Review: FAMILY VALUES AND THE SUGAR RIDGE RAG at LAB Theater Project

"There will always be wars, it's human nature, it's who we are."- Hal Granger

"Whether miles apart or in the same room, we are two halves of the same man...just different rhythms...like ragtime."-The Granger brothers in conversation

The Sugar Ridge Rag a play by Philip Middleton Williams premiered at LAB Theater Project in Tampa's Historic Ybor City on April 28, 2022. The story is a complex, yet simplistic study of the life of an average family in rural Ohio, and what lies at the depths of family values and the definition of true love.

Pete and Dave Granger, age 17, are twin brothers in rural northwest Ohio in 1970. Dave enlists in the Army; Pete goes to Canada to pursue his career in music. Over the next five years, their lives are changed by the Vietnam War and the choices they made. Deb and Hal, their parents, are left to deal with the consequences of their actions and their future as a family.

May 4, 1970, now fifty-two years to the day, 4 Kent State students and nine others wounded who were unarmed were shot by the Ohio National Guard, during a peace rally opposing the U.S. expanding involvement in the Vietnam War. This event marked the first time in U.S History that a student had been killed in an anti-war gathering. In 2020, fifty years to the day Philip Middleton Williams sat down to write the story of the Grangers. In his Playwright's Notes in the program, he explains his process,

"Every one of us has moments when our life changes course. How we deal with that moment says much about who we are., where we will go, and how it will touch those we love. For me, one such moment was May 4, 1970, when four students were killed at Kent State University in Ohio during a demonstration against the war in Vietnam. I was seventeen and lived just over a hundred miles from the school. The loss hit me hard because those students were not much older than me, and at least one of them wasn't even involved in the demonstration; he was just passing by. The deaths further divided the country over the war, wounds which have yet to heal. For me, the war changed from being an abstract series of grainy images on the nightly news into something real that I would have to confront in four months when I would turn eighteen and have to register for the draft. The choice I made on that morning in May 1970 changed my life forever."

The company of performers portraying the Granger family are strong in intention and heart. Not one weak link in the entire company.

Tyler Wood as Dave Granger is strong-willed and strong in heart. He goes to the depths of his psyche to portray a young man haunted by the images of war, and his moments of PTSD are heartbreaking to watch. I will say from an audience standpoint the use of facial expressions throughout made it hard to find Dave believable at times. It was almost cartoonish, and I wonder if this was a character choice or director choice, but it left me wondering the reasoning behind this. Some of his interactions with the other characters on stage came across as forced, and there were times I wish he could find more time to ground his intentions.

Ricardo Fernandez as Pete Granger knows what he wants, and despite being torn between his passion and the love for his family, he stops at nothing to achieve his goals. He even goes so far as to completely distance himself from the family outside of the occasional phone call. He's afraid of the current political climate of the time, and the idea that he "Dodged the draft" to pursue music made his life even more complicated.You get a sense of real urgency in Ricardo's portrayal and at times it is gripping to watch. Add in some humor and wit and Ricardo's performance as Pete Granger earns him the nod for best in show.

As Deb Granger, Heather Cole is strong here. Reminiscent of Laurie Metcalf in Ladybird, she is pragmatic and protective over her boys and wants what is best for them. Heather Cole's moments with Hal are great to watch but it's the moments with her boys that really bring it home for her. The separate interactions at different points over the years really show the true depth of a mother's love, and I'm sure will resonate with mothers of all walks of life.

Nathan Juliano as Hal Granger is stoic and no-nonsense in delivery and family values. He works hard to provide for his family and at the same time would give up everything for them. Having witnessed Nathan onstage in These Shining Lives, for me this is a much stronger turn for him as a performer. Hal wants what's best for both his boys and loves them equally. Nathan should be commended for his strong work here.

Director Caroline Jett builds a loving home with strong foundations in the telling of the Granger's story. Divided equally between the performers onstage and her team of designers and backstage help, there is not a "T" left uncrossed. She steers a tight ship here. There are times when I cannot tell if the pacing seemed long, or if it's just a script issue, but the second act is shorter than the first in a way that felt much longer. There were points during the second half in which the story seemed to move along at a snail's pace. Even a few times where the scene change would happen and there would be what seemed like minutes (but in actuality mere seconds) where nothing happened and the stage was dark, I was unsure if this was a time of costume change, but it left me confused. I was also slightly confused over the use of nude-colored sleeves on Dave. I wondered if maybe he had tattoos and it wasn't fitting for the character. With the help of Peter Zalizniak as the Assistant Director, and Beth Tepe-Robertson as the Stage Manager, the fine folks at LAB Theater Project set out to tell the story of the Granger Family and in turn successfully delivered a story about a strong foundation of moral values, and that the love of a family will withstand anything it's up against.

Technically sound The Sugar Ridge Rag is beautifully captured in Scenic/Dressing, Lighting, Sound, and Costume Design. Catherine Hagner beautifully blends the world of ragtime and 70's music of the time period to convincingly set us in the time period of the show. in Set Design and Lighting Design Owen Robertson knocks it clean out of the park. The Set is exquisitely designed and allows for the eye to capture each part of the Granger's lives without becoming too busy, and the lighting effectively conveys the tender moments in their lives. Set Dressing by Beth Tepe-Robertson is wonderfully executed down to the cornflakes box in the kitchen. The concept also blends the outside with the inside perfectly and allows our focus to be centered on the place in which their lives take place at specific points. Costume Design by Beth Tepe-Robertson, Roz Potenza, and Caroline Jett seamlessly blends the world of the show and places it in a period in which these characters' lives exist. Technically exquisite the folks at Lab Theatre have expertly designed a feast for the eyes.

The Sugar Ridge Rag connected most with me in the idea of being a twin. Though my brother and I are not as close as the two brothers portrayed in this show, in similarities we are one and the same. I'm right-handed, went to college, and play the piano, my brother is left-handed and enlisted in the army, and no matter how far apart we seem, we will always have each other's backs.

Playwright Philip Middelton Williams says it best,

"For a long time, I thought of writing about twin brothers going their different ways, each following what they believed was their calling and what their decisions meant to the people they left behind. When the fiftieth anniversary of Kent State came in 2020, I was able to hear the Granger family of Sugar Ridge, Ohio, tell me their memories about that time and how they dealt with it. What they told me wasn't about politics or ideology or war vs. peace. It was about how each of them learned that something as simple as being able to sit in the backyard on a summer evening and listen to a baseball game on the radio was what really mattered, and how loving one another was the most important thing of all."

The Sugar Ridge Rag is the perfect ticket to share with families far and near. Onstage in person through May 15, 2022. If you cannot make it, LAB Theater Project is offering an On-Demand Option from May 12th to May 26, 2022. Tickets for both options can be found by visiting labtheaterproject.com. For seven years Lab Theater Project has been offering the Tampa Bay community a chance to experience new works, and I for one am thankful to have them around.

PHOTO CREDIT: LAB THEATER PROJECT

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