Review: GOSPEL OF LOVINGKINDNESS A Brilliant Call to Action

Artistic break-ups are always fraught affairs, and difficult in the early going; but often they are a sign that something new needs to take flight. With the foundation of Mosaic Theater Company there was some unavoidable shedding of old skin, and perhaps some regrets along the way. but there was never any doubt that Ari Roth's vision, and that of his artistic team, would positively soar.

With their searing new drama, Marcus Gardley's The Gospel of Lovingkindness, Mosaic Theater confirms that their vision is solid, their commitment to the community steadfast. And the talent assembled under the sensitive, energetic direction of Jennifer L. Nelson is everything one could ask for. It almost goes without saying that the timeliness of this play-about the loss of young men to the streets, and often for the most shocking of reasons-cannot be overstated.

Be advised, too, that Roth and Nelson aren't merely in the entertainment business; this production of Gospel is as much a call to action as it is a play. The entire run of the show features post-show discussions, and I would strongly recommend you plan your time at Atlas Performing Arts center accordingly.

Set in the South Side of Chicago, Gospel traces the collision course of two young men, both ambitious and bright, both being raised by single mothers. We see young Manny (the bright, humorous Many H. Kumasi), a talented singer and White House invitee whose burning desire for Air Jordans leads to tragic consequences. The play opens with a hilarious sequence of monologues leading up to the sneakers' first entrance-and then shifts in an instant to the tragic consequences.

Gardley weaves the past and present together, adding poignancy to what otherwise might be typical scenes - kinda touching in the abstract, but gut-wrenching in their ultimate context. In a clever bit of time-travel he also introduces Ida B. Wells (played here by the luminous, riveting Erica Chamblee), the legendary founder of an anti-lynching crusade who was a prominent leader in the African-American community in her day. The fact that modern-day lynchings are often self-directed, with innocent young men and women caught in the crossfire by their own neighbors, renders Wells' presence all the more vital.

As Mary, the grieving mother, Deidra Lawan Starnes shows both the determination and the challenges of setting things right. Inspired to take on gang violence by addressing its root causes, Mary is impolitic and as blunt with elected officials as she is with her ex, Joe (the amiable, sympathetic Doug Brown), Manny's all-too-absent father. Starnes' rage leaves you breathless, and as impatient as she is for change that should have come ages ago.

There is a lot of doubling and tripling of roles here, much of it significant; so significant that I hesitate to mention them here, as they are best experienced as Gardley's play unfolds. Suffice it to say that it becomes impossible to detach yourself from the angels and demons in these characters, because truth be known we all possess those opposing impulses in ourselves. It's the choices that matter, as well as the conditions that lead us to make them.

Ruthmarie Tenorio has taken charge of the black-box space here and converted it into a graffiti-plastered alleyway, grey with grime but colorful, with serviceable blocks and tables. Heather C. Jackson effectively notes the changes in character and tone with each of her costumes, and Dan Covey works the lighting grid with ease. Baye Straightforward Harrell, as the sound technician, gives us a fitting sound design, which cuts like a knife as often as it simply sets the scene.

Having addressed the headline-grabbing loss of young black men, my own small request is that Mosaic turn its attention to the women; after all the story that inspired this play was the untimely death of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old girl. There is a dire need to understand the experience of women in struggling communities like this, to better understand the choices they make. Although in this play they are portrayed largely as martyrs and solid anchors, there are young women out there who-like the young men in Gospel-end up making choices that compromise their futures. That would be a difficult subject to tackle, but I have no doubt Mosaic would be up to that challenge.

To sum up: they're only two shows into their inaugural season folks, but the bar is already set high. Mosaic is what's happening, right here and now. To miss it would be unthinkable.

Production Photo: Doug Brown (left) and Deidra Lawan Starndes.

Running Time: 1 hours and 45 minutes, without Intermission.

The Gospel of Lovingkindness runs December 9, 2015-January 3, 2016 at the Atlas Performing Arts center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, D.C. For tickets, visit http://www.mosaictheater.org/ or call the Atlas box office at 202-399-7993.

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