Review Roundup: Lemon Andersen's TOAST Opens Off-Broadway

TOAST opens tonight, May 5, and runs through Sunday, May 10 at The Public Theater.

The complete cast for TOAST features Phillip James Brannon (Annabelle Jones), Dan Butler (Sheriff Jody), Teddy Cañez (G.I. Joe), Keith David (Dolomite), F. Hill Harper (Hard Rock), John Earl Jelks (Stackolee), Jonathan Peck (Hobo Ben), and Armando Riesco (Jesse James).

TOAST is an electrifying new play by acclaimed poet/playwright Lemon Andersen, directed by Andersen's County of Kings collaborator Elise Thoron. A Public Theater commission first presented at The Public's Under the Radar Festival, TOAST ingeniously weaves major characters from black oral narratives into a gripping story about a group of inmates fighting to keep their minds free amidst the 1971 riots that rocked Attica Prison.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Ben Brantley, The New York Times: Artfully arranged words, lofty and lowdown, are the weapons of choice in "ToasT," Lemon Andersen's ambitious and unwieldy new play about versifying behind bars..."ToasT" obviously hopes to honor a fraught chapter in a fraught era, and to testify to its enduring relevance...But in this case, his eyes are too big for the stomach of a single play. "ToasT" has taken on a monumental subject in a monumental style. And the production collapses under the weight of its grand intentions..."ToasT" is equally about inhumane prison conditions and the racist society that bred them; the hierarchical society formed by one group of inmates and the clash of personalities within it; and the art of an illustrious oral poetry tradition..."ToasT" is by far at its most effective in its stand-alone soliloquies, in which the prisoners tell their stories, intertwined with those of the legendary figures from which their names are taken. In these spoken ballads, men who have been systematically stripped of their identities reclaim them.

Raven Snook, Time Out NY: ...Lemon Andersen...fuses black oral narratives with poetic prowess for this epic about life behind bars...Some of the political, social and racial discussions come off as a bit too neat -- especially when the stereotypically bigoted warden (Dan Butler, doing what he can with an underwritten role) is around. But the dialogue soars when it turns to "toasts," poetic interpretations of iconic African-American tales, such as "The Signifying Monkey" and "Shine on the Titanic." Even if they're unfamiliar (full disclosure: much googling went into this review), it's exhilarating to hear the men try to one-up each other with intricate and comical yarns; meanwhile, their backstory soliloquies verge on Shakespearean. Although at times the inmates come off more as archetypes than fleshed-out characters, the veteran cast imbues all with humanity.

Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post: The events leading up to the explosive Attica Prison riot of 1971 promise to be the stuff of compelling drama. It's too bad, then, that "ToasT" is so undercooked. Though it features a superb cast led by the galvanizing Keith David ("Platoon," "Crash"), Lemon Andersen's play is far too much in love with its own words to make us care...Andersen, a spoken-word artist...is less interested in providing a traditional narrative than having his characters deliver long, incantatory speeches...A little of this goes a long way, and Elise Thoron's staging fails to up the dramatic ante. In the end, the characters in "ToasT" seem less like hardened inmates than slam competitors at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe - poetic, but hardly earthshaking.

Matt Windman, AM New York: Whether it's careful foresight or just plain luck, the Public Theater has displayed a remarkable ability recently for producing shows that touch directly on current political issues...Given the increased concern over living conditions at Rikers Island and the treatment and rights of prisoners in general, "ToasT" is very timely...Although it features complex characters, poetic flourishes and an excellent ensemble cast, at more than 2½ hours, "ToasT" is weighed down by an excess of slow-paced dialogue and scenes unrelated to the narrative. But with some judicious editing, "ToasT" may have a future ahead.

Diana Barth, Epoch Times: No, the play's not about food. The term toast, in black culture, is spoken storytelling, which typically tells of folklore heroes, but may delve into other, more current issues...To call Lemon Andersen's work "ToasT" a play is to understate its impact. It could more properly be termed a theatrical event...Director Elise Thoron, a playwright and educator, who has worked with playwright Andersen on several of his projects over the years, has done a remarkable job on "ToasT." Performances are so exceptional and the ensemble so smooth that it is difficult, and indeed unfair, to pick out one actor over the other. The language of the play mixes down-to-earth street talk with poetry. Lemon Andersen's work is a tremendous contribution to the theatrical literary experience.

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Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

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