Review: THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM at Alabama Shakespeare Festival

Based on Christopher Paul Curtis's 1995 novel (and adapted by Cherly L. West), The Watsons Go To Birmingham is the latest production at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. This historical drama effectively bridges the years and gives its audience some insight into a turbulent time.

In The Watsons Go To Birmingham, Mama and Daddy Watson worry about their son, 13-year-old Byron, because he skips school, hangs out with the wrong crowd, and is already labeled a juvenile delinquent. Both decide that spending the summer under the watchful eye of Grandma Sands might instill some discipline in Byron. So, the entire family makes the trip from Flint, Michigan, to Birmingham, Alabama, to drop of Byron and to celebrate 10-year-old Kenny's birthday. But this is not an innocent road trip for two simple reasons: the Watsons are Black, and this is 1963.

The Watsons Go To Birmingham works on two levels: as the story of an all-American family, and as a historical drama depicting a small slice of life during the Civil Rights Era. Director Keith Arthur Bolden balances these two levels well. Bolden fits each character into an archetype that is instantly recognizable: the tattling sister, the concerned mother, the cool older brother, etc. It's a very relatable family, and I'm impressed that Bolden could create a believable family dynamic in the few shorts weeks of rehearsal time. But Bolden also is capable of building a sense of dread as the Watsons get closer to Birmingham and their danger increases. With each stop along the way, Bolden ratchets up the tension of the play and makes the danger clear.

The story is told through the eyes of Kenny (played by Micah Hayles), who is a likable character. It is a demanding role that requires a performer to grapple with some heavy themes. Hayles portrays the innocence of childhood well, which makes the ugly reality of racism and violence that Kenny must witness so heartbreaking. Kai Winborne, as Byron, plays the most complex character in the family. Winborne is excellent at showing the mixed realities of teenage rebellion. In Winborne's performance, Byron can blatantly lie to his parents about studying at a friend's house and disengage from the rest of the family while in the car. But he can also show care and compassion for Kenny. Winborne gives me hope for Kenny's future; Byron is not a bad kid.

Trisha Jeffrey (as Mama) and Christopher Brian Portley (as Daddy) play loving parents, and the show's emotional core is found mostly in the care that the characters show for their children and their affection for one another. In Jeffrey's portrayal, Mama is a worrier who prepares for the worst by working to avoid it. Jeffrey clings to the carefully planned itinerary (developed with the help of the Green Book) and lovingly exhorts her children to not wander alone in an unfamiliar area. In contrast, Portley's Daddy tries to protect his family by minimizing exposure to danger. He drives through the night (disrupting his wife's itinerary) and takes as few stops as possible. Portley stands watch over his children and his car in unfamiliar territory, and gives Kenny some quick (and perhaps life-saving) coaching when a White local stops their car. In all these scenes, Jeffrey and Portley masterfully teach their audience about the complexities and hazards of driving while Black during the Jim Crow Era. Mama and Daddy are not civil rights crusaders, but they are, nonetheless, quiet heroes in the play.

The final adult character is Grandma Sands, played by Debra Walton. This vivacious matriarch is a presence unlike any other, and the character is undiminished after raising 12 children of her own. Walton shows why Grandma Sands is entrusted with the troubled Byron; her tough love and down-to-earth wisdom give her a moral authority that everyone on stage acquiesces to. Walton is relentlessly charming in her scenes, and her physicality is so convincing that it was not until her third scene that I realized that Walton is actually significantly younger than her character. 

The set (designed by Isabel & Moriah Curley-Clay) is the most impressive technical element of The Watsons Go To Birmingham. The upstage wall includes a mighty tree that Grandma Sands refers to in one scene, but its most memorable component is the upside down eave at its top and the bricks and other objects that appear frozen midair as they tumble to the ground. Bricks, broken windows, shoes, and other objects dangle from the lighting grid. Having these items perched above the actors is an eerie reminder that these characters' lives are going to be changed forever by the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. The Watsons are not just driving to Grandma Sands's house. They are driving into history.

This production of The Watsons Go To Birmingham has its imperfections. The younger actors are still developing their craft, and they were most challenged in scenes that required reacting to extreme danger and violence. Additionally, the pivotal whirlpool scene was unfulfilling because Kenny -- supposedly a very smart child -- saw four very visible danger signs (and even commented on one!) before jumping into the swimming hole. Additionally, directing an underwater scene on stage is not easy, and I believe that even the best directors would struggle with that sequence. But I can forgive these flaws, and most audience members will too.

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