The Great Privation Off-Broadway Reviews

Much of the play is serious in nature, but just like that heavenly apparition, funny moments sporadically occur. Not all of the elements and themes of The Great Privation meld, nor does the patchy story conclude so much as simply stop when the characters inexplicably erupt into a Shabooya sort of roll call chant that blends into the actors’ bows. Although the playwright cannot (or perhaps chooses not to) tie together its myriad parts, The Great Privation retains interest as an ambitious if not always compelling work. For better or worse, the play represents the kind of challenging composition from a fresh voice that audiences expect from Soho Rep.

At times, The Great Privation can also feel a bit diffuse and undercooked. Some scenes meander pleasantly without advancing either the story or the underlying themes, and the ending plays more like the result of exhaustion than intention. This feels like a show that could have benefited from another revision or two, to tighten its time-jumping connections and to sharpen its point of view. (There are no clear antagonists in the present day, which deprives those scenes of dramatic tension.) But I’d gladly spend more time with these characters, as authentic and engaging and alive as the talented cast has made them, and to sink into future worlds that spring from Robinson’s fertile imagination.

The Great Privation features solid performances from its cast, especially Lucas-Perry and Vickerie, who hardly leave the stage for the intermissionless work. The two actors, along with Holiday and Jackson, seamlessly transition between the two time periods with ease, sometimes within seconds. They adopt slightly different voices and embody different characters, but again they keep the channels between the generations open, allowing influence to seep in. Robinson, who premiered this play at Theatre 503 in London, is definitely someone to watch in the theatrical space. Her ideas and perspectives are most welcome beneath the proscenium, and The Great Privation is one of the strongest plays of the spring season.