Reviewed by Judy Richter
One of the worst natural
disasters in this nation's history began on Aug. 29, 2005, when Hurricane
Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, wreaking widespread havoc. The
human toll was so devastating and so long-lasting that a playwright would be
hard-pressed to dramatize it. Dan Dietz wisely chooses to focus on one New Orleans family
trying to rebuild in "Clementine in the Lower 9," receiving its world
premiere from TheatreWorks.
Dietz
subtitles the work "A Blues Riff on Aeschylus' Agamemnon." However, this isn't an
updating of the Greek tragedy. Rather, it alludes to some characters and
incidents. Therefore, one doesn't need to know anything about
"Agamemnon" to understand "Clementine." The blues aspect is
more apropos since New Orleans is renowned for its blues and jazz music.
Composer-musical director-orchestrator Justin Ellington contributes blues songs performed
by a four-person, onstage combo. One of the four is pianist Kenny Brawner, who serves as Chorus in the
Greek tradition.
The
family in this work includes Clementine (Laiona Michelle), a black registered nurse who
stayed in the city during and after the hurricane. As the play opens, she's
joined by her son, Reginald (Matt Jones), who is on summer break after his first year at
Columbia University in New York City. They are waiting for their husband-father,
Jaffy (Jack Koenig),
a white jazz trumpeter who has been in Houston trying to find work for the past
nine months. Clementine's joy at his arrival turns to anger and skepticism when
she sees that he has brought Cassy (Jayne Deely), a 15-year-old junkie who's
going through the agonies of withdrawal. Jaffy claims that Cassy is a prophet
who helped him win $10,000 in a lottery. At present, though, Cassy refuses to
speak except for occasional outbursts of "Apollo."
The
subsequent action deals with the family's efforts to restore their badly
damaged house and to heal pain of the past, including Jaffy's previous drug
habit and his role in the death of their daughter, Iffy, who drowned in the
flood. And unlike "Agamemnon," this play ends on a note of hope, in
part brought about by music.
J.B.
Wilson's set
sprawls across the stage with debris of all sorts littering the sides. Before
the action begins, Jake Rodriquez's sound design evokes the fearsome storm, augmented by Steven
B. Mannshardt's
lighting. The costumes by are Cathleen Edwards with fight direction by Jonathan
Rider.
The
production features an excellent cast, especially Michelle in her portrayal of
Clementine, and assured direction by Leah C. Gardiner. However, Dietz's effort to
combine Greek mythology with the story of a modern family is interesting in
theory but doesn't quite work. And while music is an integral part of New
Orleans' identity and a strong tie between Jaffy and Clementine, the score
sometimes seems tacked on. Likewise, the use of a Chorus seems superfluous. The
family's story is strong enough to stand on its own without all the extras.
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