BWW Reviews: Lyrically Haunting AND JESUS MOONWALKS THE MISSISSIPPI From STC

Sound Theatre Company has never shied away from difficult plays and now in conjunction with Brownbox Theatre they've taken on Marcus Gardley's moving civil war fable "... And Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi". To be blunt, this play is not going to be for everyone with its deeply poetic nature and complex imagery. And while certain elements of the piece I found confusing or missing the mark; I was able to come away from it with an admiration of its lyric beauty and gripping story.

In this adaptation of the Demeter and Persephone myth, escaped slave Damascus (Jesse Smith) has been lynched, but the waters of Miss Sissippi (Kathya Alexander) has granted him three days to come back and find his daughter Po'em to pass along his legacy to her, but in the guise of a woman named Demeter (Santiago). Meanwhile Jean Verse (Nick Rempel), a confederate soldier, also makes his way home to his wife Candace (Danielle Daggerty) but he is more interested in finding the slave Po'em whom he loves and with whom he has had a child, Free (Lindsay Zae Summers).

It's definitely an ambitious project as it combines civil war elements and imagery with those of the Greek myth and infuses the dialog with poetry as well as gospel music. And director Tyrone Brown and his team have done a fine job of creating this world of the fantastic mixed with the all too starkly real. Musical compositions from Jesse Smith make the tone of the piece soar and really keep the pace flowing. The set from Burton Yuen mixes the practical with the otherworldly beautifully making a stunning backdrop. And the costumes from Candace Frank blend perfectly into that mélange of worlds. And while the world they created worked beautifully for me, some of the storytelling choices left me somewhat confused, most notably the choice of splitting Damascus and Demeter into two roles played by two different actors. I could understand it if they chose to do that so when he becomes a woman it were played by a woman but they were two male actors so I didn't see the point especially at the end when they switched back to having the character played by Smith for no reason.

The ensemble does a fine job with the piece for the most part. Alexander starts off the piece beautifully and establishes herself as an extremely strong presence for the entire show. Rempel as the confederate soldier along with Anthony Duckett as his Union soldier prisoner face off in some stunning scenes. Daggerty turns in a wonderful performance as a broken southern lady trying to survive with her two daughters, Blanche (Sunam Ellis) and Free, the latter of whom is obviously not from her but tragically powdered to look more like her other daughter. The two girls, Summers and Ellis, form a beautiful bond and have incredible chemistry together. And Shermona Mitchell comes in like a beam of light as the embodiment of Jesus with a playful demeanor and penchant for dancing. But it's Santiago who just feels out of place in the cast. He does a passable job telling the story (of which he has the lion's share to tell) but feels stiff and uncomfortable in the role making the choice to split the role between he and Smith all the more confusing.

Ultimately the show succeeds but it takes a fair amount of work from the audience as there's just a little too much going on and too many elements trying to tell the story. And so with my three letter rating system I give it a MEH+. Lots of great things happening up there but a bit muddled in simply conveying the story.

"... And Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi" from Sound Theatre Company and Brownbox Theatre performs at the Center Theatre through August 2nd. For tickets or information visit them online at www.soundtheatrecompany.org.

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