Review: Dawn Ursula Shines in Theater J's QUEENS GIRL IN THE WORLD

Solo theatrical performances are a tricky business. An intriguing and interesting story is most certainly a must, but so too is a confident and attention-worthy performer ready and willing to share that story with the audience. Having sat (somewhat patiently) through the myriad of solo performances offered up as part of Fringe festivals and the like, I can unequivocally state that such a combination should definitely not be taken for granted. Those lucky enough to snag a ticket to Caleen Sinnette Jennings' QUEENS GIRL IN THE WORLD, Theater J's contribution to the city-wide Women's Voices Theater Festival, will experience a solo theatrical performance that has both of these elements in spades. If Dawn Ursula's revelatory performance is not enough for you, Ms. Jennings' work is one that will excite even the most jaded theatergoer. Sophisticated and nuanced but with just enough heart, this local playwright (and educator) takes us on a personal journey of a young African American woman in Queens trying to make sense of her place in the world.

We first meet twelve year-old Jacqueline Marie Butler (Dawn Ursula) in 1962. Her parents - a doctor and a teacher - purchased a home in a previously all-white neighborhood in Queens and they want nothing but the best possible future for their only child. Butler has few friends and instead enjoys immersing herself in the latest Nancy Drew novel while sitting on her stoop (designed by Ruthmarie Tenorio). Every now and then, she'll hang out with Persephone who also lives on her street, but that's a frustrating experience because Persephone is much more "advanced" for her age - at least in terms of her interest in all things sexual. While the first moments of the play set the audience up for your everyday coming-of-age story (boys included), things become much more interesting when Jaqueline's parents decide to send her to an elite prep school in Manhattan for seventh grade rather than back to the local public school in Queens.

It is there that Jacqueline has to come to terms with the two versions of herself - the local African American girl in Queens and the girl who attends a mostly white (and rich) school in Manhattan. Who is she, really? Can the two "persons" co-exist comfortably? How do her friends and their experiences and status influence her path? As she sets out on this twisty journey of self-discovery, she learns more about the world around her. As she learns of racially-driven violence in the South, the ongoing pursuit of civil rights by the African American community (at one point, she meets Malcolm X) in various ways, she begins to understand and internalize more fully complex issues of personal identity within the larger context of what's happening politically and socially at the moment (Tenorio's projections help make these connections clear, from the Birmingham bombings to the March on Washington and more). Just as she becomes settled, her parents uproot her once again, but she now has a firmer sense of self than she did three years prior.

What Jennings gives us is not your average coming-of-age story we've heard a million times before, nor a history lesson on the Civil Rights Movement (which we also, frankly, have heard many times). Instead, she offers up something that's pretty unique. Jacqueline's story is informed by the broader sociopolitical context and the whole idea of coming-of-age, but it's so rich and detailed and personalized, that it offers a fresh take on well-understood ideas. No matter one's own gender, race, or socioeconomic status, it's easy to find something relatable in Jacqueline's story.

Portraying Jacqueline and all of those that enter her life, Ursula proves remarkably adept at bringing the compelling story to life in a convincing and charming way. The diversity of characterizations she's required to take on is a bit staggering, but she does wonders with them all. From Jacqueline's upper class Jewish classmates at the elite Manhattan prep school, her sophisticated parents, to the typical girl on the block in Queens, Ursula gives a distinct voice to all of them, not faltering once.

In a lesser actress' hands, one might be turned off by some of the more schmaltzy and/or melodramatic - though few and far between - points in the script (as for the latter, there is a small, seemingly out of nowhere, story line about sexual abuse). Or, if you were me, you might wonder why the playwright felt the need to briefly feature a character who stutters for no particular artistic reason. (As an aside and to clarify, I stutter, and it's my pet peeve when playwrights do this. Incorporating a person who stutters rarely adds anything of value to the story, and, when it is featured, it's very common to capture that stuttering moment in such a way that's not particularly authentic or accurate for anyone. For example, the performer might - as was done here - repeat the sound of the first letter of a certain word three or four times for the exact same amount of time, and then be done with it. I understand time is of the essence, but if only that was possible in real life...). However, Ursula is so believable and honest, that she pulls it all off and makes one appreciate the play as a whole, and put the weaker moments aside.

I've been watching Ms. Ursula onstage in the DC area for years, and she's never failed to impress, but her performance here is simply at another level. I am glad she had the opportunity, under Eleanor Holdridge's thoughtful direction, to show us all of what she can do - and in a locally grown, thought-provoking, world premiere play at that.

Running Time: Around 1 hour and 50 minutes, including an intermission.

QUEENS GIRL IN THE WORLD plays at Theater J - 1529 16 Street in Washington, DC - through October 11. For tickets, call the box office at 202-777-3210 or purchase them online.

Photo: Dawn Ursula pictured; by Teresa Wood.

To post a comment, you must register and login.