tales from late night Kroger
My thoughts on tales from late night Kroger or… aisles of memories
The late Bruce Coleman’s autobiographical one man play is a series of short vignettes as the character known simply as “The Man” reminisces about the characters he meets shopping late night at the Kroger in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas. It is more like a visit with an entertaining and witty friend than it is a traditional play. It is at once intensely personal and universal.
The set promotes the intimacy of the piece. Set Designer Billy Betsill has a “work area” center stage on a floor with carpets. Around the stage are the various props that “The Man” uses to tell his stories. Among other things, there is a dress dummy, a clothes rack with hanging costumes, a sewing machine, and stage right there is a guitarist, Lyle Hathaway, who supplies incidental music throughout the performance. The props are by Adryana Medina. On the back wall there is a screen where Becki McDonald’s projections inform the audience of the story being told and often show the sketches “The Man.” is working on. The small stage space is softly lighted by Elijah Reed and Jared Culpepper is the sound designer. “The Man” wears everyday work clothes from costume designer Michael Robinson who also has colorful costumes on display that the man sometimes adjusts as he relates his tales. The overall feeling is like being in the workroom of a busy, creative person.
The stories “The Man” relates are mainly humorous, but sometimes poignant. There’s the muscular hunk who’s afraid of spiders, the deli lady who confuses “The Man” with someone else, the horrible smelling hippy, the leather guy, the elderly couple from Long Island, and even Diana Ross. It’s a crazy quilt of characters who are all shopping after hours at the Oak Lawn grocery and touch the life of “The Man” in one way or another.
At the performance I attended understudy Gerald Taylor II played “The Man.” I have admired Taylor’s work in many previous performances, but I had never seen him “carry” a show the way Kroger demands. The charismatic Taylor was more than up to the challenge of the eighty-minute monologue. Although Taylor is at least two decades younger than the character he was portraying, Taylor made Bruce Coleman’s experiences his own. Taylor brought a warmth, kindness, and a sense of fun to the character and made the audience feel as if we were close friends as he addressed us directly for the entirety of the play.
Director Ashley Puckett Gonzales’ affection for the man and the material is evident in her direction. The stories flow under her light touch, and she knows how to let the magic that was the late Bruce Coleman sweep over us.
Pegasus Theatre’s production of tales from late night Kroger is a celebration of the life of Bruce Coleman that everyone who loves DFW theater should see. The production runs through October 26 at the Bath House Cultural Center.
