Review By Ashlei Havili Thomas, Front Row Reviewers
Plan-B Theatre always puts together shows unlike anything else available in Utah, focusing on local playwrights and new works like FULL COLOR. Even with the high caliber Plan-B always provides, FULL COLOR is a standout show highlighting local BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) playwrights with eight monologues and eight actors sharing the experiences of their respective playwright. Set up as though told around a campfire, this play shares a variety of lived experiences with the audience, bringing us snapshots of thoughts and emotions that will have you laughing and crying along with the actors. In a state where (according to the 2020 US Census) over ¾ of the population is white, FULL COLOR is a stained-glass masterpiece proclaiming, “We are here.”
Fried Chicken by Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin and performed by Yolanda Stange is a blend of sass, pettiness and frank honesty. Stange and Darby-Duffin create a powerhouse opening for the show. With deft world building, I was riveted by Stange’s telling of Darby-Duffin’s predicament and swift-but-glorious triumph. Stange and Darby-Duffin are an unstoppable team, winning over and setting up the audience to eagerly await the other stories. Here by Courtney Dilmore and performed by Abyanna Wood is a quiet tale, evoking the landscape Dilmore describes of sandstone mesas and sandy trails, far from the bustle of city life. However, Wood brings Dilmore’s story to life with a sure-footed cadence that soothes the soul. This story of healing and the strength of connecting with our roots deeply resonated with this viewer. Let’s Not by Tito Livas and performed by Pedro Flores is filled with anger and bitterness, though not without reason. Flores brings out the grounded pride and unambiguous righteous fury in Livas’ words, leaving the viewer no choice but to groan and wince in sympathy at the injustice. This isn’t a tale without hope; Livas and Flores left me not only reflecting on the progress society has made but with hope and drive to continue to push for improvement in the future.
I Still Have to Live Here by Tatiana Christian and performed by Talia Heiss is an introspective look at identity politics and the interplay of social media with performative activism. Heiss provides a thought-provoking surety to Christian’s words, inviting the audience to examine their own beliefs and perceptions. I greatly enjoyed the nuance and skill with which Christian and Heiss lay out the uncomfortable truths; it may be a bitter pill to some, but they provide much needed insight. I found Darryl Stamp’s American Survival Story (performed by Terence Johnson) a laugh-so-you-don’t-cry kind of funny. Johnson draws you in, makes you his friend and then entrusts you with Stamp’s conflict and memories of endurance. It is impossible not to like this charismatic duo. Johnson is a magician, wrapping Stamp’s stories of aggression in a candy coating of jokes and sarcasm. Stamp and Johnson created a poignancy that left me circling their story repeatedly later that night.
Life is Color by Iris Salazar and performed by Estephani Cerros presents the audience with the tapestry that makes up humanity. Talking about race and ethnicity and the use of color in our everyday language, Salazar and Cerros masterfully use bold prose and a confident, commanding presence to reveal beauty in the mundane. Using the storytelling device of fable, Fox and the Mormons by Chris Curlett and performed by Alex Smith looks at racism within the Utah theatre and larger Utah Mormon communities. Curlett and Smith are direct and expressive, chipping away at the “Utah nice” exterior to harsher truths underneath. While the story woven by Curlett is traumatic, it is impossible to miss the current of strength underpinning Smith’s telling. As we hear from this duo, the “fox” (Curlett) prevails against the hunter, but we must reveal the hunters among us. Last but far from least, At Least One by Bijan J. Hosseini and performed by Alec Kalled details Hosseini’s life as a young Middle Eastern man being profiled by police and TSA in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Hosseini’s powerful story and Kalled’s heartwrenching performance left me gutted. In the staging of this piece, I was reminded of both the singularity of each told story and the camaraderie of shared trauma. Together, the play weaves a larger message of needed change and hope for the future.
FULL COLOR feels as monumental for Utah theatre as Sidney Poitier’s iconic and historic role in the 1967 film In the Heat of the Night. In the now infamous film, Poitier returns a slap from a white costar, marking (as then journalist Steve Ryfle put it) “the first known act of physical defiance in a studio film by an African American character that did not result in punishment or death.” FULL COLOR is equally powerful, defiant and provocative, shining a glaring spotlight on the often-overlooked racial issues within Utah. While the themes and language of this play may seem too much for children, I would argue that some of the stories told are experiences the playwrights had as children. This reviewer would give it a rating of PG-13 at the most. Even in the hours since viewing the opening night of this incredibly beautiful piece, I have heard stirrings of outrage, but I urge you to go see this amazing performance with an open mind. You may be surprised, saddened, or shocked, but you will not be disappointed by Plan-B Theatre’s world premiere of FULL COLOR.
Plan-B Theatre presents the world premiere of FULL COLOR by Tatiana Christian, Chris Curlett, Courtney Dilmore, Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin, Bijan J. Hosseini, Tito Livas, Iris Salazar and Darryl Stamp.
Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W Broadway, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
October 24-25, 30, November 1, 2024 7-8 7:30PM October 27, November 2 & 9 4PM October 28, November 3 & 10 2PM (ASL Performance October 28, Sensory Friendly November 2)
Tickets: $15-25
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