Review: SAME DIFFERENCE at The Wilbury Theatre Group

Wilbury Theatre Group kicks off the new season with the world premiere of “Same Difference,” a gritty, unsettling, profound, entertaining drama about the troubled lives of a group of twentysomethings trying to get along, make ends meet, and most importantly, survive.

Written and directed by Don Mays, the play takes place in Providence, 1993. Brenda (Rosalyn Tavarez) is a club singer, and her roommate, Joel (Alex LeBlanc), is a waiter by day and drag queen at night. Brenda hails from New York City but fled the Big Apple for Rhode Island, leaving behind her gang leader beau, Alley Kat (Jā’Quan Malik Jones). All three of their worlds collide when Alley Kat shows up one night unannounced at Brenda and Joel’s apartment, bleeding from a gunshot wound.

Brenda reluctantly lets the unapologetically homophobic Alley Kat stay–to heal and to hide–much to the chagrin of Joel, who brazenly flaunts his latest trick, Todd (Carlin Fournier), a married closet case surprisingly interested in more than just sex. Meanwhile, the promiscuous Joel has yet to pay a visit to see his ex, Aaron (Noah Martinez), who lays dying of AIDS.

Gang warfare, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and homophobia are indisputably heavy subjects and relevant to the present day, yet the cast members are products of their time when such social issues were in the public’s conscience, front and center. Brenda, Joel, and Alley Kat are each directly affected by at least one of these civic matters, which they either blindly or intentionally accept as a customary facet of life–potentially to their peril.

Although the script touches upon a variety of explosive topics, the understated activity on stage consists primarily of routine entrances and exits, punctuated by in-person and phone conversations, however the friction between Joel and Alley Kat remains constant and usually results in violence. Brenda tries to be the voice of reason, comforting the vengeful Alley Kat with reminders of the pleasant memories they share, and warning Joel that he will end up like Aaron if he doesn’t change his wicked ways.

Jason Sall’s set design is especially clever and effective, with each room on display at all times (including Aaron’s hospital bed), and Mays’ meticulous, sharp direction calls attention to the characters’ interplay, preventing the exterior activity from becoming a distraction.

Tavarez’s sensational performance as Brenda is best described as star-making. Her character is the heart and soul of the story, and her delivery is a perfect combination of kindness, strength, and cautious optimism–and she can sing! As Alley Kat, Jones flawlessly embodies the incorrigibly combative yet charismatic criminal, and LeBlanc nimbly conveys the anguish of his character, Joel, who tries (in vain) to behave otherwise, as though his behavior is justified and respectable.

Martinez’s haunting, poignant portrayal of the stricken Aaron understandably pulls at your heartstrings, and Fournier shines brightly as the confused yet remarkably self-aware Todd. Henry Nwaru plays Stephon, a friend of Brenda and Joel’s, who spends the least amount of time on stage but steals the scenes he’s in. Even though almost every sentence Stephon mutters is comical (and his inflection is divine), it would be unfair to reduce it to just comic relief since his presence is welcome and warranted.

The production and performances are solid and impressive, yet the script was a bit of a mixed bag for me, perhaps because there was arguably too much to digest. Nevertheless, I grew to care about the characters and their stories certainly kept me engaged. “Same Difference” is daring albeit bleak, thought-provoking, and worthy of lengthy examination and discussion.

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