REVIEW: THE STORY

Is there any worse betrayal in theatre than a play with a fascinating first act that keeps us pinned to our seats through intermission, only to dissolve into incoherent randomness in Act Two? Such is the sin of The Story, the new play by Tracey Scott Wilson, opening tonight at the intimate Anspacher Theater at the Public.

The Story's story is certainly complex- young Yvonne (Erika Alexander), an ambitious but troubled newspaper reporter, is having difficulty being not only one of the few female reporters in a predominantly male industry, but also one of the few black reporters in a predominantly white industry. She has never felt comfortable in the black community, and resents being regulated to the black section of the paper. It's manna from Heaven, then, when Yvonne uncovers an exclusive clue to a racial murder mystery that has plagued her large city. Yvonne uses this break to catapult herself into stardom at her paper, but when her superiors and peers- and even Yvonne herself- begin to question the truth of her story, the devastation may not only bring down Yvonne, but the entire black community at her job.

Ambitious? Absolutely. How many themes did I mention in the preceding paragraph alone? Racism? Check. Sexism? Check. Community? Check. Perception? Crime? Truth? Check, check, check. Problem is, with fingers in so many pies, it's hard to get even a slice. Act One sets up conflict after conflict, and Act Two does everything it can to resolve none of them. We would need a two-play epic like Angels in America or The Cider House Rules to give ample time to all of the issues brought up. Rather than limit herself to a few truly deserving themes and spending time examining them in depth, Wilson pays quick lip service to too many, and ultimately brings very little to light.

And if the uneven script were not frustrating enough, insult is added to injury in the repetitive and amateurish device of splitting scenes. To indicate the disparity between truth and perception, Wilson has many scenes in which two or more conversations take place at the same time, often reflecting each other. Two characters might have one conversation, and each would then comment on their mutual conversation via secondary conversations with people outside of the central conversations. Did you follow that? It becomes confusing when it should be enlightening. Used sparingly, this device can be very powerful. Used too frequently, it reveals itself as a crutch, and quickly loses its effectiveness.

But fear not, there are some redeeming values in this mess, and their names are Erika Alexander, Phylicia Rashad, Stephen Kunken, Damon Gupton, Kalimi Baxter, Tammi Clayton, Michelle Hurst, Susan Kelechi Watson and Sarah Grace Wilson. There is not a weak link in the cast, and they function equally well as a unit and as individuals. Alexander and Rashad give especially intense performances, and they have a wonderful chemistry together, effortlessly making their scenes the best in the play. The lighting design by James Vermeulen is also very effective, contrasting light and darkness and giving us glimpses of images that quickly vanish. The sound design by Rob Kaplowitz follows suit, letting us hear pieces of conversations and whispers that are never quite audible. Even before the houselights go down, we are immediately in the corporate world, with phones ringing and keyboards clacking all around us. Both designers deserve commendation for setting the mood so quickly effectively. Loretta Greco's direction is also good, dividing the split scenes on diagonals so that we can see how skewed the many conversations are. It's a subtle bit of staging, but effective.The Story, Wilson has much to offer the theatre world. Sadly, this play does not show her off to her fullest potential.

To her credit, Wilson has tackled many serious topics with this play, and her heart is clearly in the right place. We need more plays that deal with these issues, but there are so many themes crammed into this one play that none get enough attention. As demonstrated in the intriguing first act of The Story, Wilson has considerable talent, but unfortunately, this play does not demonstrate it to its fullest potential.

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