Whose Child Am I Anyway?—Corrib Theatre—June 18th-July 18th

 

“What a Piece of Work is Man…”

    This 30-minute, radio play, is by Bisi Adigun and directed by Bobby Bermea.  For tickets, go to their site at:

https://corribtheatre.org/whose-child-am-i-anyway/

    This is a particular timely piece, what with the Black Lives Matter movement, the murders of black individuals from racism and the institution, at long last, of a Juneteenth holiday, recognizing the ending of slavery in this country.  It doesn’t excuse any of this, mind you, but only emphasis the distance we still have left to go, to end racism once and for all, against folks for the color of their skins…Blacks, Asians, Native Americans, Latinos, et. al.

    The most blatant example of racism to me was  the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII.  We were also at war at this time with Italy and Germany, too, but were any Italian-Americans or German-Americans put in camps?  No, because the color of their skins was essentially white, meaning the Japanese-American were imprisoned simply because of the color of their skin, not because they were potentially the enemy…Shame On Us!

    This story touches on similar lines, as an educated, Nigerian teacher, Biyi (Don Kenneth Mason), married to an Irish woman, Cathy (Danielle Weathers), a pharmacist, is unable to get a position because of the color of his skin.  They presently are expecting their 18-year-old, daughter, Roisin (Celia Torres), home from a trip visiting relatives.  It should be a time of joy and celebration, except  an unexpected letter arriving that will change everything--forever!

    More I cannot tell you because of discoveries for the listener, but it is a doozy.  The three actors are so good, that you can easily visualize them almost in front of you.  Bermea, a very experienced director, succeeds in bringing this important tale to life. It does touch on the questions of Paternity and the age-old riddle of Nature vs. Nurture, as to who we really are.  The explanation I like best, is that “it takes a whole village to raise a child,” which encompasses a lifetime!

    I recommend this production.

High Dive—Triangle Productions!—NE Portland

photo by David Kinder/Kinderpics

                         Life’s Journey:

A Matter of Balance

    This is the first Live theatre I’ve seen in over a year.  Strangely, the last plays I reviewed, before the shut-down happened, were Blood Brothers at Triangle, and then the opening weekend of OSF (they closed immediately after that).  Now Triangle has opened up again for their second Live show of their season, and OSF will be opening a Live show in July!  Welcome back!

    The play is a one-woman (Lisamarie Harrison as Leslie) show, written by Leslie Ayvazian and directed and designed by the incomparable, Donald Horn.  It is playing at their space, 1785 NE Sandy Blvd. (free parking in the lot to the West of the building), through June 19^th.  For more information, go to their site at www.trianglepro.org or call 503-239-5919.

    Two words to keep in mind, as they relate to this story:  Crossroads and Fate.  As children, our destinies began to form and a certain regularity startss to infiltrate our lives.  Attitudes and events begin to take place that seem repeated in some form, which appears to be fated (Karma, perhaps).  I think we can all identify with that.

    In my case, it was always being picked last on a team in school, or being an outsider at social events.  When leaving grammar school, we were each given a certificate, voted on by classmates, as to our possible careers.  My two nerdy friend were voted most likely to go to college, so I assume the same for my fate.  But my lot was to be an “Undertaker!”  The class all laughed and I chortled louder than the rest, but was crying inside.  True story.

    And that was the crossroads for me. When I got into high school, I found my calling in theatre and have never looked back.  To date, I have acted produced, or written over 250 productions.  I have even taught theatre and presently have been a reviewer of theatre for over 8 years, having reviewed more than 800 plays.  My way, I guess, of thumbing my nose at those old school mates.

    And so, we all have a choice like that in our lives, when fate seems to take on a familiar ring, do we continue to follow it, or take the plunge…off the High Dive?!

    Leslie’s life seems to be one of disaster after disaster from childhood,as each of her “vacations” seems to involved some sort of calamity…tornados, fires, floods, car accidents, etc. and even the present-day catastrophe of having the A/C in their motel room break-down in over 100 degree temps.  Has her fear of taking risks, kept her from facing these dilemmas head-on and by confronting them, perhaps, defeat them and changing her fate?  The most recent being taking the high dive into the motel swimming pool, which other do with relish.

    I won’t tell you the outcome, or even relate the many tales in this 70 minute production, as Harrison is a master of that!  She gives us in explicated details, and very entertainingly, of life that seemed prone to giving into  repeating ills, or taking the “bull by the horns,” and making her life what She wants it to be! A lesson that can be learned by all of us, I’m sure, in this time of unrest, either to submit to an undesirable fate, or face the unknow with abandon and “take the plunge?!”  Do we solve the problems of the Past, or are we doomed to repeat them?!

    Horn, as always, has given us something to think about and entertained us as well.  And Harrison is a gem, being the perfect conduit for the author’s and Horns visions.  I recommend this production!

--DJS

    A side note, a good friend of mine, David Paull, came to the play with me and his comments are priceless.  Here is what he said after the show:

    "It was heartening to see people greeting each other at the theatre last night...calling out and waving to one another, like pilgrims nearing the end of a long journey through Covidland. In the 'before time' play goers would gather regularly to enjoy live theatre. Then came the global pandemic that shut everything down. There was a palpable sense of relief and renewal to finally - FINALLY- be at Triangle Theater again, eager for another adventure with friends all around."