Theater Review
Here you will find a review of one of the productions and performances that I have been featured in.
Black N Blue Boys
New Route Theatre’s “Black N Blue Boys/Broken Men,” which opened last weekend, showcases Claron Sharrieff, in a one-woman show where this profoundly gifted actress portrays six different menwho are victims of physical violence and sexual abuse.
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While the quality of this production is extraordinary, it must be noted that the material
presented is suited for very mature audiences, and may be quite disturbing. The first man that Sharrieff channels is Mike, who became a social worker and did not let his parents “take that away: from him.
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One of seven children, Mike was venomously hated by his father, who claimed, “That child ain’t mine.” Beatings, alcoholism and drug abuse were rampant in the household, but Mike clawed his way out by getting an education and eventually landing a job running a group home.
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Director Don Shandrow and Sound Designer Sean Finn utilize different genres of music (blues, rock, and salsa) that uniquely speak to the next character being introduced, guiding Sharrieff as she seamlessly transitioned from one haunted soul to the next.
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Karla Bailey- Smith’s set design is spot- on as a neutral playing space that must serve as a prison, a pub in Ireland or a back ally in Brooklyn.
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Another person that Sharrieff brings life into is Ian, whose drunken father mercilessly beat him publicly in England. Ian leaves home at 14 and eventually immigrates to America to become an accountant. It appears Ian has broken the cycle until he breaks his own personal rule about abstinence
at a party and drinks two glasses of wine. He proceeds to cheat on his girlfriend, beat her up, then trash his apartment.
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Author Dael Orlandersmith has crafted a searing study of the cycle of abuse. Sharrieff delivers a raw, unflinching, yet compassionate glimpse into the heartbeat of this tragic cycle.
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Source
Marcia Weiss is a freelance writer who reviews plays for The Pantagraph