Review: BYHALIA, MISSISSIPPI at CATF

A dark comedy about unexpected choices and familial prejudices, Byhalia, Mississippi is a phenomenal evening of entertainment directed by Marc Masterson and wonderfully written by Evan Linder.

A young, lower class married couple, Jim and Laurel, are expecting their first child and dealing with the typical familial and economic tensions. However, unexpected comedic and tense twists explode when a biracial baby is born to two Caucasian parents and decisions must be made. In the small southern town of Byhalia, prejudices and past relationships come into the light as a mother attempts to take a stand to raise her baby amid the gossip and uncertain future.

At the heart of the story is Jessica Savage as expectant mother Laurel. Savage is brilliant with her deadpan comedic delivery and subtle quips hinting at how high maintenance and selfish the character appears to be. Her expressions and physical stance, especially in the first scene while obviously pregnant, were excellent.

Jason Babinsky is a fantastically complex good ol' Southern redneck as husband Jim. Babinsky is instantly endearing and relatable as a down to earth, self proclaimed "white trash" local boy who is faced with the difficult decision of whether to raise the son who is quite clearly not his biological own. Savage and Babinsky have a phenomenal chemistry as a married couple and some of their banter and bickering makes it feel as if the audience is in a real couple's home watching them fight, kiss and make up. Their no holds barreled, excellently tense fight at the end of Act I was the perfect dramatic finish to the end of the first half of the show.

Hollis McCarthy is outstanding as Laurel's mother, Celeste. Her comedic timing is exceptional and McCarthy has many hysterical, biting one-liners. Her character's transformation and abrupt switch involving religion and racial prejudices is expertly done. McCarthy and Savage have mastered the art of their mother daughter bickering and their chemistry while arguing and portraying the strained but close relationship is as authentic as possible to believe the ladies were actually related in real life.

Yaegel T. Welch as Karl, Jim's African American best friend, has excellent timing with his comedic delivery and a powerful psychical presence onstage. His moving speech in Act II about always being considered to be one step behind Jim growing up was a highlight of the production.

Adrian Kiser has a brief but powerful star turn role as Ayesha, Laurel's frenemy from school. Kiser's direct, strong presence onstage and her commanding performance in Act II added an exceptional layer of tension to the story.

All of the actors deserve special mention for maintaining deliciously authentic Southern drawls and accents throughout the show, even varying from character to character depending on which city in the South that each character was written to come from. The set design for Jim and Laurel's home also looks incredibly authentic to reflect a lower class Southern couple, complete with Ole Miss mementos, and fight choreography for the intense fight sequence between Jim and Karl was expertly prepared and executed.

Byhalia, Mississippi is a lighter comedic option in the typically darker CATF summer season and the production makes exquisite use of snap transitions from comedy to tension. The tone of the comedy is still somewhat serious, dealing with modern day prejudices and racial tensions in a small southern town and family, but the excellent writing and frequent flips from comedy to drama were expertly handled. The show is a masterclass in comedic timing and delivery while still leaving audiences asking tensely "What comes next?".

Byhalia, Mississippi continues to run as one of the six plays in rotating repertory at the Contemporary American Theater Festival. Byhalia, Mississippi performances occur in the Frank Center Theater on the campus of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. The final performance occurs July 30 at 6:30 PM. For more information about the show schedule, the 2017 season or to order tickets, please visit www.catf.org.

Photo Credit: CATF Media Gallery

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