, in the south, gets him into dangerous territories. This is a better outing for Jennings showing much improvements than his last show.

 

Costumes by Linda Muggeridge, Costume Designer, worked well in this 2010 period piece.

 

One heard a lot of birds from Jaime Robledo, Sound Designer, and that worked effectively.

 

Douglas Gabrielle, Lighting Designer, used a different type of lighting system you normally don’t see in this kind of house.  The purple glow when one enters the house had an interesting effect on the set. The lighting was terrific if not subtle.

 

Other members of the crew are as follows:

 

Jeremy Aldridge – Associate Producer/Assistant Director

TJ O’Brien – State Manager

Michael Teoli – Composer

Scott Golden – Publicity

Ronel Alberts – Poster Artist

 

A portion of the proceeds from the show will benefit ArtsUP! LA which is a nonprofit theater and arts program serving people with disabilities, military veterans, and opportunity youth. 

 

The virtual programs compliments of a QR code brings the cost of printing way down.  I've seen that in the last two show I've been to.  In each, the programs were glorious. 

 

Run! Run! And take someone who loves, unconditionally.

 

Fridays & Saturdays @ 8pm, Sundays @3pm, Mondays @7pm

 

The Blue Door

9617 Venice Blvd.

Culver City, CA  90232