'Dessa Rose' Triumphant!

Dessa Rose

Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Music by Stephen Flaherty

Based on the Novel by Sherley Anne Williams

Direction and Musical Staging by Rick Lombardo

Musical Direction by Todd C. Gordon

Choreography by Kelli Edwards

Peter Colao, Scenic Design; Frances Nelson McSherry, Costume Design; Franklin Meissner, Jr., Lighting Design; Jamie Whoolery, Sound Design; Larry Vigus, Properties Design; Carola Morrone, Production Stage Manager; Jennifer Braun, Assistant Stage Manager

CAST (in alphabetical order): Uzo Aduba (Dessa Rose), Edward M. Barker (Nathan), Leigh Barrett (Ruth), Peter A. Carey, Dee Crawford, De'Lon Grant, Joshua W. Heggie, Todd Alan Johnson (Adam Nehemiah), Michael Kreutz, A'lisa D. Miles, Kami Rushell Smith, Dawn C. Tucker

Performances through May 18, 2008 at New Repertory Theatre

Box Office 617-923-8487 or www.newrep.org

Lyricist Lynn Ahrens and Composer Stephen Flaherty are best known for their musical Ragtime, a broad, sweeping epic tale of changing times in turn-of-the-(20^th)century America. Two years after mounting an award-winning production of that show, New Repertory Theatre presents the New England Premiere of Ahrens' and Flaherty's Dessa Rose, another powerful story that delves into the hearts and minds of opposing cultures. Set in the antebellum South in the late 1840's, it is an oral history of the challenges faced by two women, one black, one white, and the unlikely journey they share to discover themselves and their common humanity.

From the opening tableau on Peter Colao's minimalist set of tiers of rough-hewn planks, we know we are in for something special with the full company singing "We Are Descended." Old Dessa and Old Ruth step forward as narrators and the former begins to "hand down" her tale to the children who must never forget "what it cost us to own our own selves." Young Dessa joyously appears in the past and her slave story quickly takes shape. Shortly after she and her boyfriend Kaine learn that she is pregnant, the Master kills him and sells Dessa to a brutal trader who attempts to rape her. She manages to knock him out and steal the key to their chains, allowing the other slaves to escape, but she can't keep up with them because of her condition. As she sits in a cellar jail cell, being kept alive until she gives birth, journalist Adam Nehemiah interviews her for a book he is writing, promising that her baby will know what happened even after her hanging.

Young Ruth emerges in a very different world, that of privileged white society in Charleston. Her unbending, proper mother and her warm, beloved black mammy Dorcas exert dissimilar influences on the young belle in her upbringing, until she marries gambler Bertie Sutton against her mother's wishes. He takes her away to his isolated farm The Glen, and leaves her with only their infant daughter and her adored mammy as her companions while he deserts her for longer and longer stretches of time. After Dorcas dies suddenly, Ruth feels overwhelmed with having to run the farm and deal with the growing number of runaway slaves who seek shelter there. Nathan and Harker, two of the men who escaped the trader's chain gang, show up at Ruth's door and she allows them to stay and help with chores, setting in motion the mechanism that will connect her with Dessa Rose. After a jail break, the latter is brought to The Glen in labor. Ruth helps deliver the baby and nurses her, much to Dessa's consternation. The feisty new mother wants to be sure that the infant knows her ancestry, but will not give her a name until they are free.

In the second act, the two strong-willed young women butt heads frequently as their lives become more intertwined. Ruth cannot run the farm and survive without the runaways, nor can they escape and thrive without her help with "The Scheme." Dessa Rose and Ruth struggle for control, each tired of being oppressed, yet somewhat immature and wary of the other. As trusted friend to both (and lover to Ruth), Nathan plays the peacekeeper and plans the journey they must take together to secure their freedom. Fraught with danger as it is, the women learn to rely on each other and transcend racial barriers, discovering that their shared gender bridges a gap they both thought too great to hurdle.

Dessa Rose presents a challenge for the two lead actresses who must repeatedly age or revert 60 years as they enact or recount a scene. Without costume changes or benefit of any kind of theatre magic, youth becomes age by rearrangement of a shawl, slight shrinking of stature, and a raspy tone of voice. The younger version of each character is played larger, fresh-faced, and with more vigor. When Uzo Aduba (Dessa Rose) morphs smoothly from one age to the other, it is almost like watching time-lapse photography. Leigh Barrett (Ruth) is more convincing as Old Ruth because she nails the scratchy voice and the labored movements of the octogenarian. Her physical portrayal of the 20-year old belle requires a greater suspension of disbelief, but she does have the requisite energy and emotion to meet Young Dessa head on.

Like the character she portrays, Aduba is a force to be reckoned with. She commands the stage and captures the audience with her passion, her flashing eyes, and a voice that goes from sweet songbird to gospel glory and everything in between. When she sings "Twelve Children" to her newborn daughter to close the first act, she makes the song her own and it is nothing less than spellbinding. A New Rep star is born! As much as she stands out, Aduba also has wonderful chemistry with the rest of the cast. She is fiery and hateful with her oppressors, loving and respectful with her mammy, coquettish and submissive with Nehemiah, friendly and appreciative with the other slaves, and all over the map with Ruth.

Barrett seems to always find the heart of her role and her Ruth is no exception. She grows from a giddy and insecure young wife without a clue to the instinctive new mother taking risks to find a better future, finding herself along the way. She makes us feel her fear and loneliness, most palpably in "At The Glen" when Ruth is writing a letter to her absent husband, and her courage when she stands up to a local sheriff on Dessa's behalf. Barrett gives what we have come to expect, her incredible voice taking advantage of the chance to soar on Stephen Flaherty's lush score.

Aduba and Barrett are in the forefront of a chorus of incredible voices gathered on the stage. Perhaps because the actors are so natural and well-matched, it is their singing that really makes the production pop and sizzle. Across the board, like the finale of a fireworks display, they just keep coming and deserve to be mentioned. Edward M. Barker's (Nathan) sweet, smooth, caramel tones complement Joshua W. Heggie's (Harker) booming voice. It is no wonder that Dessa falls under the spell of Kaine when De'Lon Grant croons the sultry lines, "Hey, hey, Dessa Darlin'..." As the respective mammies and other slaves, A'lisa D. Miles, Dee Crawford, and Kami Rushell Smith show their impressive vocal range and versatility.

Todd Alan Johnson gives an understated performance, reflecting Nehemiah's repression, making him soft and sympathetic as he carefully wins Dessa's trust and yields to her charms. This characterization makes his second act transformation more stunning as his crazed, single-minded bounty hunter is a stark contrast to the quiet, genteel writer. Dawn C. Tucker is airy and insufferable as Ruth's mother with her constantly pursed lips. Michael Kreutz and Peter A. Carey define unctuous as Mr. Oscar and Bertie Sutton respectively and are solid in multiple small roles.

Director Rick Lombardo has done a masterful job with this entire production. With the cast of 12 playing three dozen roles and the two leads traveling back and forth in time, there is never a moment of confusion about where we are in the story. He uses the stage well, with lighting often focusing our attention on one speaker or one vignette. The barren set serves as a metaphor for the difficult, downtrodden existence of the slaves, and the costumes and mores are evocative of the antebellum era and the characters' stations. Todd C. Gordon's Musical Direction is flawless even though the actors have to watch him on a small monitor in the rear of the center seating section. There is a slight sound problem as the microphones are suspended overhead and not always sufficient, especially when someone's accent is a little hard to pick up. On the plus side, it's nice to have the absence of over-amplification, especially during the ensemble songs.

Dessa Rose is a worthy choice to conclude New Rep's season about isolation and connection. In its darkest moments, the light of hope shines through in the goodness and caring of these people who have nothing to give but themselves. They live, laugh, and love together because they know that is their strength. There will always be oppressors, but the lesson here is there's enough power in love and friendship to overcome, to own our own selves. It is a triumph.