Review: APPROPRIATE at Actor's Express

ACTOR'S EXPRESS shocks audiences with APPROPRIATE by MacArthur "Genius" grant recipient Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. The play focuses on three siblings dealing with the death of their father as they discover that the man they called "Daddy" might not have been such a great person after all. The characters continue to maintain unhealthy relationships with each other as they unfold the past of their father.

The cast is led by Jan Wikstrom, playing the oldest sibling, Toni. She delivers an emotionally draining performance as she battles each character mentally (and physically). Wikstrom captivates the audience with her obviously developed character, forcing us to change our opinions on Toni every half hour. Devon Hales' portrayal of Cassidy is the standout performance of the production. This is a post-collegiate student playing a 13-year-old. Her acting was exceptional, with me believing she was a child until literally moments ago. Overall, exceptional casting thanks to director Freddie Ashley.

One of my favorite part about seeing a show at ACTOR'S EXPRESS is it's black box theatre. The layout is ever changing, giving the audience something new every single show. This time, the audience gets a standard view at an angle so we can look into the story head on.

The set was epically set up to something you might see on "Hoarders" with the attention to detail from scenic designers Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay. There was a clear effort on their end to create a vision that was hauntingly historical, yet realistic for how current the story is.

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ACTOR'S EXPRESS is a professional theatre based at the King Plow Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta. The theatre has won several Suzi Bass Awards, and have also received seven nominations for this year. Their second show of the season, APPROPRIATE, is running through November 20 with tickets available online.

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