by Carole Di Tosti . . .
In black odyssey poet-playwright Marcus Gardley fashions his hero Ulysses Lincoln (Sean Boyce Johnson) on the character Odysseus, Homer’s hero, who confronts monsters, goddesses, and gods on his arduous sea voyage to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Gardley’s humorous, modern retelling, currently at Classic Stage Company until March 26th, is superbly directed by the inimitable Stevie Walker-Webb in a production that is satiric, profound, and always enjoyable.
In black odyssey Ulysses Lincoln is a Black American soldier, a veteran of the Afghan war, who is injured (water on the brain) and is lost as he struggles to remember his identity and find his wife and son on his way back to Harlem. On another level, Lincoln is surreally exploited by gods Deus/Zeus (a fine James T. Alfred) and Paw Sidin/Poseidon (an excellent, sinister Jimonn Cole) as they control his life in a metaphysical game of chess with assists from Aunt Tee/Athena (the superb Harriett D. Foy).
Deus and Paw Sidin’s chess game manifests events which become Ulysses Lincoln’s roiling journey, during which he must confront Paw Sidin’s trials. These and his guilty conscience delay him from returning home to wife Nella (D. Woods) and his son Malachi (Marcus Gladney, Jr.). Because Lincoln unknowingly shot and killed Paw Sidin’s son, the god is set on a course of vengeance to destroy Lincoln, taking blood for blood in a terrifying endgame. To achieve his goal, Paw Sidin contrives obstacles. These deter Lincoln’s easy, safe arrival home and lead him to experience a world of suffering.
Alfred’s Deus and Foy’s Aunt Tee both help guide Lincoln. Aunt Tee even risks becoming human to support Nella and Malachi, while Lincoln attempts to find himself. However, Lincoln realizes that the only way to receive expiation and return home is by discovering his identity and history.
During the search for his own bloodline, he understands his history which encompasses various continuums. One includes the date 1619 with the beginning of slavery and the deaths incurred during and after the Middle Passage up to and including the death of Trayvon Martin. Another includes the continuum of civil rights protests to the global protests of the Black Lives Matter movement. Music from negro spirituals (beautifully sung by cast members) to Biggy Smalls are part of his identity and inheritance.
As Lincoln travels metaphoric decades in his search to be worthy of reaching home, despite Paw Sidin’s obstacles, he seeks the ancestor who will “baptize” him of “the blood” on his “hands,” as Deus encourages him. His final hurdle culminates in Paw Sidin’s attempt to woo Nella away from Lincoln. If she accepts and marries the disguised Paw Sidin, Lincoln’s life will be forfeited and Paw Sidin will have won the game of chess against Deus.
Adrienne C. Moore and Lance Coadie Williams portray various roles and round out the scenes and vignettes, some of which are LOL. For example, they parody Tina Turner, Diana Ross, and James Brown as the Sirens who attempt to distract Lincoln. Thanks to costume designer Kindall Houson Almond’s shimmering outfits, we know who the celebrities are as an addendum to the over-the-top portrayals.
The cast is uniformly excellent with superb comedic pacing and the heft for the more profound segments of Lincoln’s journey. As Benevolence, Temídayo Amay portrays the 10-year-old flood survivor who accompanies Lincoln as a wide-eyed innocent during the Hurricane Katrina vignette.
Gardley’s admiration for the epic poem is clear in his rhyming, his appreciation for the uniformity of storytelling (the beginning and ending come full circle) and his deftness with poetic language. He employs simile, metaphor, personification, and abundant alliteration, giving his work an inherently musical quality, which is enhanced when the cast breaks into thematically attendant songs (vocal composer and musical director Linda Tillery). His dialogue in the riffs, especially between Deus and Paw Sidin employs quips, jokes, and puns (the one on the Apollo Theatre is priceless).
Following the conception of his play from beginning to end reveals Gardley’s ability to effect exposition into action. This is acutely envisioned by director Stevie Walker-Webb and enhanced by the sound effects created by Uptownworks’ sound design, David Goldstein’s set design, Adam Honoré’s atmospheric, symbolic lighting design and Kindall Houston Almond’s varied fashions which encompass different periods colorfully. Additional praise goes to choreographer Aquila Kikora Franklin and musical director Linda Tillery who worked with Molly Holm to compose the music.
This is one to see. It must close on the 26th of March. For tickets to black odyssey which runs with one intermission, go to their website https://www.classicstage.org/current-season/black-odyssey
Photos: Julieta Cervantes
Featured Image: Adrienne C. Moore, Lance Coadie Williams, Tẹmídayọ Amay, and Sean Boyce Johnson
