James Christian Jr. as Tyrone, Kyndra Dyanne Jefferies as Rosa & Torie Wiggins as May. Photo by Kristie Rucker.
BOURBON AT THE BORDER presented by Falcon Theatre through Aug. 14. I attended the opening night performance.
Torie Wiggins and Charlie Thompson’s performances in the second half of Act II are incredibly strong and emotionally raw. Unfortunately, the problematic script by Pearl Cleage takes an exposition-heavy, meandering route to get to this payoff. While it is understandable that events which have occurred in the past are recounted by the cast, even the current events take place “off-stage” resulting in the audience being told what happened rather than being shown.
The costume design by Tara Williams meets the demands of the script and the time-period, but the structure of the script causes several delays as the audience waits for costume changes.
The set design by Ted Weil works well for the most part although the upstage wall of the kitchen with its white cabinets and oven looks a bit too clean and modern for someone struggling financially.
The pacing could be tightened up a bit. Director Piper N. Davis has a tendency of clustering the cast together which makes the play area feel confined. There are times when the blocking becomes stagnant with actors sitting for extended periods of time. While this is an intimate show, it still needs to play beyond the front row of the audience.
Overall, a fine but flawed production.
My rating: 4.25 out of 5.
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Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 