Review: Dominique Morisseau's MUD ROW at Premiere Stages-An Outstanding and Compelling Play

"Improper upbringing doesn't have to be our legacy and shame." By Frances in Mud Row

Premiere Stages at Kean University is now presenting the New Jersey Premiere of Dominique Morisseau's powerful, modern-day drama, Mud Row. It will be on stage from July 14th to the 31st in Kean University's Bauer Boucher Theatre Center located on the University's main campus. With the expert direction of Marshall Jones III, Mud Row features a cast that captures the essence of their roles. See Morisseau's play. It deftly explores elements of the black experience and the fragility of the human condition.

Set in the East End of West Chester, Pennsylvania, Mud Row portrays two generations of sisters from the same family that deal with racial disparity, longing, disappointment, and deception. Elsie is a young woman who hopes to marry into an upwardly mobile family while her sister Frances is a Civil Rights activist during very turbulent times. Many years later the sisters, Toshi and Regine are unexpectedly reunited when Regine inherits the family's dwelling on "Mud Row." Toshi and her boyfriend, Tyreik have been secretly living in the house for three months and they have no intention of vacating the premises. This complex saga about family struggles and uncertain futures will touch your heart and mind.

The cast has impressive acting credits and they bring Mud Row to full life on the Union stage. The company includes Ashley Nicole Baptiste as Elsie; Lekethia Dalcoe as Frances; Alinca Hamilton as Toshi; Malik Reed as Tyreik; Stacey Sherrell as Regine; and Landon Woodson as Davin. Understudies for the production, who are all graduates of Kean University's Theatre Conservatory, are Destiny Davis, Tisa Harriott and Nate Lyles.

Mud Row has a clever staging technique that transitions between past and present events. Among the many unforgettable moments are Elsie telling Frances about the man she loves; Frances making protest signs; Elsie announcing her pregnancy to Frances; Frances caring for Elsie when she is pregnant; Regine and her husband, Davin first entering the house on Mud Row; Toshi and Tyreik discovering the home's electricity has been turned on; Davin expressing his idealism to Regine; Toshi experiencing auras of magenta color; Toshi and Tyreik angrily confronting Davin with baseball bats; Regine recounting that Toshi stole to afford her drug habit; and Toshi returning Aunt Frances' locket to Regine.

The Creative Team has done a top job of setting the scene for Mud Row. They include scenic design by David M. Barber; lighting and projection design by Devorah Kengmana; costume design by Ali Turns; hair and make-up design by Rachelle Dorce; and sound design by David Wright. The Props Master is Shannon White; Production Stage Manager, Dale Smallwood; Stage Manager, Danielle Constance; and the Casting Partner is Pat McCorkle and McCorkle Casting.

We applaud Premiere Stage's Producing Artistic Director, John Wooten and his team for bringing Mud Row to metro area audiences. It is a thought provoking show for our times and a perfect example of the theatre's commitment to producing topical plays.

Performances of Mud Row take place Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $35 standard, $25 for senior citizens and Kean alumni and staff, $20 for patrons with disabilities and $15 for students. Significant discounts for groups of ten or more apply. To make reservations or to order a season brochure, please call the box office at 908-737-7469 or visit Premiere Stages online at www.premierestagesatkean.com.

Photo Credit: Mike Peters

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