BWW Preview: MISUNDERSTANDING THE CANDY GAME Comes to the Gem Theatre in Kansas City

The Kansas City Tennyson Group presents Misunderstanding the Candy Game, a new original play by Lewis J. Morrow at the Gem Theatre on Saturday December 6 with two shows at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The world premiere will be staged at The Gem Theatre, located in the Historic Jazz District of Kansas City, Missouri at 18th and Vine. The Tennyson Group is a production company that specializes in live performances. The group offers opportunities for local writers and talent to perform and write shows produced with local talent.

According to the Candy Game website, the main issue of the play is what is the obligations of black men in today's society? Should it be to achieve within the system or rebel against it? Or is there even a "system"? Should our concern be with making it out or making change? And which one is more important? Misunderstanding the Candy Game will not definitely identify those obligations of black men but it will make you think about it.

The production offers an evening of drama, twists, turns, and a few laughs. It will at times appear over the top, lush with passionate exchanges between characters and extreme measures taken for an extreme story line. Yet our goal is to maintain a believability and realistic approach to the issues at hand.

David, a pro-black, militant, highly educated not-at-all-hesitant-to-let-you-know-it college professor appears to only defend any and every one he speaks to, incapable of accepting "being black" who does not necessary mean, what he says and does. His younger brother Abashai seems burdened by the idea of acknowledging whatever plight black men still face. His success has numbed him to reality.

Misunderstanding the Candy Game stars Paul Jones as David Ross, Lewis Morrow as Abashai Ross, Jabrelle Flournoy as Josephine Burroughs, Veronica Knight as Mrs. Ross, Myrina Roark as Anita, and Nicholas Hazel as Petey Reynolds.

Tickets for the show are $15 each and seating is general admission. Purchase tickets at the Candy Game website. Photo courtesy of the Kansas City Tennyson Group.