Resurrection fails to uplift

HARTFORD - There may be six members in the cast of "Resurrection," but there is one voice only that is heard - writer Daniel Beaty The play feels like a grand attempt to illuminate, justify, and solve the American Black males’ struggle, but it fails on many levels.

First and foremost, and probably most importantly, it is boring. It is also decidedly uninspiring.

It feels alternately like a lecture and a sermon, where the characters speak sometimes to each other, and other times in monologue, of their personal troubles, which are evidently meant to represent the larger picture of the American Black males’ struggle, according to Beaty.

There is the 60-year-old Bishop who is addicted to Ho-Ho snack cakes, a running not-funny joke throughout the play, and is a diabetic; Mr. Rogers, 50, who unfortunately says; "Welcome to Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood," and owns a failing health food store in the ghetto.

Isaac, 40, is the successful son of the bishop and is a closet homosexual; 30-year-old Dre, a former drug addict and ex-con; 20-year-old Twon from the projects who is going to college; and 10-year-old Eric, a science protégé, and Mr. Roger’s son.

Throughout the world premiere production at the Hartford Stage Company, the problem is not with the actors, who are all fine, but with the format, which feels impersonal, distant, and at times amateurish, with constant, unvarying slam poetry-style speak.

According to the program notes Beaty has performed at the White House and is an accomplished singer, actor, writer, composer, and poet, was a winner of a 2004 poetry Grand Slam and has performed in "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry."
Unfortunately the spontaneous, improvisational nature of slam poetry doesn’t translate well to a formal theater setting —- at least in this show.

Even the stage at the Hartford Stage Company has been altered to an arena stage, distancing the audience even further from the characters.

Perhaps "Resurrection" was Beaty’s attempt was at grandeur and greatness, but it seems forced, overlong, and dictatorial.

At times things are over-explained and at others important information is left out.
The Ho Ho snack cake theme comes up from time to time, and one particular instance when the Bishop talked about them in somewhat amusing way, the audience obligingly laughed.

As soon as they did, however, the Bishop immediately drops the "I have diabetes-2”" bomb, which felt like the rug was pulled out from under the audiences’ collective feet. This approach succeeded in creating distrust and caution by the audience towards the play from there onward.

Maybe that was Beaty’s goal, but it certainly seemed like he was trying to win the audience’s sympathy at other times.

Then there is the former drug addict Dre. Did Dre know he was HIV positive before he made his girlfriend pregnant and infected her? If he was, then he really is heinous. But he never says. That is an important character point left unexplained.

It felt like Beaty was heavy-handedly telling the audience: "This IS the black man’s struggle." "This IS where you laugh." "This IS where you are uplifted."

No one likes to be beaten over the head with opinions, or told how to feel, no matter how well intentioned or politically pertinent.

There is also far too much screaming and hollering in this play. It felt like one long yell.

The men in the play talk of the women in their lives in stereotypical terms. They are either Saint-like Madonnas placed on pedestals, or seductresses looking to ruin their lives.

The original music by Daniel Bernard Roumain was very good, but far too brief, as was the fine choreography by Hope Clarke.
This play started out as a successful reading last season at the Hartford Stage Company, and it should have been produced as such, in the more casual venue.
The message is good, the intention is honorable, but something got lost in translation.

RESURRECTION

1½ Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Written by Daniel Beaty. Music composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain. Scene design by G. W. Mercier. Costume design by Karen Perry. Lighting design by Victor En Yu Tan. Sound design by Michael Miceli. Choreography by Hope Clarke.
Running time: 1 ¾ hours with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday Oct. 28 and Nov. 11, Wednesday Oct. 29, Sunday Nov. 2, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees performances Saturday, Nov. 15, Sundays and selected Wednesdays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 16.
Tickets: $23 - $66. Call 527-5151 or visit their website at www.hartfordstage.org.

ACTOR...CHARACTER
Jeffery V. Thompson ... 60/The Bishop
Michael Genet ... 50/Mr. Rogers
Alvin Keith ... 40/Isaac
Che Ayende ... 30/Dre
Turron Kofi Alleyne ... 20/Twon
Thuliso Dingwall ... 10/Eric