This review has been reposted courtesy of the League of Cincinnati Theatres. For more LCT reviews click here to visit their reviews page.
Was the sexual encounter rape? Was the rape racially motivated? And how important are sequins in determining the truth of the matter?
These questions are raised in the latest outing from New Edgecliff Theater, David Mamet’s play Race. This taut hour and forty-five minute play examines the truth behind the story of a billionaire who is accused of raping an African-American woman with whom he was having sexual relations. Beneath the surface of these events, Race forces us to look at ourselves and what lies in our conscious and unconscious with regard to race relations.
Robert Allen as Charles Strickland, Reggie Willis as Henry Brown & Michael Shooner as Jack Lawson. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
Playing the legal team who agrees to take on the case are Michael Shooner and Reggie Willis as lawyers Jack Lawson and Henry Brown. Both Shooner and Willis deliver strong performances as the racially mixed law firm who agrees to defend the billionaire accused of rape. Mamet’s script is filled with sharp wordplay and quick exchanges and Shooner and Willis tussle their way through it all with verbal fireworks.
Shooner had several memorable speeches about the constructed nature of reality as it relates to creating narratives for the courtroom that are a marvel to watch. In those scenes, he was so much in character that he made me believe he was Jack Lawson, ultra-cynical lawyer. Similarly, Willis’ opening comments where he lays out his character’s views of race and the law are very strong and likewise memorable.
Rounding out the ensemble is Renika Williams, who plays the African-American legal assistant Susan, and Bob Allen, who plays the billionaire accused of rape. Williams did a solid job playing the legal assistant, who has mixed feelings about her firm taking this case. This was my first time seeing Williams on stage, who will graduate from Wright State University this spring. She turns in a fine performance and I look forward to seeing more of her onstage in the future.
Bob Allen played the billionaire Charles Strickland with a nice mixture of recalcitrance and bewilderment. Like a man who is used to getting his way, he is completely dumbstruck by the accusation and does his best to gum up the works of his legal team. I have seen Bob Allen in a variety of different roles over the years, so it was a pleasure seeing him in a role that was out of the ordinary—and also sporting a full head of hair!
On the evening I saw the production, there were a few minor problems (such as the accidental breaking of a glass candy dish) which I attribute to opening weekend jitters. However, the essential strength of the play comes forth despite these minor problems. Much of that success has to be contributed to the director, Northern Kentucky University Professor Daryl Harris. Harris knows how to move his actors through the emotional minefields inherent within the play and get the most out of them.
Race is part of a larger offering of productions this spring by Greater Cincinnati theaters dealing with the issues of race and the African-American experience. This play is a thought-provoking addition to that lineup, which includes Buzzer at the Playhouse, Detroit ’67 at Ensemble Theater, and In the Heat of the Night by Falcon.
Powerful writing, great acting, good direction make this a must-see production. Race is playing within The Hoffner Lodge, 4120 Hamilton Avenue, Northside from April 10-April
For more information on the production, click here.
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