Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Theater Review: Stick Fly

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Family Relationships on Display Like a Bug on a Stick
By Lauren Yarger
A woman comes to the Martha's Vineyard home of her new fiance to meet his family, and she feels on display -- much like the bugs she likes to study like a fly glued to a stick. She's not the only one, though, as the family's relationships and secrets soon show themselves under observation as well in Lydia R. Diamond's engaging Broadway play Stick Fly.

Taylor (Tracie Thoms) already has some self esteem issues. She is the daughter of a prominent Pulitzer-prize winning author about the plight of African-Americans in a white-dominated nation, but her father rejected her and her mother in favor of his new wife and children. Her fiance, Kent (Dulé Hill), whom she affectionately calls Spoon, tries to reassure her, but events work against her fitting in easily with the family.

First, Taylor isn't sure how to deal with Cheryl (Condola Rashad), the daughter of the family's housekeeper, Miss Ellie, who is on hand to lend a hand in her sick mother's absence. Every time Taylor offers to help with a chore, or asks the girl to do something, she manages to insult her. Then Spoon's brother, Flip (Mekhi Phiffer) shows up with his girlfriend, Kimber (Rosie Benton), who Flip forgot to mention, is white. "She's Italian," he evades.

Kimber, who has written a thesis about inequality in education tangles with Taylor about understanding racial tension. Racial issues might not be the biggest problem at the gathering, however -- Flip and Taylor knew each other before romantically -- a fact they quickly cover up.
Complicating matters is the patriarch of the family, Joe LeVay (Ruben Santiago-Hudson), whose constant put downs of Spoon (especially his newest career choice as an author) and back slaps for Flip who followed in his father's footsteps as a doctor and philanderer, mask a more serious problem he is keeping something from the family: why their mother hasn't shown up yet and why he won't take her phone calls.

Amidst competitive board games like Parcheesi and Trivial Pursuit and discussions about racial issues from all points of view, the truth comes out about relationships and the strength of family ties is tested.

Kenny Leon draws out excellent performances all around. It's fun to see the talented Hill play someone different from Gus on "Psych" or Charlie on "West Wing." Same kudos to Thoms for creating a character different from the one TV fans know from "Cold Case."

Leon does create some awkward moments, however, by whipping too quickly bewteen scenes (with the aid of original music by Alicia Keyes, who is a producer of the show). The audience wants to applaud, or just digest something that took place, but isn't given the chance. Also problematic is the fact that Rashad can't be heard for a lot of her dialogue. Audience members kept turning to each other to learn what they had missed.
The set proves to be somewhat annoying too. The beautifully detailed wood and arched design stage left deteriorates into a partially torn away wall leading to the outdoors and a patio that looks like it's in the middle of the living room, almost giving the impression that designer David Gallo ran out of room.

Overall, it's an interesting play with lots of depth to all the characters.

Stick Fly runs at the Cort Theatre, 138 W. 48th St., NYC through Feb. 26. Tickets are available by clicking here.

Christians might also like to know:
--Lord's name taken in vain
--Language
--Sexual dialogue
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Gracewell Prodiuctions

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger 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 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. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) 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 was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly 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, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 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.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

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.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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