AT&T Performing Arts Center and The Elevator Project Present “RAGE”
Play By: Janelle Gray
Directed By: Tiana Kaye Blair
My thoughts on RAGE or uncovering sins past and present.
RAGE is probably the single most important play I have seen since arriving in Dallas. The issues and injustices brought to light so forcefully and viscerally in Janelle Gray’s play are difficult to listen to and impossible to ignore. RAGE is a plea for justice, understanding, and change.
RAGE consists of nine scenes that illuminate the plight of black women in America. The scenes are tied to historical events that occurred between 1842 and 2013. Of all the events, I had only heard of one, and therein lies the great problem. This history has either been forgotten, glossed over, or ignored. The painful experiences of black women through the years are not a subject you are going to find in history books. Gray’s play, however, provides us with a crash course that grabs you by the collar in the first scene and Tiana Kaye Blair’s fast and fluid direction makes certain it never lets us go. RAGE is devastating, provocative, and an unforgettable emotional journey.
Taking us on the journey are five actors who redefine what excellent acting is. Victoria Angelina Cruz, Jazzay Jabbar, Tharmella Nyahoza, Natasha Wells, and Catherine Whiteman become multiple characters, sing, and deliver monologues so powerfully and engagingly that they appear to be talking directly to you. In the final scene, which is set in 2022, Natasha Wells is incredible. The anger in her is below the surface at first, then begins to seethe and bubble up until it builds to an eruption that will leave you shaken and on your feet.
The set design of the play by Johnny Eppes is wisely minimal with rolling white walls that become various locations. The costumes by Bruce R. Coleman are simple but evoke the different eras perfectly. The lighting by Jack Earl Piland adds drama, especially when he uses color to enhance and reflect the mood of a scene. I admire the simplicity of the design here, as it provides for quick transitions and keeps the emphasis on the action of the play. When you have words as meaningful and compelling as those of playwright Gray, there is no need for elaborate scenery or costumes.
RAGE is not a traditional play. It is so well written, well directed, and well-acted that it becomes almost a personal experience. RAGE is challenging, tough, and angry. We are living in times where many are seeking to hide the past sins of the United States and racism is still as ugly and more open than ever. RAGE refuses to be quiet and throws the covers off those sins past and present. I found it fortuitous that I saw RAGE on the day the first black female Supreme Court Justice was confirmed. Let’s pray that someday there will be no reason to rage.
