Review: A LESSON BEFORE DYING at The Encore Theatre

A LESSON BEFORE DYING by Romulus Linney is based on the novel by Ernest J. Gaines. I remember reading the book, and I was familiar with the screen adaptation starring Don Cheadle and Mekhi Phifer, but the stage play I didn't know. So, the Encore Theatre's production, directed by Harold J. Haynes, was something I was looking forward to.

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Watching what plays out in reality on the stage is a plus when going to the theatre. The past three years has had its share of racial issues, but racism within the judicial system has been somewhat forgotten. The prison system has become today's plantation and the courtroom the new auction block. Young black men and women are punished harder than whites, who are given lesser sentencing and slaps on the wrist.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, but in a nutshell, the play takes place in 1948 Bayonne, Louisiana, at the height of a murder trial. A young black man by the name of Jefferson (Phillip Brown) is accused of a murder that he didn't commit. During his sentencing, he is referred to as a hog, which dehumanizes his existence and makes it easy for the powers that be to send him to the electric chair.

It's during this moment in the play that I am reminded of Dr. Joy DeGruy's lecture on post-traumatic slavery disorder and her description of President Thomas Jefferson's inhuman treatment of his slaves. Jefferson wrote that blacks didn't require much sleep, and they didn't smell or look good. This vernacular and ideology were prevalent amongst whites in America. Jefferson also wrote that blacks were dumb, cowardly and incapable of feeling grief - this mentality produced cognitive dissonance. This same ideology comes forth in this play with Sheriff Guidry (David McClain) and the lawyer who refers to Jefferson as a hog. Jefferson takes this reference inward and realizes that he is of no value in the white-dominated world he lives in. Now a withdrawn and angry black man, his godmother Miss Emma (Kimberly Diamond) makes it her plight to pierce his hard exterior, so he takes his sentencing with dignity, and walks like a man to his death. She employs Grant Wiggins (Oliver Smith-Perrin) to teach Jefferson how to have dignity and to walk, and not be dragged, to his death.

Act I of the production has its pacing issues. Many unnecessary pauses from the actors made the opening hard to get into. I became dejected at times and shifted my focus to other places. Phillip Brown's commitment from start to finish was something to be applauded. Every time he entered I was excited to see what was he going to do next. The key defining moment that sealed the deal for me with this actor was when Sheriff Bonin was forced to read the sentence of death from the Supreme Court, and without any words Jefferson broke into tears. This visceral connection to the text was a testament to great acting chops. Mark Fowler's depiction of Sheriff Bonin evolved greatly from start to finish. When this actor was in a scene where he didn't have dialogue he was continually connected, not just an architectural fixture. Nuances and what I call my magical theatrical nuggets were prevalent with these two actors. Brown and Fowler were the glue that held this production together.

Act II of this production moved well. In Act I some of the relationships were hard to believe, such as the one between Grant Wiggins and Vivian, played by Smith-Perrin and Albreon Lysasia Gardner. As Act II progressed, this relation began to evolve as well. There was a moment when Vivian made an exit and her simple touch on Grant's shoulder solidified their intimacy. I definitely had to suspend my disbelief, but their romance grew on me.

Moment to moment the play began to make sense for me in Act II. The ardent use of anger driving the characters became redundant with Brown and Smith-Perrin in Act I, but as Act II evolved so did their emotional choices. Act II ended with the imagery of the execution. From what I've read, it was supposed to end with Jefferson's monologue. I believe that this was a directorial choice, literal and not needed. But, as I say, this is just my little two cents, so please spend them how you please.

Today, plays such as A LESSON BEFORE DYING are relevant to our community as a whole. Still, black men lead in incarceration rates and wrongful convictions. But I can't help but think about the director's curtain speech, and his disdain for the Black Lives Matter movement. Now freedom of speech is something that I'm an advocate for, but we must be aware of the responsibility and response that comes with it. The reference to All Lives Matter raised my eyebrows, because if it were true there wouldn't be a need for Black Lives Matter, purple, green or chartreuse! When plays like A LESSON BEFORE DYING are relevant, black lives matter.

The title of this show refers to Jefferson learning a lesson before his death, but each character in this play learns a valuable lesson. I hope that this month brings you great joy and I hope that you take the time this Black History Month to go see some great theatre, and maybe learn a lesson too.