Review: BNS Productions Presents CLYDE'S

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to see the comedic-drama, Clyde’s, written by Lynn Nottage.  Clyde's was produced and performed by Rory Sheriff’s BNS Productions, at The Parr Center, on the main campus of Central Piedmont Community College.  Lynn Nottage is the first and only woman to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice…in 2009 for her play Ruined and in 2017 for her play, Sweat.  Although I am familiar with Lynn Nottage by name, I have never seen any of her productions. Clyde’s was my first introduction to her work.

 In theatre, when the right elements of a production are present, which includes great casting/acting, great directing (Kudos to director, Dee Abdullah), and great chemistry/stage presence, then very few words are needed in review.  Most of the bricks had been previously laid with the great storyline and the elements forementioned. This performance falls in that category…it had all the right ingredients. 

Clyde’s uses a staple that we all love and are very familiar with (food) to convey a message of dream chasing which is sometimes hindered and derailed by past choices coupled by the demands of present life’s struggles. The food/sandwiches symbolize a metaphor that provides a way of escape from their mundane lives of economic entrapment to envisioning a better way of life where the taste of prosperity and freedom exists.  It delves into the prison pipeline and the complexity of re-entry/rehabilitation…shackled by the demands of a warped society who still tries to make former inmates constantly pay for a debt/crime they have ferociously paid with time and imprisonment while being victimized by those who try to benefit from their misfortunes and lack of employment opportunities through "slave master" tactics intended for their own personal gains.  Four former inmates, from vastly different walks of life, find themselves caught between a “rock and a hard” place working as sandwich makers at a local truck stop, overseen by an obnoxious boss with a Hitler dictatorship-type-mentality.  My mouth was watering in the audience as they each exchanged ideas and revealed their concepts of the “perfect” sandwich. Although they are stuck in a “dead-in” job, their individual quest and dream for a “better life” had them creating sandwiches that gained the attention of countless customers, who were willing to stand in long lines to indulge in their creativity. 

Usually when I write a review, I try to balance my comments between the technical components and the performance of the actors.  However, this time, I am going to go top heavy on the actors.  As I previously mentioned, they were perfectly cast. 

Let’s begin with Madame Clyde, Dominica Ivey.  As I previously mentioned, this is my first time seeing Clyde’s performed and I am so glad this is true because of this talented actor, Dominica.  I couldn’t see anyone else as Clyde.  And from this point on, if I see the production again, she has set the bar of expectation at the highest peak on how this character should be portrayed.  I can’t speak for the vision of playwright, Lynn Nottage, but from my lens, she embodies the role of a tough-as-nail female boss in a male-dominant position.  As a patron, I imagined that Clyde may have had a few struggles of her own that have left her void of trust and sympathy.  Maybe she had been “burned” a time or two which caused to her to put up a brick wall of protection to ensure that it never happens again.  The character did indicate that she had a hard childhood laced with poverty that caused her to have periods of hunger.  A probable assumption that may have led to her opening a food establishment.  However, instead of showing passion for others who may be able to relate to her own misfortune, she seemed to spit hostility and disdain.  Even though she could be seen as a “Good Samaritan” for providing opportunities for those who had been incarcerated, she uses their misfortunes as an opportunity to keep them in chains without hope of advancement. Simply put…she was brutal.  Cute…but brutal.  Big!  Bold! “In Your Face” Bully”!   These are the best descriptions I could muster up for her. Truly the antagonist!  Great job, Dominica.  This was my first time seeing you on stage, but I look forward to seeing you in more roles.

And the other female role, Toi Aquila R.J., who portrayed Letitia, aka “Tish”.  This creative being, Toi, is SO TALENTED.  Not only is she an actor, but she is also a dancer, choreographer, and playwright.  I have been mesmerized by her performances as Ma Rainey’s love interest, in August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; an African queen, in Rory Sheriff’s Akwaaba, and my favorite performance of all is in an original work in which she displayed her play writing skills in her portrayal of Eartha Kitt in her debut "Cotton to Caviar: Stories of Eartha Kitt”.  I’m telling you, this petite, power-packed artist is a “boss lady” in her own right.  In her role as Letitia, she is holding her own in the midst of three men flexing their testosterone. She represents a formerly incarcerated female who is trying to rebuild her life and family as a single parent without the constant support of a “dead-beat”, drug addicted, baby daddy.  The complexity of trying to be the principal bread-winner in a job that is barely making ends meet has “Tish” in a vicious circle of survival…by any means necessary.  She is hard, but not harsh.  She is ballsy, but not overbearing.  At times she is a bit insulting, as in the comments she made to the character Jason about him needing a shower, but she does clean up well a bit later with a little compassion. Tish is so consumed with her own daily struggles she overlooks the romantic advances of her co-worker Rafael.  She later reveals that no one had every loved her like that before.  Once again, a very spicy and very memorable role for Toi Aquila R.J.  I’m a fan.

My favorite male character, Montrellous, was portrayed by Zach Humphrey, who I had the privilege to cast and work with in my own domestic violence awareness stage play, A Change Is Gonna Come”.  I absolutely love him in this role as the strong catalyst that held the team together with his wisdom, boldness, ambition, and culinary skill of being the G.O.A.T. of sandwich-makers.  He was the clear leader of the team and the protagonist (good guy) at best.  Unlike the others, Montrellous did not commit a crime.  He took a bad rap for his younger brother (who didn’t commit the crime either) to ensure that his brother would not be convicted of a false charge and to make it possible for him to have a prosperous future at the expense of stagnating and derailing his own future.  I absolutely loved his character because he represents many inmates who have experienced the miscarriage of justice in our judicial system who have been falsely accused without recourse of “innocence until proven guilty”.  I wholeheartedly believe that there are several “Montrellouses” in real life that are serving sentences that they are not responsible for.  We see the creative side of Montrellous as he consistently created delectable sandwiches which inspired his teammates to emulate his culinary expertise by creating their own masterpiece sandwiches (sometimes without success).  Every good team needs a leader who walks with integrity and who has their backs like Montrellous did.   After the Saturday matinee performance, there was a talkback session with the cast members and directors.  Zach admitted that he felt like he had to protect the actors from the directors when mistakes were made in rehearsal, similarly to how Montrellous protected his fellow teammates from Clyde in the sandwich shop.  This was definitely the right role for him and he nailed it.

The most “spiciest” male character in Clyde’s for me was Rafael, portrayed by Lisandro D. Caceres-Zelaya.  He brought that enthusiastic Latin "fire" to the stage.  This is the first time I have seen him on stage, but I hope this will not be my last.  As a creative producer that is always promoting diversity, I would like to see more roles for Latin-Americans in our theater communities.   Rafael represented that good brother who wants to love a woman with all sincerity yet is not taken seriously because he doesn’t possess the characteristic of what society paints as that flamboyant, “tall, dark, and handsome” mold of a perfect partner.  Fairytale viewpoints at best.  Plus, Rafael has had his share of troubles as a former inmate and drug addict.  His addiction led him to rob a bank, which landed him in the “slammer”.  Again, it’s that reform element that trips former inmates up because initially there is no clear-cut way to measure the sincerity of the change.  Although Rafael tries hard to prove his love to Tish, she hardly takes him seriously because they both are in the same both…trapped in a dead-in job with limited opportunities.  In a dating world that focuses on what we have financially instead of who we are authentically, Rafael had a difficult time proving his true intentions.  Rejection of that love sent him reeling back to drug usage…the sedative that medicates the pain of rejection, the only solution he was familar with. I get it!  Expectation of reform without a map to follow to the destination can lead to discouragement and disappointments.  Lisandro, you did a fantastic job of painting this character’s picture...masterfully.

And finally, my man Jason, Anthony Tronzo, a recent graduate from Northwest School of the Arts.  Jason definitely depicted the typical image of an inmate.  His body was filled with tattoos and his “tough guy” exterior gives off bad vibes.  The reform opportunties  for Jason has yet to manifest.  He’s homeless, sleeping outside, instead of at a shelter.  Again, no map or resources for reform.  In these circumstances, I could see how one could easily adapt to withdrawal and isolation as protective measures and silence as an antidote to shelter in place.  “Trust no one” seemed to have been Jason’s philosophy, and that mistrust is displayed in outbursts of anger and volatile reactions. He even tried to attack his boss, Clyde, which is not a good idea for a man without options. Yet, I can understand how long-term imprisonment could invoke those emotions and responses. At one point, Montrellous gave Jason a hug.  Sometimes, a simple act of knowing someone cares breaks that brick wall of hostility that has been built up from the multiplicity of maltreatment.  This production is Anthony’s debut into professional theatre.  I hope he has a long acting resume of success in his future.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give additional kudos to the director of this great production.  I have always admired director Dee Abdullah from the sidelines.  Her name creates ripples within the Charlotte Theatre Community as “theatre royalty”.   I proudly cheered at the Metrolina Theatre Association’s gala when she received her Lifetime Achievement Award. To see her expertise applied to Lynn Nottage’s great body of work was truly phenomenal.  I am sure that she is one of the reason this incredible cast shined so brightly.

Lastly, I want to give the founder and artistic director of BNS Productions, Rory Sheriff, a round of applause for always bringing relevant African-American productions to our community that make us proud and shine the spotlight of excellence on our work. Keep up the great work.  Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts on such magnificent productions.  I look forward to the next one.

For more information on upcoming BNS Productions events visit website:   https://www.bnsproductions.org/

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