Powerful 'Resurrection' at Arena Stage Ends Oct. 5

Arena Stage is presenting the world premiere of Daniel Beaty's Resurrection which ends its successful run this Sunday evening, Oct. 5, 2008. While this play may not seem to be for everybody, it should be.  It is always amazing to me how theater can be utilized for the betterment of society and this wonderful production is a great example.

Is there any doubt that the issue of race is front of center in this nation, especially with this historic presidential election around the corner?

While the style of the play may be unusual to the casual theatergoer and may seem simplistic since the evening is mostly comprised of actors addressing the audience via soliloquies, the writing is powerful.

Beatty was responsible for the Arena Stage's successful one-man play Emergence-See which won an Obie Award for excellence Off-Broadway. Resurrection confirms that this author has a great future.

Once again a young actor plays a key role. After the Signature's Ace, Jason Robert Brown's 13 which has the full cast (and the orchestra) comprised of young people and opens on Broadway Sunday, and the blockbuster to be Billy Elliot soon to open on Broadway, Resurrection has a 12-year-old local actor Thuliso Dingwall from Clinton, MD playing a young boy interested in science who's Dad Mr. Rogers (Michael Genet) runs a health food store and things don't look promising for this business.

The other men in the play are Twon (Turron Kofi Alleyne) excited to be accepted to Morehouse College, Isaac (Alvin Keith) a music industry big shot who is having to grapple to tell his father he's gay, Dre (Che Ayende) a former convict trying to restart his life, and the Bishop (Jeffrey V. Thompson) who has a hard being addicted to snack food. The cast is listed by age in the program and each actor represents a decade: Eric (10), ‘Twon (20), Dre (30), Isaac (40), Mr. Rogers (50), and the Bishop (60).

The intermission less play flies by and is a co-production with the Hartford Stage where it opens on October 24.

There is much accepella music (and the voices are outstanding) and I recommend more of it and hope one day, an orchestra can added to make this into a musical. It doesn't seem that this would be difficult. 

Resurrection as part of Arena Restaged is being performed in Crystal City, VA at 1800 S. Bell Avenue. They even served free coffee and cookies!! There's also plenty of free parking and terrific restaurants nearby. (I highly recommend Jaleo at 2250-A Crystal Drive, 703-413-8181). For tickets, call 202-488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org.

And for you patrons 30 and under, there are a limited amount of $10 tickets.

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.

Photos by Scott Suchman