Review: CAROLINE, OR CHANGE at Black Theatre Troupe

Guest contributor Cheyenne Lewis offers her take on Black Theatre Troupe’s production of CAROLINE, OR CHANGE.

Change can be the hardest and perhaps even the most horrifying part of life, but it can also be the most rewarding. The Black Theatre Troupe’s performance of the musical CAROLINE, OR CHANGE highlights the highs and lows of change with distinction.

Set in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1963, the lead is Caroline Thibodeaux, a mother of four and maid to the Gellman family. Surviving on only $30 a week, and as the only caregiver to her children, Caroline struggles. When her employer, Rose Stopnick Gellman, tells Caroline she can keep the pocket change left in the laundry by Rose’s stepson, 8-year-old Noah Gellman, Caroline begins to change. Caroline struggles between holding herself to her moral and religious principles against taking from a child, and her desperation for money to take care of her family. Rose, portrayed by Kori Jeanne Stearns, sets up the pocket change as a punishment for Noah because he keeps leaving change in his pockets when he throws his clothes in the laundry. She continuously pushes this rule onto Caroline, slowly causing friction between the two and furthering Caroline’s stress. What Rose sees as a method to teach her stepson a lesson, Caroline sees as stealing from a child.

Considering the setting, Louisiana during the Civil Rights Movement, every character is facing a major historical change. Although major political moments are happening around Caroline, it is not her focus. Her change is internal. This creates a natural contrast between Caroline and her daughter, Emmie. Emmie has a lot of respect for her mother but struggles to understand her mother’s point of view on the Civil Rights Movement. On the other hand, her mother firmly disagrees with her daughter’s views. Caroline is much more willing to conform to her current oppression than her daughter. Although this does not stem from a lack of motivation or strength, but rather a need to devote her energy to working and providing.

In addition to generational family conflict, the story shows the relationship between the Jewish and Black communities during the Civil Rights Movement. The positioning of each character is fascinating to watch unfold. Both communities faced major oppressions, but the Jewish community had a higher social and economic standing than the black community. The Gellman family and Mr. Stopnick, Rose’s father, come across as more ignorant than directly hateful. Even more supportive characters like Mr. Stopnick, who supports the idea of a black revolution, take an infantilizing approach to their opinions of the black community. On the opposite side, Caroline’s Christian faith separates them, ultimately culminating in a large emotional moment between Noah and Caroline where they each weaponize their differences. For Noah, that is his race, and for Caroline, that is her religion. It is a pivotal moment showing how two people, who really do care for each other, change when it comes to money. Most of the characters have a unique set of well-established beliefs and characterization that allow for so many dynamics to be observed at once, but it is still written in a way that is completely manageable to follow throughout the musical. It makes the musical feel much like a living, breathing story.

The actors and their skilled portrayals of the characters are the main draw to the performance. The actors make Director David J. Hemphill’s creative vision clear. Every character in the performance is distinct and purposeful, highlighting a different perspective of the time period. Some characters follow the ideology of MLK; others take a more radical approach, suggesting revolution.

Brooke Leigh Davis’ performance as Caroline is gut-wrenching and powerful. Her strong performance was moving. She has the ability to make viewers reflect on the past and feel the anguish of previous generations’ oppression. The Tempe Center for the Arts Studio Theatre is the perfect venue for her performance. The small, intimate venue provides a clear view of her face and expressions, revealing the subtleties of her acting. Davis’ brilliance in acting is shown through her eyes. When Caroline is trying to hold her anger in, it is always present in her eyes. As she looks at the audience, her eyes show her internal strife. Her gaze holds the flame of fury for her unjust situation in life. Throughout the performance, that flame slowly spreads further into her, leading to the inevitable eruption. As her financial stress grows, she lets the anger slip through, unable to keep it inside. This harms her relationship with the people closest to her.

Certain items in the set, such as the washer and dryer, are brought to life as performers come on stage to act as their voices. Caroline spends so much time alone in the basement that she begins to personify the objects. For instance, she has a strong resentment of the dryer. The dryer, played by Trevell Chappell, was a fun and yet looming presence over the basement. Jenina Gallaway’s performance of the moon was the most mesmerizing of the anthropomorphized characters. Her vocals were a standout of the performance.

Emmie, played by Aubrey Tillett, is a spitfire and a proud supporter of MLK and the Civil Rights Movement. Her performance is the most energetic, a major contrast to Caroline, who has been worn down by the world. Despite her story being centered around historical injustices, she offers moments of lightness and hope during an otherwise dreary story.

Noah, played by Christopher Spurling, a young Jewish boy still grieving his mother and struggling with his father’s remarriage, provides a strong contrast to the adult characters in the performance. His dynamic portrayal captures the instability of being a child in a broken household and the highs and lows of childhood. Noah understands Caroline and her pain in a way Rose does not, but his naivety about life does not allow him to fully see her struggles. Although Noah is a child, he is not unaffected by the shining appeal of money. Like Caroline, who he is and how he treats people change as the story progresses, and he loses a larger sum of money.

Like Caroline, Noah is also in conflict with Rose. Stearns’ portrayal of Rose is the perfect contradiction to Caroline and Noah. She struggles with her new blended family as much as everyone else, but she will not allow the world to see it. She is outwardly peppy and often blind to the perspectives of others. She sees her pocket change rule as solely helpful, rather than understanding that what she views as helpful could be uncomfortable or humiliating to others. At certain points, she even gets close to dehumanizing Caroline. She views her as a part of her parenting plans, rather than an individual with unique experiences and feelings. Even though she is a character set in 1963, her performance is an insightful reflection of the contemporary problem of white saviorism.

The layered set added additional depth to the storytelling, placing Caroline at the lowest point and foreground of the stage, while the Gellman family scenes are primarily set in the house on a platform above. The minimalist staging draws the eyes of the audience to the actors and immerses viewers in their performance.

The music in Caroline, or Change, written by Jeanine Tesori with lyrics by Tony Kushner, could be overwhelming at certain points. The pacing could be hard to gauge. The songs often bled into each other, occasionally making it hard to tell where they stop and end. This is efficient for storytelling and the performance, but it makes it hard to appreciate any one song individually.

In the face of adversity, not everyone has the privilege to be able to fight for change. Their stories and hardships deserve to and need to be heard as a reminder of the not-so-distant tumultuous past. Caroline, or Change does just this; it is a sobering reminder of the struggles of the average woman during this period.

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE plays at the Tempe Center for the Arts through November 2.

Poster credit to BTT

Black Theatre Troupe -- blacktheatretroupe.org -- 602-258-8128

Venue: Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center -- 1333 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ

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Best Musical - Top 3

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