Off-Broadway Theater Review: Bootycandy

A Sampler Candy Box of What it is Like Growing Up Black and Gay
By Lauren Yarger
Vignettes drawing on playwright Robert O’Hara’s experiences growing up gay and black fuse together in Bootycandy, a sometimes humorous, sometimes raw production getting an Off-Broadway run at Playwrights Horizons in New York.

Sutter (Phillip James Brannon) is on an outrageous odyssey through his childhood home, his church, dive bars, motel rooms and a nursing home (all getting a spin on the revolving set designed by Clint Ramos, who also designs the costumes) The journey results in laughter, pain and a fresh script that holds our attention despite its difficult content.

O’Hara, who won the NAACP Best Director Award for his work on Eclipsed by Danai Gurira, directs a strongly talented ensemble cast -- Jessica Frances Dukes, Jesse Pennington, Benja Kay Thomas and Lance Coadie Williams – who portray numerous characters in Sutter’s life.

Dukes and Thomas shine as Sutter’s mother at different stages of his live. Time doesn’t change their inability to understand his interest in performing in musicals, dressing oddly to honor his idol Michael Jackson, or attracting the attention of men. His mom really isn’t at ease fielding questions about his private parts, which she calls his bootycandy. His stepfather (Williams) seems oblivious, hiding behind his newspaper, barely giving the young man a glance while suggesting that he take up sports.

His church experience also is odd, with a charismatic preacher (Williams in an energy-filled monologue) coming out in the middle of a sermon – literally in a silver, sequined gown and heels. Neighborhood women aren’t exactly great models either (Thomas and Dukes are a hoot in a Jekyl-and-Hyde, stereotypical phone call conversation among four women).

Sutter’s quest for love and belonging leads him to a seedy bar where he and a companion decide to inflict some pain and humiliation on a white guy (Pennington) looking for love in all the wrong places. The detour into rather disturbing, serious drama is quickly offset – and quite dramatically – by a break in the script, complete with voice over from the stage manager (sound design by Lindsay Jones) to forget about playing that scene out to its end.

Don’t consider that a spoiler. There is more to it. I include the information as proof of the playwright’s ability to keep us interested, despite providing moments where we’re at the end of what we feel we can tolerate or when we are growing tired with a theme. He consistently pulls a switch and prevents us from heading to the exit. The language and situations are very explicit, sometimes politically incorrect and often uncomfortable, but the truth of one human spirit, being vulnerable with us, appeals through it all. A scene between Sutter and his nursing-home-bound Granny (the versatile Williams) is especially touching.

Humor helps, like a scene that pairs Dukes and Thomas again, this time as Intifada and Genitalia, two women having a sort of wedding ceremony to un-commit themselves from their long-term union with the help of a "New Agey," “everything-is-cool” Officiant (Pennington). Also very clever is a break-the-fourth-wall moment where a team of playwrights attends a talk back moderated by a very amusing Pennington, to discuss some of what has taken place so far. It breaks things up at just the right time.

Bootycandy is raw, harsh and cutting edge, but delivers an intelligent message with a sharp script and excellent performances – just the type of production I have come to expect at Playwrights, which isn’t afraid to tackle nontraditional plays. Coming up this season: the word premieres of Grand Concourse by Heidi Schreck, Pocatello by Samuel D. Hunter, Placebo by Melissa James Gibson, Iowa, a new musical play by Jenny Schwartz, music and lyrics by Todd Almond, and The New York premiere of The Qualms by Pulitzer-Prize and Tony Award winner Bruce Norris.

Performances through Oct. 12 Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7 pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2:30 and 8 pm and Sundays at 2:30 and 7:30 pm.  Special Sept. 18 performance for  those age 30 and under  has an early 7 pm curtain. Tickets $75-$95: (212) 279-4200; www.TicketCentral.com, box office, 416 West 42nd St. (between Ninth and Tenth avenues).

A special open captioned performance for theatergoers who are deaf and hard of hearing will be held on the Saturday, Sept. 13 matinee at 2:30.

Christians might also like to know:

-- Sexualy explicit scenes and dialogue

-- Suicide

-- Language

-- Use of the "N" word

-- Scripture is used in one scene and altered

-- Sexual actions

-- Nudity

-- Cross Dressing