Is there anything quite so stinging as rejection from a parent? It brands the soul of a person. No matter how well, over time, it seems to heal, there are permanent gashes. Those who pay attention know that perfectly normal-seeming people can have these internal wounds, people perfectly functional until something makes them surface. Then, deep inside, there’s the quivering child or teenager feeling off-balance just like they used to.
It seems to be a universal phenomenon. I’ve seen a father insult his child in front of the child’s teacher, and an expensively-dressed woman go white as a sheet in Saks Fifth Avenue when her mother delivers a verbal slash. They’ll never be too old not to remember at least some specific incidents of being shoved into the ditch.
Stick Fly, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ current offering, courtesy of director Chanel Bragg, takes us to a lovely house on Martha’s Vineyard. It’s been in the possession of a single African-American family for many generations. Now the two grown sons of the current owners are arriving for the weekend, bringing with them the women with whom they’re in serious relationships. The younger son, Spoon or Kent (Richard Fabre), is going to introduce his fiancee, Taylor (Amber Reauchean Williams) to his parents. Flip (DeShawn Harold Mitchell)’s girl, Kimber (Blair Lewin) is white, a fact he tries to explain away beforehand by saying she’s Italian.
Dad Joe (Ron Himes) is a neurosurgeon. Flip’s a plastic surgeon. Spoon has both a law degree and one in business – but, as Dad says, he thinks he can be a writer, and how can you do that if you’re going to start a family and be responsible? Is this the first fly, so to speak, in the ointment? There’s a lot of “I paid for your ______” in Dad’s conversation, we notice. The women’s credentials are pretty good, too, although not outshining the sons; Kimber teaches in an inner city school. Taylor, whose late father was a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of books about race. She’s now an entomologist, particularly interested in flies. To add to the mix of the household is the teenaged Cheryl (Bobbi Johnson). Her mother has worked for the family for several decades, but is ill – Cheryl, poised and amiable, is taking her place for the time being and handling the housekeeper role well. The mother of the household is coming in from New York the next day, says dad when the crew arrives, but she never gets there.
Experienced theatre-goers soon begin to wonder where the conflicts are going to arise. The answer is Everywhere. It’s astounding the number of crosscurrents that author Lydia R. Diamond creates. Race, yes, but also class, gender relationships and family, all gradually swirling around each other until the air is frothing. While things are complex, they’re not confusing. Still, I found myself sitting bolt upright at a couple of points wondering what would come next.
Director Bragg has created a well-meshed group of actors. Fabre’s Spoon and Himes’ Joe resonate particularly well, with performances both deep and wide. As Cheryl, Bobbi Johnson is a charmer, showing the poise of an older teen and yet the vulnerability. Strong work, too from Mitchell, Williams and Lewin.
The stage at the Burges Theatre at COCA is deep, and the set from Kyu Shen is a good one, delineating several parts of the house. It does, however, make it difficult for voices to project because of the depth, particularly in the set’s kitchen, where actors are often facing the side or rear walls. (There are several scenes where actors are talking over each other, clearly a script choice, not an accident.) Amina Alexander’s lighting direction helps us move along with the action.
A strong, well-defined piece of work demanding attention and thought with themes both universal and specific. Pretty much a don’t-miss.
Stick Fly
through March 6
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Berges Theater at COCA
6880 Washington Ave, University City
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