Review: BOX at Penfold Theatre

Penfold Theatre Company's world premiere production of BOX, according to the publicity, is an exploration of identity, reinvention, and the captivating world of magic. Written by Jarrett King, this play delves into the remarkable life of Henry Box Brown, a 19th-century abolitionist lecturer, magician, speaker, and mesmerist. Through an interesting blend of historical accuracy and imaginative storytelling, King crafts an imagined new chapter in the life of one of America's overlooked folk heroes.

To appreciate BOX, it is essential to understand the historical context surrounding Henry Box Brown (Jeremy Rashad Brown). Born into slavery in 1816, Brown endured the hardships and cruelty of bondage until he devised an audacious plan to escape. At the age of 33, he arranged to have himself transported in a wooden crate, successfully reaching freedom in the North. Brown's remarkable journey and subsequent career as a lecturer and magician certainly make him a figure worth exploring and celebrating.

This is a promising concept. It’s a concept, however, that still needs some tweaking to truly gel. This issue is more often than not a question of whether the director’s choices successfully convey the story to us, or if the playwright was able to make the story clear in the first place. Playwright Jarrett King has reimagined here that Henry’s first wife Nancy (Yunina Barbour-Payne) who he never reunited with in real life, finds him in England where he has married his second wife Jane (Lee Eden). The play leans strongly in this direction and this triangle seems to take on significance. In future iterations, this direction would seem worth further exploring rather than the "exploration of identity, reinvention, and the captivating world of magic."

I admit it was confusing for me to find King’s intent. He has a wonderful gift with language, but based on the description of the play I couldn’t tell what King, and consequently director Simone Alexander, want us to take with us at the play's conclusion.

It is understandably hard to know what motivations support choices in staging, and most took place upstage or toward stage left. This didn’t help me to fully understand where the story was going, and at times, I felt distant from the characters and even unable to hear from the row where I sat at the top of the row of the house. This story billed to be about Henry Box Brown, can become about whichever principal character we gravitate toward. And in my case it was the stellar Yunina Barbour-Payne as Jane. Barbour-Payne is truly gifted, rising to the top of an already reputable cast. Jane’s quest for love, and what she felt was freedom, became my focus. Perhaps this is what King intended, but I couldn’t be certain.

I sincerely hope my tone is not too harsh. King has given us a script that holds great promise and Penfold’s work remains reputable. Having mentioned the staging above, director Alexander still manages to deliver tight blocking and characterization was clear and quite crisp, if not immediate. The whole cast gives us commendable performances. In addition to Barbour-Payne, of special note are Nathan Jerkins (as Lord Bloomfield and others) and the new to Austin (but already familiar to Austin theatre goers) Cameron La Brie as Rodgers and others. Further, the set design by Desi Roybal and costume design by the wonderful Pam Friday are excellent.

Despite the play's initial shortcomings, Penfold Theatre Company's commitment to delivering exceptional productions is evident. BOX remains a compelling story that sheds light on the imagined internal life of an important historical figure. King, not just playwright but Penfold Associate Artistic director, is to be acknowledged for a courageous initial premiere of this new work.

BOX

by Jarrett King

directed by Simone Alexander

Penfold Theatre Company

at the Ground Floor Theatre

979 Springdale Rd #122

Thursdays-Sundays,

June 23 - July 08, 2023

Photo by Steve Rogers

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