Review: THE LIGHT at Portland Center Stage

Loy A. Webb's THE LIGHT, directed by Chip Miller at Portland Center Stage, masterfully weaves personal intimacy with broader social commentary. In just 75 taut minutes, this play starts out as sort of a rom-com, takes a deep dive into complex social and emotional territories, and provides a model for forgiveness, hope, and reconciliation. It is also some of the best acting I’ve seen on any stage in quite a long time.

THE LIGHT centers on Rashad (La'Tevin Alexander) and Genesis (Andrea Vernae), a Black couple whose relationship becomes a microcosm for larger societal tensions. It’s October 5, 2018, their two-year anniversary and also the day Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court despite multiple sexual assault allegations. Genesis, the principal of an all-Black charter school, arrives home exhausted after having spent her day dealing with the aftermath of a white teacher sharing “I stand with Brett” messages on social media. Rashad thinks the teacher should be fired, but Genesis insists that according to school policy, the teacher can’t be punished for her private views. 

This play uses the relationship between Rashad and Genesis as a platform to explore the role of the personal in the political and vice versa. The short argument over the teacher – which touches on race, gender, and who is and isn’t valued in our society – foreshadows what’s to come when Rashad invites Genesis to a concert by one of his favorite artists and she refuses to go, accusing the artist of rape. I can’t say much more without giving it all away.

What I can say is that the performances by Alexander and Vernae are electric. They navigate Webb's sharp dialogue with precision. And the chemistry between them is palpable, both when they love and when they fight. This play is unquestionably political, but the rawness of the acting makes it feel completely authentic as a conversation that could indeed happen between two people who have to deal with their pasts, and learn to see one another in the present, if they want to build a future.

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