Stick-Fly
Writer’s Theater, Glencoe, Il, USA
by maja Rios
A play written by Lydia Diamond and Directed by Ron OJ Parson Performed at Writer’s Theater, Glencoe, Ill Stick-Fly, performed at Writer’s Theater was very enjoyable. The play opens with the character of Cheryl dancing to and R&B jam with a basket of laundry and you know you are in for a treat. The play revolves around an affluent Black American family that has a summer home in affluent Martha’s Vineyard. A family gets together, is the setting that will eventually expose underlying feelings of inferiority, jealousy, classism, prejudice, and human frailty. The characters gather at the home of a black neurosurgeon, patriarch, Joe LeVay (father), his two sons and their girlfriends and black “maid” Cheryl. The intimate stage set consists of three separate rooms of kitchen, living room and patio, which made for a very realistic setting.
The only problem was due to the large and steep room size, at times dialogue was hard to hear from high up(where I was seated). The actors did a great job of bringing their characters to life. Each character was totally different, as people are in real life, Taylor, college entomology major, girlfriend, Kimber, White girlfriend, social worker, Kent, successful son, Flip, writer/artist, son, struggling to make a living and Cheryl, family maid and illegitimate daughter of Joe Le Vay, whose true identity is revealed at end of play. The play functions as a vehicle of the human condition, made more complex by being a Black American family, with the same aspirations as any person for success, acceptance, love, within and without the family structure. Human frailties are revealed as characters feelings emerge of jealousy, lust, anger, prejudice (against White girlfriend by Taylor toward Kimber that she is White but also Taylor was former girlfriend of the same guy!)These and other issues come to a head toward end of play and make for a great build-up as play progresses. Great jazz and R&B jams connect scenes together .
The final outcome has a happy ending of great character development. A well written and acted play that should be seen! Stick-Fly plays at Writer’s Theater through March 15th.
