Review: RACE at The Laboratory Theater of Florida

RACE at The Laboratory Theater of Florida, directed by Sonya McCarter, tells the story of two lawyers and a new young attorney in their office as they try to decide if they should take on a man accused of a racially charged sexual assault as a client.

Michael Massari and Lemec Bernard play lawyers Jack and Henry, respectively. Their newest attorney, Susan, is played by Cantrella Canady. Brian Linthicum plays Charles Strickland, the man who was charged with raping a young black woman. I really enjoyed each actor's performance in this show. There were several tense moments in the show, and I felt that each actor really brought a lot of emotion to their characters in those moments. Massari portrayed Jack's arrogance well, and Canady's Susan was perfectly hesitant and suspicious of Charles.

As the lawyers plot how to win the case, Jack comes up with one solid plan that seems like it would help them: the red sequins on the dress the woman claimed was torn off were not mentioned in any witness statement. As he continues to develop that plan, things, of course, go a bit awry. Now, I don't want to spoil the end of this show for everyone, but I will say that the plot twist was brilliant.

Though the show focuses on several topics, there wasn't too intricate of a plot to the show, and I think this allowed the actors to dig deep into their characters and shine. The story makes you think about society as a whole. In particular, the show focuses on racial issues, which I believe is an extremely important topic.

RACE is running now through May 15 at The Lab. Seating is limited due to social distancing, so get your tickets now! Masks are required at all times, and patrons will be temperature checked at the door. For more info and tickets, click here: http://www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com

Photo Credits: Paula Sisk

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