BWW Reviews: Georgia Southern University's Season Opener, RACE, Showcases Talents of Student Designers

Who can argue with the quality of a David Mamet script? I'd venture to say there are few playwrights whose scripts have an unmistakably intelligent tone to them, and Mamet is one of them.

RACE; A PLAY, like many of his pieces, has a very educated and intricate quality to it, but what distinguishes Mamet is his ability to not talk down to the audience. On the contrary, the eloquence and yet normalcy of his text makes audiences feel smarter. RACE, presented by the Georgia Southern University Theatre and Performance program, explores the heated issue of discrimination from multiple perspectives, with an emphasis, not surprisingly, on racism.

RACE tells the story of three lawyers- two black, one white- faced with the task of defending a white man accused of raping a black woman. Throughout the show, the audience sees the social dynamics of America reflected through the dynamics in the law firm.

The isolated set comprised of a single raised platform fit the tone of the show very well with its imaginary walls lined with book cases. Student-designed by Colin Hancock (seen as Polonius in this past spring's production of HAMLET at GSU), the detail included a hardwood floor and a finishing touch of a small border (such as one might see around a coffee table) around the edge of the stage that furthered the image of a posh office.

As usual, the lighting design of student Zo Haynes conveyed the tone of the story while staying true to the realism established by the rest of the piece.

Also designed by Haynes, the business costumes stayed consistent with the realistic design while speaking immensely about the characters through effective theme colors.

The props, from prop master Olivia Carter, very possibly stole this show. Real books covered the many bookshelves, and the detail of the newspapers- which featured pictures of one of the actors- was clear even from halfway back in the audience. And many more such details of a caliber not typically found in student-designed productions permeated the play.

As the possibly innocent Charles Strickland, Harry Hudgins had an excellent sense of timing. Especially in the first scene with the back-and-forth between him and the lawyers (played by Whitaker Gardner and V. Akil Jackson) over his story and the case, the arguments and interruptions flowed seamlessly.

V. Akil Jackson has an incredible tenor to his voice, the constantly disingenuous and presentational quality of which made him convincing as the strident lawyer, Henry Brown. The powerful dynamic between him and Tatyana Arrington (as Susan) likewise demonstrated the resentment and discrimination thrown in the face of the audience for the entirety of the play.

However, this writer spent a good portion of one of the scenes trying to determine whence Jackson's glasses (which he was wearing at first and suddenly was not wearing in a subsequent scene) had disappeared, trying to establish whether their sudden evaporation was significant to the plot or a fluke. And when said glasses appeared again, I was also stuck on not letting them out of my sight.

The rapid-fire delivery employed by both Tatyana Arrington and Whitaker Gardner made their frequent exchanges difficult to follow and accept as a spontaneous conversation.

Many of the lines-particularly towards the end- were also lost due to excessive shouting from every cast member, with the possible exception of Hudgins. Although, each of the many expletives was clear.

Is Charles innocent? Is he not? Without giving anything away, this question and more go unanswered throughout the entire play, and there's something oddly endearing about a cast of characters whom you can't necessarily trust.

RACE; A PLAY runs through Wednesday, Oct. 1. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee performance on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 2 p.m. Running time is without intermission and approximately 75 minutes. The play is recommended for mature audiences because of language and content.

Student and youth tickets are $5; faculty, staff and community tickets are $10. All seating is general admission. The house opens at 7 p.m., and we encourage audience members to arrive no later than 7:15 p.m. to ensure good seats. The balcony will serve as overflow seating. Call the Box Office at 912-478-5379 to make reservations. Reservation requests can be left on box office voicemail 24-hours a day. The box office is open 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday for ticket purchases and reopens at 6 p.m. on performance days.

Cast members: Tatyana Arrington, Whitaker Gardner, V. Akil Jackson, and Harry Hudgins.
Directed by Lisa L. Abbott, Scenic Design: Colin Hancock, Costume Design: Loren Haynes, Lighting Design: Zo Haynes.

Photo credit: Sean DeVine

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