Review: YELLOWMAN at Trinity Rep

In her 2002 play, Yellowman, playwright Dael Orlandersmith explores different aspects of racism both within the black communities and a subtler, more insidious, internalized racism.

In Yellowman, a coming-of-age story set in South Carolina during the early 1960’s, Orlandersmith follows Eugene (Joe Wilson, Jr.) and Alma (Rachel Christopher) from innocent pre-pubescence through their teens and into their early 20’s as they attempt to create a life together far from where they began.

Along with geography and age, Eugene and Alma also share the social constraints of  their individual gender, financial status, and skin color.  Outsiders would see them both as poor, black children living in a rural area. Their own community draws bold distinctions between their skin color, body type, family tree and whether or not they live within the town limits.

A less-skilled writer might not be able to keep an audience engaged, sympathetically, on this journey that ends in patricide. In an hour and forty minutes (without intermission) Orlandersmith and director Laurie Carlos takes what would be a tragic headline and give the audience the answer to the question “How did this happen?”.

Joe Wilson, Jr. and Rachel Christopher both give strong performances in their respective roles.  I was impressed, not only by their administration of the role (hit your mark, say your line), but also with their chemistry.

Wilson, with his ubiquity at Trinity, handily meets the challenge of shaking off all of the other roles he has played and inhabiting this character alone. (In reality, he plays a few characters in the production.)  Wilson allows Eugene to be vulnerable, but does not take the next step to pitiable.

Rachel Christopher shifts and ages 15 years, almost imperceptibly. Coming-of-age is a universal theme that Ms. Christopher successfully individualizes in Alma.

The set, lighting, and sound design choices were, simply, too much.  These elements should support the narrative (sometimes invisibly), not distract.  Ms. Carlos could have signaled her trust in her actors and the material with less distraction.  The symbolism of the white sheets on the clothesline would have been enough. 

In this production there are projected images, voice-overs, esoteric choreography, and what looked, incongruously, like a road side memorial. The action also takes place on a set that was much larger than necessary for this very intimate story.

Yellowman was produced, successfully, in Providence a few years ago by the now-defunct Black Rep. I questioned the wisdom of Trinity Rep. mounting another production, so soon.  I was wrong.   Trinity’s production of Yellowman is solid and deserves your attention.
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Ticket prices for Yellowman range from $21 - $66 and can be purchased at the Trinity Rep Box Office, which is located at 201 Washington St., Providence, RI; by phone at (401) 351-4242; and online at www.trinityrep.com.

Photo: Joe Wilson, Jr. as Eugene, photo by Mark Turek; courtesy of Trinity Rep.

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