Review: DOT at Everyman Theatre is a Triumph

Everyman Theatre Artistic Director certainly had a successful journey to Louisville, KY last year when he visited the Human Festival of New Plays. The first two plays of this season were chosen as a result of his visit. The first was the highly regarded THE ROOMMATE. The second is DOT which Lancisi chose to direct and he does it with panache.

DOT was written by a most talented playwright who also has appeared on stage, film, and television. I was fortunate to meet him at a press briefing prior to the first rehearsal and he is such a magical figure. One of his plays WILD WITH HAPPY (in which he starred in at its debut at The Public Theater in New York) was seen at Center Stage last year and received rave reviews. He has been honored with an Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk and Drama League nominations. You can see weekly on AMC's "Fear the Walking Dead" as well as appearing in the Cinemax original series "The Knick". And his credits include the following films: "The Birth of A Nation", "Selma" (playing Reverend Ralph Abernathy), "The Butler", and "Lincoln" (and that's only a few).

He is also proud to have starred in THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS on Broadway and in London. I have never met anyone with this kind of background.

His talent as a playwright shines through with DOT. Everyman Theatre's Artistic Associate and Dramaturg Johanna Gruehut has a fascinating interview with Domingo in the program in which he reveals his first draft of the play took only two weeks to complete. Domingo emphasized the play is about family...a blended family. He adds, "You have your immigrant story, you have your single, Jewish girl from New York story, you have a gay couple, you have an aging mother story, and we have a young boy who is going to take all these stories of this family-its history, its neighborhoods, its culture, its arts and move it forward."

I look for great things from Domingo in the future.

Lancisi recognized his talent as a playwright and has assembled a superb cast. The story surrounds the matriarch of the family, Dot (played by the immensely talented Sharon Hope making her Everyman Theatre debut) who comes from humble beginnings but married a successful physician who has died and left Dot in her lovely home in West Philadelphia where they brought up three children.

Dot is in her mid-sixties and is facing the tragedy of the infliction of Alzheimer's disease. The play opens with the eldest daughter Shelly (played by the incomparable Everyman Resident Company member Dawn Ursula soon to be appearing at the Arena Stage in RAISIN IN THE SUN) dealing with the frustrations involved in being the care-taker of a mother who is not always lucid. Her sister Averie (the sparkling Paige Hernandez) lives the basement of the home and does not take easily to the situation at hand. The brother Donnie (a powerful Yaegel T.Welch) comes to visit for the Christmas holidays with his spouse Adam (an affectionate Rob Jansen) and they have their own personal squabbles and only at the end realize what the family is faced with.

One of the most tender scenes is when Dot is listening to a Judy Garland tune, believes Adam is her late husband, and asks him to dance. It is a seminal moment in the play. Dot moves gracefully around the beautiful living room in front of the family with Adam. Kudos to Rep Stage Artistic Director Joseph W. Ritsch for choreographing this memorable moment.

Everyman Resident Company member Megan Anderson plays a former neighbor (Jackie) who visits from New York where she lives in Harlem and must deal with her own crisis. I found it interesting that Domingo makes it clear she is Jewish and has had a crush on Donnie (now 45) since high school.

The playwright adds the immigrant experience via the character Fidel (Ryan Carlos Dalusung) who hails from Kazakhstan and is hired by Shelley to be a care-taker for Dot. Fidel shows real love and devotion to Dot and he understands perfectly what she is going through. Another tender moment is when he Skypes to his family who he has not seen in 9 years.

The production is ably assisted by a talented team. James Fouchard has done a masterly job on the set. Stay during intermission to watch the transformation of the kitchen to the living room. The stage crew got an ovation after their work. Harold F. Burgeess II did the wonderful lighting and Everyman Theatre Resident Costume Designer David Burdick once again does great work.

I attended a performance on a Saturday night and was great surprised many patrons left during intermission. I just did not understand this. Do not follow their lead because Act II is a revelation.

Following the Dec. 29 performance is a "Cast Conversation".

DOT runs until January 8, 2017. For tickets, call 410-752-2208 or visit www.everymantheatre.org.

Congratulations to Everyman Theatre for being recognized in the Wall Street Journal for their amazing double-header last season of DEATH OF A SALESMAN and STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE being selected one of the top two productions in the nation.

Everyman's Winter Gala is January 7, 2017 at the Lord Baltimore Hotel. For tickets, call 443-615-7055, ext. 7122.

Next up at Everyman is GREAT EXPECTATIONS based on the Charles Dickens' novel.

THIS AND THAT

I'm very happy to report that two successful musicals have been extended and deservedly so. MARY POPPINS at the Olney Theatre Center and SECRET GARDEN at the Shakespeare Theatre Company have both been extended to January 8, 2017.

If you missed HAIRSPRAY LIVE on NBC, it will be rebroadcast Monday, Dec. 26 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. NBC announced next season it will present BYE BYE BIRDIE with Jennifer Lopez.

Happy to see the Lynn Nottage play SWEAT (at Arena Stage last year) will transfer to Broadway's Studio 54. Previews begin March 4 for a March 26 opening.

Also proud to report my review of the Arena Stage's wonderful MOBY DICK was chosen by the editors of Broadwayworld.com as one of the top ten stories the week of December 9, 2016.

cgshubow@broadwayworld.com