THE 1041C Theater Reviews

Despite being crammed in a tiny seat and nauseatingly dizzy throughout the play, I have to say I enjoyed it. One thing I absolutely adored was the set design! It was intricate and technical and so aesthetically pleasing. I’m a huge fan of visuals and this play provided me with all the elements of set design and costume that I look for in a play. The sparkly buckles in their shoes, the royal purples and golds and maroons in Jacques Cornet’s exquisite wardrobe, the plush pillows and chaise lounges, the set transforming from a dining room into a bathroom in a matter of seconds. That was probably my favorite part of the play. I was constantly trying to get in the mindset of the set designers and stylists and wondering what their thought process was when they picked out all of these little details that made the play the beautiful vision that it was.

The lighting was also amazing. You could tell that a lot of thought went into the different lighting and the moods it created onstage. One scene I particularly remember was towards the end when a massive American flag made up the background and the lighting was cast so that the shadows of the characters onstage were shown on the flag. The shadows gave drama and height to a particularly dramatic moment in the play.

These various aesthetic elements are what really set apart this play from Medea for me, which lacked any décor or lighting or costumes.

The acting is another element deserving of praise. The cast was a mix of diverse performers with amazing credentials in film, television, and plays. It was interesting and pleasantly surprising to see Mos Def play the role of Murmur. I actually found out that him and Jeffrey Wright, who plays the infamous Jacques Cornet, were both in the movie Cadillac Records, playing Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, respectively. These two characters are very different from the ones they portrayed in the play and I think it just shows the variety and power of their talent.

Despite being the two main characters, they were not the only talented people in the play. I think that all the supporting characters, from the wives to the prostitutes to all the foreign presidents and ministers, really made the play what it was.

And what exactly was it? It was funny- with all the sexual innuendos and jokes, it put the audience in a lighthearted mood without being too crude. It was well decorated, but I’ve already exalted that aspect of it. It told a historical story through a fresh and interesting perspective, which is perhaps why it was so effective as a play and didn’t fall flat or become just a boring history lecture.

My only criticism is that it was a little bit lengthy, but if I went to see it on a day when I didn’t have school and had time to eat lunch that day, perhaps I wouldn’t mind that aspect of it because all the good elements overpowered the bad.

Overall, the play managed to combine an important message about race, give a historical lesson, provide admirable visuals, and make us laugh. That’s pretty successful in my eyes.