Review: THE MAMALOGUES at 1st Stage Theater

Earnest, funny, and full of life, Lisa B. Thompson's The Mamalogues is an intimate piece about navigating the world and looking for a fulfilling way of life (and in particular America) as a single Black mother.

Right at the start of the show, a framing device is introduced: the actors and audience are all members of BBSM, or Bougie Black Single Moms. The group is run by one of the three characters, Lauren (played by Jasmine Joy Brooks), who very happily welcomes the audience, and through direct address allows us in on the fact that the audience themselves have a role to play in this show.

Quickly introduced as well is Tasha (played by Deidra LaWan Starnes), a very zealous and witty foil to Lauren's more anal, A-type personality. We get a feel for their friendly yet instigative relationship before meeting Beverly (played by Tameika Chavis), who is a new member of the group, and a business owner.

The three make pleasantries, before the meat of the show starts. The structure is fluid, moving between scenes that take place at the BBSM conference, and outside of reality scenes, consisting of cut-away sketches, flashbacks, and fantasies.

At first, some of the cut in and outs of what we'll call "reality" (or the world of the play) are jarring. One second the ladies are sharing a laugh in a surreal comedic moment, and the next second they are detailing very real, tragic facts about being Black in America.

These moments really highlight the crux of the piece. While at first, the changes may seem inexplicable and highly polarized in tone, it illustrates how varied, strange, and beautiful the experiences the women depicted are.

The shows that take place, in reality, all take place at the conference. The venue of which being a tasteful, bohemian, almost eco-futurist seating room with comfy chairs, lots of wood details, and a grazing board of veggies and cheeses. This world, designed by Jonathan Dahm, is comfortable and inviting. The circular nature of the "room" gives a lot of space for the actors to play in.

The director, Angelisa Gillyard does a great job of using the space too. With only three actors and a decent-sized set, it would've been possible for the performers to drown in the space, however, the blocking was moving and fluid, filling the space along with the actors' performances.

The space also functioned as many other places outside the world of BBSM. A house, a soccer field, a hospital, one rolling bench got used as a gurney (and various other moving pieces of furniture) multiple times, and was a very smart addition by the design team.

The lighting (designed by Peter Leibold VI and Brittany Shemuga) also functions as a signal to the audience when the plays shifts from one scene or reality to another. This is also the case with the sound design (by David Lamont Wison). While most of the time seamless and tastefully executed, there was some clunkiness involving a bell ringing during what seemed to be scene transitions. Otherwise, the voices, music, and lighting were seamless and tactful.

The show, in both its anchor world and cutaways, explores a wide slew of socio-political topics. Marriage, sexuality, the medical-industrial complex, and much much more are touched on throughout the show through the lens of Black motherhood. Each character represents differing opinions, worldviews, and backgrounds, and they present them, arguing, debating, and exploring, though always sharing the basic fact that affects almost every facet of their life.

While it would be arrogant to say that everyone who is not a Black single mother understands Black motherhood after viewing the show, one can most definitely say that audiences are exposed to a nuanced and living view of it through entertaining means.

The costume design was enjoyable. Each character was represented accurately through their clothing, especially Tasha, who sported a chic printed aqua pantsuit and a peach blouse. Lauren too was illustrated through her clothing, sporting a blazer that pointed toward her perfectionism and controlling compulsions. There were also three white robes and towels involved which served as a pseudo wardrobe, being used to suggest doctor gowns, scrubs, church gowns, and much more. It was simple, yet effective, and satisfying to see play out. However, there was one distraction caused by the costumes, and that came in the form of shoes.

Some of the characters sported heels, and while chunky and practical, were not all that conducive to some of the more movement-heavy parts of the show. As a result, throughout the piece shoes were constantly being slipped on, then off, then on again. Truly a small mainly harmless quirk, but something one might notice.

All three performances were quite enjoyable. The women had great chemistry and played well off each other and the audience. The awkward antics from Brooks, the bubbly crassness from Starnes, and the subtle sly digs from Chavis all contributed equally to the feel and comedy of the show.

The show's comedy was mainly observational and satirical, poking fun at the characters, the world, and the systems we all exist in. There is also plenty of physical comedy, mainly from Tasha, who seems to always be breaking out in a dance, song, or in a crude face or gesture.

Without the typical structure of three acts, for example, the show is able to remain structured and paced well. There may be one spot or two where a scene drags, but otherwise, the audience is never left too long with one scene, theme, or idea.

The show came most alive when the characters themselves differed in opinion. On class, parenting techniques, and religion. It allowed the audience to see the grey, and most importantly showed the characters, as individuals and as a demographic are the farthest thing from a monolith.

Charming, hilarious, and occasionally heartbreaking, The Mamalogues explores the intersections between motherhood, race, and gender. It calls on Black mothers to support each other in sisterhood, and to uplift each other. It is contemporary, and more suited for adult audiences, not due to anything inappropriate, just general subject matter. The piece runs through May 8th, and has a runtime of 100 minutes with no intermission. Audiences should be advised the show deals with themes of racism, classism, police brutality, and religious trauma. Information on tickets, including captioned performances and audio-described performances, can be found on 1st Stage's website at https://1ststage.org/.

All photography credits go to Teresa Castracane.

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