| Jar the Floor, a Second Opinion | | Print | |
| Written by Ronnie Pirate | |
| Friday, 14 April 2006 | |
 Jaw on the Floor
The Generic Theater’s latest offering, Jar the Floor, by Cheryl L. West is a well-written and moving piece about the women in a family who have forgotten where they have come from, what they are working for, and when the right time is to make sacrifices. The women in this family have come together to celebrate the 90th birthday of the matriarch. The three successive generations of women bicker, make up, and surprise each other during the course of the day in ways both expected and unexpected, making for a potentially entertaining piece. Having said all of that, I was disappointed in the production as a whole. It began with the house opening only minutes before the curtain should have risen, only to endure fifteen minutes of music starting, stopping, breaking off, restarting, and technicians debating the preshow routine. Clearly, a managerial hand is lacking. To pass the time I began reading the directors notes and became miffed by the concerns raised by director Sharon Cook. Cook expresses her surprise pleasure at being asked to direct at all, but specifically a play written by and about African Americans. She contends that the theatrical community in Hampton Roads does not serve the African American members, and when it does is only grudgingly during Black History Month. I could not possibly disagree more and was saddened that she was that unaware of the work in the area.In just reflecting of the current and past year’s events, I can think of many productions that were inclusive of African American characters, or had themes of race. While some may have been put in that politically correct February slot, there are many groups that are consistently mindful, and proactive of not only African American, but all ethnicities. The Virginia Opera regularly casts colorblind. The Virginia Stage Company this season had The Taste Test¸ Of Mice and Men, and Intimate Apparel, all with strong (and positive) African American presence. There are several summer Shakespeare festivals, at TCC and Virginia Beach that are colorblind, not to mention the talented youngsters at Hurrah who regularly offer a diverse holiday series of programs. Then there’s the 40th Street Stage’s productions of Top Dog/Underdog, and the Little Theater of Norfolk’s recent The Boys Next Door. Do I need to even mention Chrysler Hall’s The Lion King, as well as the upcoming Joseph…? Next year’s seasons, as they are announced all look equally equitable to the diversity of Hampton Roads. I would humbly suggest that Ms. Cook and her concerned friends not wait to be asked to participate, but begin to volunteer at the many worthy theaters on both sides of the tunnel, as well as get out and patronize these venues. When the show began, I was pleased with the set design by David Shuy, although I was worried that sitting house left, I would miss things hidden behind a protruding door. I didn’t, but I would still sit house right. Brad Rudacille’s light design is appropriate, however there are several times, when leaving the house, the actors walk through complete blackness to get from light to light. Celia Burnett’s costume choices are fun and flattering to each character. The performances overall are strained, almost as if many of the characters are trying to hard to build tension from simply saying their lines. There are exceptions though, Natalie W. Baker’s Lola is clearly the show stealer. She seems effortless, and even throw-away lines get laughs from the audience. Her energy is great, and her character has several nice moments of recognition. Pinky Spencer Chappell plays the 90 year-old MaDear with consistent polish, however her character isn’t given very much to do, and is relegated to a wheelchair and shoved to the side for most scenes. Maydee, played by Carla Kelly Turner, attempts to wring every bit of emotion from her lines, however her excellent diction and single paced delivery leave her character without any growth. She is the same at the end as she is at the beginning, and does not get the sympathy she deserves. Jennifer T. Kelly-Cooper has a great physical character and many strong moments, and Kiersten Armstrong is the awkward Raisa. Armstrong is best when her character is being sarcastic and over the top. The show would be much stronger if the pacing were picked up. Cues could come faster, lines could overlap, even interrupt each other as people often do when they get excited. Scene changes should not take the two to three minutes that they did, to watch a technician meander around the set several times, trying to remember what goes where. At one change, two characters have to sit frozen for a seeming eternity for a few dishes to be cleared that really didn’t even need to be cleared. The show does have moments, but they are stretched out between long periods where the audience waits for the next laugh. No tension is ever really built, and so we don’t care as much as we should about the darker side of the play. Three solid hours after you walk in, you will leave, with a few good one liners for work. |