we are continuous
My thoughts on we are continuous or…ties that bind
Harrison David Rivers chooses to title his play we are continuous using lower case letters and to list his characters as Husband, Son, and Mother rather than by their character names. This suggests that the play itself and the characters speak to a common experience. It is an experience to which many people, especially gay men and their mothers will relate.
This is a touchingly real memory play where the characters reveal their thoughts and beliefs and the impact those thoughts and beliefs have on their choices and relationships. But at its core, we are continuous is a poignant character study of a mother and her son. Simon the son is a gay Black man and Ora the mother is a devout Christian.
Although Simon says he knew he was gay when he was six, Ora knew before that. “A mother knows,” she states. She supports him, even making his costumes, when he forsakes soccer for theater. The deeply religious Ora says that she and Simon have always had a connection. It is her husband, the unseen character of Hoyt, who becomes an impediment to the mother/son connection. Ora quotes Ephesians that the husband is head of the household. When Simon eventually finds the man he loves, his parents do not attend the wedding. Once Simon becomes ill, Ora has to make a life changing decision.
There is much more to the story as is revealed in monologues by the three superb actors. M. Denise Lee is Ora the Mother, devoted to her son, yet ruled by her husband and her own Christian beliefs. Lee’s Ora is complex, funny, and compassionate and Lee makes her likable and relatable. Going with Lee on Ora’s journey is both heartbreaking and enlightening and Lee proves once again why she is one of DFW’s foremost actors.
It’s impossible not to be charmed by Quintin Jones, Jr. who portrays Simon the Son. Jones is a charismatic storyteller imbuing Simon’s story with humor and honesty. Simon is quick witted and intelligent and very much his own man and Jones has us on Simon’s side immediately.
Micah J.L. Brooks is Abe the Husband. Congenial, empathetic, and tender, Brooks’ Abe is an ideal husband and he’s there for Simon in sickness and in health. Brooks projects warmth and understanding and gives Abe a quiet strength that is endearing.
The set design by Kevin Brown, whose sets are usually so realistic they appear livable, here opts for a more abstract approach. Brown includes a large wall of oversized family photos which give insight into the characters’ lives even before they appear. Rooms and areas are suggested by furniture pieces. Kyle Harris’ lighting highlights the photos and often quietly helps establish the mood of a scene. Suzi Cranford provides the costumes, and Joshua Nguyen designs the sound.
Director Natalie King stages the play in the round (actually a square here). I always admire King’s sense of her characters and their movements, and that skill is especially evident in this production. King must have spent hours perfecting the blocking to assure no one’s view is obstructed, and that the characters look natural navigating the stage. She has each character establish an intimacy with the audience as they move about recalling moments in their lives.
we are continuous is a beautifully crafted play and Rivers’ gift for dialogue establishes an almost instant rapport between the characters and the audience. It is surprisingly powerful, intensely human, and emotionally gripping theater.
Photos by Mike Morgan Photography, Inc.
