Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Quick Hit Theater Review: Milk Like Sugar

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Tonya Pinkins and Angela Lewis. Photo: Ari Mintz
Milk Like Sugar
By Kirsten Greenidge
Directed by Rebecca Taichman
A co-production of Playwrights Horizons, The Women's Project and La Jolla Playhouse

Summary:
Three inner-city teenagers cope with their bleak lives by making a pack to get pregnant. They think babies are all cute and cuddly, won't be any trouble, and will provide a source of love. Cell phone-obsessed Margie (Nikiya Mathis) already is pregnant, so Talisha (Cherise Boothe) and Annie (Angela Lewis) need to be quick about joining her so the three will be able to have a baby shower together.

Talisha is dating an older abusive man, but 16-year-old Annie still is a virgin. Margie sets her up with astronomy-loving Malik (J. Mallory-McCree) who hopes college will provide a ticket to a better life and he inspires Annie to wonder whether she might want something more too. Maybe she should start worrying more about school tests than pregnancy tests.

Her mother, Myrna (Tonya Pinkins), is no help. She has her own dreams of being a writer (despite the fact that she's almost illiterate) and is frustrated as she scrapes to provide for her children by cleaning offices at night. Myrna can't even remember to call her daughter on her birthday or provide the family dinner she has requested as the gift to mark her sweet 16.

Annie's burning desires take the shape of a tattoo by artist Antwoine (LeRoy McCain) and are fueled by stories of a normal family life enjoyed by an unpopular classmate, Keera (Adrienne C. Moore), who shares wisdom from her father and her pastor about valuing one's self. Annie begins to wonder whether Keera's mantra to look for 'a more excellent way" might mean she can find an alternative to a cycle of children having children that landed her where she finds herself.

Highlights:
The performances are strong. Greenidge pens realistic, compelling, contemporary characters and gives insight into why the girls would make undesirable choices. Pinkins is particularly gripping as the insensitive, vindictive mother.

Lowlights:
Some of the dialogue, particularly with reference to the play's title, seems contrived. Another title, like "Something from Nothing" might have been more natural.

Information:
Milk Like Sugar runs at Playwrights, Horizons, 416 West 42nd St., NYC through Nov. 27. Tickets:  212-279-4200.

Christians might also like to know:
--Lord's name taken in vain
--Language
--Sexual dialogue
--Sexual activity
Posted by Lauren Yarger at 12:42 PM

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My Bio

Lauren Yarger is Executive Director/Producer with Masterwork Productions, Inc. She has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the 2000 Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists.

Yarger trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Three-Day Training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run.

In 2008 she was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She writes reviews of Broadway and off-Broadway theater with an added Christian perspective for Masterwork Productions at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/. She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She is a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com and previously served as Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

Yarger is a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly and freelances for other sites. She is a member of the National Book Critics Circle.

She is a freelance writer and playwright and member of The Drama Desk, The Outer Critics Circle, The American Theater Critics Association and The League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a judge for the SDX Awards presented by the Society of Professional Journalists. She also is a member of the CT Press Club, the Connecticut SPJ and the Connecticut Critics Circle.

A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.
Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.
Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.
Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.
Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.
Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.
Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.
Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.
Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.
Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.
Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.
Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.
Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.
Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Our Reviewing Policy

Our reviewer Lauren Yarger receives free tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle and The Drama Desk, the two professional critics organizations with journalists covering NY theater. Journalistically, she provides an unbiased review and is under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows our readers want to know about (we review all Broadway shows and pertinent Off-Broadway shows), Masterworks purchases a ticket.

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