Review: SMART PEOPLE at Monument Theatre Company

Monument Theatre Company's new production, Smart People, encapsulates the group's mission to deliver socially relevant theatre. A group of four people watches as their racial divides rise to the surface when their paths cross. Each character lives within the bounds of their specific worldview and their assumptions cause conflict and misunderstanding in every interaction.

Jackson is a surgeon played by Jamaal McCray with a balance of righteous indignation and charm. He has a tendency to self-sabotage his own career when his frustrations get the better of him. Maverick Schmit's neuro-psychiatrist Brian treats condescension like an art form. It drips from his voice in every self-satisfied lecture. He is a liberal who is so proud of his progressive views that he can't see his own flaws. Kim Egan, fresh off her turn as Hermia in last week's A Midsummer Night's Dream with Indy Shakes, is Ginny Yang, a brilliant psychologist whose patients are struggling with identity issues rooted in their Asian heritage. Barbara Michelle Dabney is Valerie, a petulant actress bubbling over with ambition.

The play was first produced in 2019, but because of all that has happened with the Black Lives Matters movement and increased aggression towards Asian Americans because of COVID-19, the racial landscape has changed drastically in that short window of time. Because of that, there are moments that already feel dated. It misses the mark at times because it tries to address too many issues at once and can't adequately cover them all. But when it lands a punch, it reverberates with an intense relatability, like a moment where Ginny calls out Valerie and Jackson for excluding anyone who isn't white or black from the race conversation. Or when Jackson accuses Brian of using him as a tool to demonstrate how great he is for having a Black friend.

Where the play succeeds is in its ability to open the floor for further conversations. It tackles some difficult topics, and though it bites off more than it can chew at times, it's still powerful. After a year and a half of missing live theatre and trying to process so many major issues without the conduit of plays, Smart People kicks in the door and welcomes the audience back with open arms and no coddling.

Don't Miss the Show

Smart People, Monument Theatre Company production, will run until August $15. It is a pay what you can event. Every performance is held at the Fonseca Theatre, 2508 W Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN 46222. Tickets can be purchased at www.monumenttheatrecompany.org/event-details/smart-people-1.

Photos Courtesy of Chandra Lynch of Ankh Productions

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