[NEohioPAL] Berko review: GEE'S BEND (Cleveland Play House)

[Roy Berko]

CPH’s ‘GEE’S BEND,’ production exceeds script

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

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--Coolcleveland.com—

Gee’s Bend, Alabama, the physical setting for
Elizabeth Gregory Wilder’s ‘GEE’S BEND,’ now on stage
at the Cleveland Play House, is a real place.  It came
into prominence because of the discovery and museum
displays of the quilts made by the women of the
community.  Those quilts are not only pieces of art,
but they represent the very fabric of the community.

Wilder’s 90-minute intermissionless play basically
tells the story of one of the quilting families.  
But, in reality, it opens the lens to the entire
community.  

According to Wilder, this is the first play she has
written that isn’t solely born of her own imagination.
 She interviewed many of the quilting women and felt
an obligation to tell about their miraculous journey
of community.  

Wilder's drama weaves the history of Gee’s Bend into
the dialogue.  We discover that following the Civil
War there was an opportunity for the slaves to flee,
but they didn’t leave as they had no place to go.  In
the 1930s, the Farm Administration gave the community
the opportunity to own their own land, and they took
advantage of the offer.  In the 1960s, Gee’s Bend
gained the attention of civil rights leaders because
it was one of the few communities where all of the
negroes owned their own land.  Then, in 2002, came
national attention when the quilts were discovered. 

It’s interesting that the overall effect of the CPH
production exceeds the quality of the play.  The
script, in many instances, is quite sophomoric in its
structure and language.  For example, the play ends
several times.  The audience broke out into strong
applause at one point, thinking the show was over,
only to be surprised when another scene, supposedly
needed to wrap up the story, started.  Due to the
added “everything turns out wonderful” ending, the
final applause was not as strong as the original
outburst.

The cast is generally strong, though Shirley Jo
Finey’s directing often makes the consistent
development of characterizations inconsistent.  For
example, Shanesia Davis, who portrays the unmarried
sister, is wonderful in early scenes, but when she
becomes older, she does a shuffle like a character in
the old-time minstrel shows and her voice makes her
sound retarded rather than old.     

Erika LaVonn, does an excellent job of creating a real
person as Sadie, the “intelligent” sister who marries
young and lives in an abusive relationship until she
gains the courage to break out.  The money she makes
from selling her quilts allows her to become an
independent woman.

Wanda Christine is moderately successful doing double
duty as the mother and Sadie’s daughter.

Wendell B. Franklin, as Sadie’s husband Macon, gives a
creditable performance.

The play works well in the reconfigured Baxter Stage’s
3-sided stage.  The new layout makes the space less
confined.

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:   ‘GEE’S BEND’ tells a nice story,
but it is far from a well written script.  In spite of
the weakness of the writing, the message of the play,
and the tenacity of the women of Gee’s Bend, comes
through.

Next on the calendar  is ‘DOUBT: A PARABLE.’ one of
the most celebrated American plays in years, which
makes its Northeast Ohio debut in the Drury beginning
February 29 and runs through March 23, 2008.  It is
directed by Seth Gordon.

For tickets to ‘GEE’S BEND’ or ‘DOUBT:  A PARABLE’
call 216-795-7000 or go online to
www.clevelandplayhouse.com


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


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