By Michael Nielsen
Paraphrasing a line delivered by the main character, Celie, “If God listened to a poor, black woman, the world would be a different place”. And watching this intriguing and touching show about a poor, black woman WILL change you. This production has so many shining and poignant moments, but is definitely driven by the tremendous characterization of Celie, portrayed by Latoya Rhodes. From her beginnings as a 14-year-old pregnant and abused girl, through forced marriage and many, many hard times, Rhodes’ body language and exquisite turn of phrase keep the audience completely involved and wanting to know what happens to her next (over a 40-year period.) We hope that she finds the strength to love and be loved.
The cast is full of talented and hardworking actors, most portraying more than one character and doing justice to them all. Never did I see anyone on stage drop character or not be completely involved in the scene. There is so much that happens, I am hesitant to try and explain the plot or the many twists and turns. Just know that this cast and production team have put together a show that will keep you watching and waiting for the next emotional interaction, whether between fellow church goers, father and daughters, husbands and wives or the patrons of the Honkey Tonk. Special note should be given to Terry Lee Hicks, playing Harpo, who transforms from arrogant young man to loving husband and friend. Erika Richardson as Sophia brings humor and strength to a story where the women are treated as second-rate humans and as property, eliciting great response from the audience. Shug, played enticingly by Malinda Money, shows how a woman can be sexy and strong but still with her own vulnerabilities. My only regret with Ms. Money was that her voice wasn’t quite strong enough in the lower ranges to soar over the crows in the Honkey Tonk scene (the ONE time I felt a microphone could be utilized). The scenes between Shug and Celie helped both characters grow while endearing them to us without being cloying or superficial. In all, the casting was excellent, with no truly weak performances. If time allowed I could praise them all, since each had at least one brilliant moment and never a bad one.
Technically, the show was very well produced and executed. Director/choreographer William Cooper Howell (along with assistant director/choreographer Stewart Fullerton) did an amazing job of taking a difficult performance space and a potentially intimidating large production, making it personal and intimate with just the right amount of “big” musical numbers. With a three-quarter audience and no backstage or even stage entrances, the action flowed smoothly and seamlessly, which is no small feat for a show that spans some forty years and many fluid relationships. One of my favorite directing moments comes near the end. Not wanting to spoil the show, I will only tell you that Howell allowed honest and real timing when lost relatives reunite. Avoiding the directorial instinct to “keep the action moving,” the embraces were almost uncomfortably long, yet that made them all the more real and emotional. Many moments were given the time needed, but never did I feel time or action was wasted or important lines thrown away. The movement, staging and African dancing were always fun to watch, enticing and perfectly appropriate for the story and the space.
Kit Anderson (set design) and Ann Davis (props) kept the feel very minimal, but functional and relevant. The simple set of one wall with wooden chairs hanging haphazardly (which were taken down and replaced as needed by the actors) gave color and texture without having to “set” any scenes. Lighting Design (Danny Dunn) helped a relatively bare set serve many locations and periods without announcing where they were (also complemented by the staging.) And, though they are a rarely seen aspect of a production, it was obvious that the Stage Manager (Kris Bushman) and Assistant Stage Manager (Nikki Brown) kept the flow running through the rehearsals and the run of the show–NOT an easy task when dealing with theatre personalities! Linda Eyring’s Costume Design was also simple but effective. Ms. Eyring resisted the temptation to constantly change entire outfits as the years passed, and the clothes had the patina of wear and tear that was so crucial to the characters’ lives. One could easily forgive the occasional wrong length of skirt or style of lapel for a certain time period, knowing that it was preferable to waiting for costume changes and sacrificing the action.
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Overall, the musical performances were spot on, and filled with the emotion and feeling needed in the often Gospel style music. There were times when parts of the many a capella solos and numbers drifted a bit from pitch and key, but the messages still shone through. Being close to the action, I think I was able to hear most each member singing at some point, and each had strong, resonant vocals which were obviously well coached. I do wish that I could have understood a few more of the lyrics, but I wonder if that was more the style of the music than the actual enunciation of the words. It certainly wasn’t enough to distract of negate the performances! Again, I won’t go in to the details of the story–most probably know it from the movie. Suffice it to say that you WILL laugh, cry, hurt, yearn and love as you watch this poor black woman make her way through life.
The Color Purple
Wasatch Theatre Company
Studio Theatre at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (138 West 300 South), SLC
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through September 27th at 8:00 PM. There are also 2:00 PM Saturday matinees on September 20th and 27th. Tickets are $15.00 and can be purchased at www.arttix.org or by calling
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