Review: Wilbury Theatre Group's Hyper-Local INVISIBLE UPSOUTH

Stories of police brutality are all over the news these days, but they may still seem like something that happens "elsewhere". In INVISIBLE UPSOUTH, Wilbury Theatre Company's latest in their New Works program, the headlines move right into Providence and we're forced to examine the reality of life as a person of color in the liberal Northeast. Told half in explosive spoken word and half in traditional scenes, this play manages to convey a lot without coming off as didactic or cliche'. In particular, it shines a light on experiences that probably most people of color have had, that would likely make many white people say "I had never thought about that".

The two main characters are just called Young Man and Old Man, and they serve to personify the different experiences generations of black men have felt in their lifetimes. Old Man remembers a time when racism was more overt, but Young Man still struggles with the daily micro-agressions that are just part of his life. The play never directly states that one situation is preferable to the other, but rather leaves the viewer to mull over the notion of what progress in this realm means, and whether the post-racial world many thought we lived in before the Trayvon Martin murder occurred, was just a buffer of privilege enjoyed by a few.

As this is a new work, it is a bit messy, but that messiness also serves the overall message of the piece. The use of spoken word interspersed with scenes is somewhat effective, but does tend toward preachiness at times, and feels overlong toward the end. In this case, showing is much more effective than telling, but similar to the way that musical theatre uses songs to say what a character is really thinking or feeling, the spoken word sections of INVISIBLE UPSOUTH really get to the core of the frustration and anger felt by Old Man and Young Man as their neighbors are killed in police custody and trying to work hard and play by the rules isn't as foolproof a plan as they were led to believe.

Leading the story as Young Man, Vatic Kuumba is compelling and relatable. His frustration is palpable, and he's not perfect, but he's easy to root for. He also does a particularly good job with conveying the subtle behavior shifts that need to occur when his character goes from home to work, though even when he's on his best behavior at work, he ends up getting fired for fraternizing with his co-worker Katerina.

The character of Katerina is the biggest problem with the play, unfortunately. She and the Young Man start spending time together romantically, but their mutual attraction never feels believable in the least. She is supposed to be foreign and speaking English as a second language, but since the actress playing the role isn't doing an accent, and it's never quite explained that she's from another country, her constant protestations that Young Man uses big words that she doesn't understand, just makes her seem stupid, and makes the audience wonder why a thoughtful, intelligent man like Young Man would even want to be around her.

Their relationship is clearly inserted to heighten the tension since Old Man warns "f-ing with a white woman is f-ing with a white man's greatest fear", but since the situation is so poorly rendered, it just seems like a tacked on romance. Despite that issue, INVISIBLE UP SOUTH still manages to say a lot in a very short amount of time. The excellent use of a screen showing a Black Lives Matter march, poetry and controversial images from recent events take this hyper-local production and reinsert it into the national dialogue.

Overall, this is a production that has some kinks to work out, but also has the potential to really speak to audiences. Unfortunately, the run at the Wilbury ended March 6, but this is likely going to be something audiences can seek out in the future, and it's something they should. It's rare that a play can say so much without feeling like a lecture, but this one manages to walk that line very well, and it will be interesting to see what becomes of it.

Photo: Vatic Kuumba and Christopher Johnson

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