By Ashlei Havili Thomas
LOCAL COLOR—the latest production from Plan-B Theatre’s Theatre Artists of Color Writing Workshop—is a compilation of four brilliantly crafted audio plays: DoLs by Dee-Dee Darby Duffin, Guise by Chris Curlett, Suicide Box by Tatiana Christian, and Organic by Tito Livas. The Theatre Artists of Color Writing Workshop was born from members of The Theatre Artists of Color in Salt Lake City who wanted to craft plays for and about people of color. LOCAL COLOR is the third creation of the workshop, which was taught by the local playwright legend Julie Jensen (Utah’s most produced playwright) and continues to be moderated by Artistic Director Jerry Rapier. These four plays enthrall you with their rich language and enveloping sound. Not only are you in the middle of the play yourself, you are a part of it and it becomes a part of you. This radio play, a part of Utah’s Thrive 125 Statehood Celebration and the National New Play Network’s Bridge Program, is available to stream on Plan-B Theatre’s website as well as their app until June 13, 2021. Do not delay in immersing yourself in this wonderful production!
The first short play in LOCAL COLOR is Dee-Dee Darby Duffin’s DoLs, which listeners learn stands for “Daughters of Lesbians.” DoLs tells the story of two schoolgirls who skipped school and meet for the first time in Wyman Park in East Baltimore in September of 1984, during extremely uncomfortable circumstances. Adriane is voiced by Darby Mest, while Julie is voiced by Katie Jones Nall. As Adriane and Julie get talking, Julie tells Adriane about how she found out her mother is a lesbian, and her mother’s biological mother was also a closeted lesbian. Julie invites Adriane to DoLs, saying it isn’t just for daughters of lesbians, but for women who want to support women. Soon, a woman from DoLs named Heidi (voiced by Yolanda Stange), joins the two girls. Heidi inspires the girls to form a book club, to read and learn who they are, who they may become, and who the people that came before them were.
The use of African American Vernacular English and well-known book titles for and about people of color makes it clear that these women will become the foundation of the women and people of color of today. Stange’s rich timbre contrasts beautifully with the fierce tone of Mest and the sweet melody Jones Nall invokes. Jones Nall imbues innocence and surety in Julie, while Mest’s precision of speech gives Adriane a keen, curious intellect. Stange’s grounded tone brings a maturity and authority to Heidi that rounds out the three. DoLs is the perfect opening to this collection of short plays, immediately drawing the audience in to fall in step with the pace of the radio play and stand ready for the next.
Guise by Chris Curlett is a short play about masculinity, allyship and the intersection of race and gender expectations. Set in a modern-day university locker room, it opens with Joey (Lonzo Liggins) finally expressing to his friend Rick (Brian Kocherhans) the looming problems in their friendship. As Joey gets angry with Rick for constantly flaking, he ultimately confronts Rick with being a fickle friend and ally in front of other people, especially other white people or girls. Joey expresses his anger at the many conflicting personas expected of men and his latest ex-girlfriend’s double-sided expectations. Joey’s venting first makes Rick defensive, but he soon realizes his role is as Joey’s friend, confidant, and support. Rick’s allyship is really put to the test as Brett (Tyler Fox) enters and immediately shows his colors as a racially prejudiced, immature white man. Rick tells him off, creating a space for Joey and proving to him their friendship.
Kocherans does an excellent job creating Rick’s performance of machismo peeling away to reveal the staunch friend and active listener. Meanwhile, Liggins pulls you into Joey’s anxiety, frustration, and helplessness so utterly you cannot help but empathize. Fox does a fantastic job forming Brett as the antithesis and example for Rick. This play draws clear pictures for the audience as to the role of allies in racial conflict, as well as the struggles of men in a world striving to redefine masculinity. The gut-punching relatability, reactions, and empathy make this play an instant favorite.
Tatiana Christian takes a personal glimpse into the mental health crisis in the customer service industry in short play Suicide Box. The play focuses on Lilly, voiced by Kandyce Marie, and her struggle with her inner voice—Tethered Lilly—brought to life by Darby Mest. Lilly’s day consists of masking her inner feelings with positivity for her coworkers and then “code-switching,” a term defined as switching your vocabulary, tone of voice, and inflection to sound more “white” and more intelligent. Lilly has frustrating phone calls with rude customers, further intensifying Lilly’s dark mood and macabre humor. When Lilly passes the “suicide box” that no one ever comes out of on her way home, a woman protesting the box stops Lilly and encourages her to “choose life.” Lilly bluntly tells her off, saying the woman should create a world worth living in. The play ends with the end of Lilly’s workday, as she does what she can to make tomorrow more bearable.
Marie does a wonderful job giving the right amount of shock and morbidity to Lilly’s sense of humor; it’s just far enough on the funny, joking side of suicidal ideation. Mest as Tethered Lilly can only be described as the dark, oozing feeling in the pit of your stomach, or the niggling worm in the back of your mind. Mest as Lilly’s bubbly coworker Naima is a complete switch from Tethered Lilly. Naima, in contrast, appears effervescent and insubstantial. This speaks to Mest’s creativity and skill as a voice actor. Katie Jones Nall, Carlos Nobleza Posas, and Yolanda Stange round out the ensemble, creating a Brechtian, affronting backdrop to the dark comedic struggle of Lilly. This play is knee-jerking and relatable, while asking a question of the audience as to the subject of suicide and those who struggle with it.
Tito Livas’ Organic briefly shines a light on the intersection of race and sexuality. The play opens when Michael (Carlos Nobleza Posas) tells his husband Phillip (Tyler Fox) about a frustratingly homophobic social media post by an old coworker, Joe (Lonzo Liggins), who he knows to be a closeted gay man. When Michael toys with the idea of outing this man and his Grindr date hookups, Phillip reminds him that for some people, especially people of color, coming out seems an impossible task with cultural taboos and family expectations. Phillip explains that some people value their family relationships more than coming out. Juxtaposed over this conversation, we hear Joe meet a hookup date. When Michael comments a passive aggressive outing of Joe, we hear Joe’s world begin to crash, taking down the post, messaging Michael privately, and then anxiously placating his mother, denying his sexuality. It is a heart-wrenching contrast of an openly gay couple and a man choosing family over sexual freedom.
Fox’s Phillip is a mellowing influence to sit counterpoint to Nobleza Posas’ irritated and conniving Michael. When you interlace the easy conversation between the married couple with the sharp, almost panicked interjections Liggins gives Joe, you get a complex realness not often seen in this short of an art piece. This multilayered play is indescribably grounded and dense, making it a play that will sit with you for hours as you internalize the grappling that some go through with coming to terms with their sexuality.
Jerry Rapier’s clear directing makes LOCAL COLOR not only a joy to listen to, but easily introspective. As an audience member, you can’t help but have these plays mulling over throughout the next few days. The sound design by Cheryl Ann Cluff wraps around you, putting the audience in the middle of a tsunami of distinct, vibrant sounds and audial textures engineered by David Evanoff. The experience is so vivid you feel like the characters are standing next to you. This does not even begin to describe the work of the playwrights. In many ways, a short play is more difficult than a full-length production, because of the time constraints. A playwright has a tenth of the time to create characters just as real and full. All four playwrights of LOCAL COLOR create uniquely bright, diverse worlds that keep you listening, wanting more.
Plan-B Theatre’s LOCAL COLOR is available for streaming from June 3, 2021 until midnight on June 13, 2021. This collection of plays is for mature audiences and would be TV-MA if broadcast on television. Do not let this detract you from this series. These plays give a brief look at some of the diverse struggles people of color face. It isn’t hard to imagine these characters as a friend, family member, or coworker. They beg you to ask questions of yourself, your world views, and your beliefs. Give LOCAL COLOR the fair chance it deserves to become a new local favorite.
Plan-B Theatre presents LOCAL COLOR, world premiere short plays by Dee-Dee Darby Duffin, Chris Curlett, Tatiana Christian, and Tito Livas.
Streaming available at https://planbtheatre.org/product/localcolor/ and on the Plan-B Theatre app
June 3-13, 2021
Tickets: “Pay-What-You-Can” $0-22
Plan-B Theatre website
Plan-B Theatre Facebook Page
LOCAL COLOR Digital Playbill
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