ASF: "Chicken & Biscuits"

A near-capacity audience at Friday's opening night of Chicken & Biscuits in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Octagon Theatre frequently became the de facto congregation at an African-American family's funeral service for Rev. Bernard Jenkins, shouting "Amen" and "Hallelujah" on cue, and surging to their feet in a rousing ovation at the end of the performance.

An entertainingly infectious comedy-with-a-message, playwright Douglas Lyons's Chicken & Biscuits became one of the most frequently performed plays in the USA soon after its 2021 Broadway debut. 

And though there are so many familiar tropes [family secrets, feuding siblings, rebellious teenagers, a gay interracial couple, et al. that we've seen via Tyler Perry and others], and the big surprise is amply signaled from the start, there is some freshness to Lyons's script; its success rests on the director and acting company who at ASF deliver the goods in non-stop rollicking style for about two hours.

The eight member acting ensemble -- Tristan Andre, Rosalind Brown, Tea Guarino, Ethan Jack Haberfield, Tracy Conyer Lee, Krystel Lucas, A. C. Smith, AhDream Smith -- are directed with flair by Ron Himes, who keeps the energy high as they engage in preposterous antics of a family grounded by love that isn't always their top priority...as one character remarks: "Family is a loaded word."

People ought to be on their best behavior at a funeral, especially honoring a man who meant so much to so many, and whose shoes as head of a family and pastor of a church will be hard to fill. But best behavior is challenging to almost every character. -- Lyons takes most of Act I with lengthy expositions to establish individual character traits and their relationships to one another [we get to know them pretty well, and look forward to each comic conflict], so when it comes time for each of the principals to deliver testimony to their father, grandfather, father-in-law, prospective in-law, each one tops the other in a hilarious "throw down" sequence. -- And when the surprise comes, Act II serves to unravel everything and bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

To their credit, the ensemble's exaggerated behavior is aways grounded in truthfulness, and no matter how much we might laugh when they're at each others' throats, there's a sense that this "family" truly love one another, are willing to learn from seeing things through other people's perspectives, and forgive one another so they can truly celebrate what it means to be a family.

Enjoy the ride.

Cloverdale Playhouse: "Perfect Arrangement"

The surprise appearance of playwright Topher Payne at the curtain-call of the Cloverdale Playhouse production of his Perfect Arrangement put the icing on the cake of the enthusiastic audience response to his popular play.

It's the 1950s: rampant homophobia abounds, the so-called "Lavender Scare" precipitated the federal government's ban on homosexuals to openly serve within its ranks, direct allegations or even a suggestion of "moral depravity" were equated with a security risk; and in Perfect Arrangement, two gay couples have invented a scheme to protect their jobs.

Government employees Bob Martindale [John Selden] and Norma Baxter [Stefani Priskos] are both gay, but for appearance and job-security have married each other's actual partners Millie Martindale [Bethany Warman] and Jim Baxter [Cody Charles Douell], and live in adjoining apartments that connect through a closet, a clever recurring joke. Their feigned heterosexuality is taken for granted by outsiders. So far, so good.

But, with Bob and Norma's boss Ted Sunderson [Scott Denton] insisting they investigate and fire suspected homosexuals in the government, and Ted's ditzy wife Kitty [Caroline Adams] insinuating herself into the women's lives, and the arrival of icily enigmatic and often married Barbara Grant [Emily Lowder Wootten deftly changes the atmosphere in the room], the stakes are raised for everyone involved.

What started as familiar sit-com fluff changes direction that forces the gay couples to re-assess their priorities. What once was comfortable is no longer so. Choices need to be made. Should they dig-in and risk being found out? Can they find the strength to be open about their sexuality, with consequences that risk their jobs and reputations? Is it morally defensible for Bob and Norma to prosecute other homosexuals while they remain unscathed? 

No spoilers here; but LGBT+ struggles persist in 2026, and their voices and their very lives are still at risk.  

This is all played out on Mike Winkelman's set reminiscent of television's I Love Lucy apartment; with period appropriate costumes by Mary-Louise Manning, director Christopher Roquemore's lively direction, and the veteran cast in top form in delivering Payne' glittering dialogue with agile assurance, Perfect Arrangement challenges all of us to recognize and celebrate our differences.

Pike Road: "Tuck Everlasting: the Musical"

Tuck Everlasting: the Musical, an exuberant family-friendly show by the Pike Road Theatre Company, has audiences captivated by James Keith Posey's solid direction, Kim Isbell's challenging choreography, and the combined talents of an excellent acting troupe who inhabit their characters to tell an important story about family love and what it means to be immortal.

It's a blend of a magical story, relatable characters, a pleasant musical score, and an energetic cast of triple-threat actors-singers-dancers in both the principal roles and ensemble players, which make its two-hour playing time go by in a flash. 

It doesn't hurt that three of the River Region's prominent theatre families [Haberkorn, Isbell, Posey] are featured here, and are complemented by PRTC's largely veteran performers.

Based on Natalie Babbitt's novel, it tells the story of 11-year old Winnie Foster [a most engaging Emery White] who happens upon Jesse Tuck [masterfully played by Micah Posey] at a spring in the woods nearby the home she's running away from; you see, her Mother [Candi Morton] and Nana [Sarah Viswambaran] don't understand her need for adventure and new experiences.

There are complications, of course: though Jesse appears to be seventeen, he's actually several decades older; he and his family had tasted the spring water which magically granted them "everlasting" life without any apparent physical aging...and Winnie is intrigued. -- When Jesse introduces her to his family -- his mother Mae [Jennifer L. Haberkorn], father Angus [Jason Isbell], and brother Miles [Tanner Parrish] -- Winnie sees in them a surrogate family unlike her own, and wants to become like them. Be careful what you wish for.

Meanwhile, Winnie's family has hired Constable Joe and his naively inept assistant Hugo [Thomas G. Haberkorn and Jack Posey are a hilarious comical double-act] to find her; and when the "oily" Man in the Yellow Suit [Kevin Morton] gets wind of the spring water's effect, he sets out to make his fortune in selling it.

Fluid operation of moveable set pieces transition from one scene to the next; lighting enhances atmosphere, though often leaves actors' faces hard to see; costumes help develop characters; the play's many songs develop the plot and character conflicts, and are presented with clear diction and a good balance with the recorded sound-track.

And the choreography -- Kim Isbell is in top form with this production, creating complex dance patterns and movement; requiring the cast to give full commitment to extensions in footwork and arms, and in faces that tell their story. They are highly disciplined and confident. Well done.

Ultimately, a decision must be made: should Winnie drink the water and join the Tucks, or should she remain with her family and live as Nature dictates? While there are pros and cons on both sides, Tuck Everlasting: the Musical dramatizes it in a striking ballet sequence that requires no dialogue to communicate a satisfying conclusion.

ASF: "ReCON$truXion"

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -- George Santayana

The world premiere of multi-award-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan's [The Kentucky Cycle, All the Way] ReCON$truXion opened at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival on Friday night, receiving enthusiastic responses from the Octagon Theatre's capacity crowd.

In it, Schenkkan tracks the largely ignored story of John Lynch -- an African-American man who rose through the ranks of the political landscape in Reconstruction Era Mississippi all the way to the United States Congress -- and the pitfalls and temporary triumphs of a Reconstruction agenda that failed or was betrayed by the very people who lauded it at its start.

Many of the issues concerning the rights of freemen of color to exist on a level with their white counterparts in all social and political arenas have yet to be completely resolved, points which the playwright makes clear through historical references and sometimes anachronistic vocabulary that bridges then and now. Schenkkan skillfully shifts time periods, beginning in the twentieth century and going back and forth in time, allowing us to witness the impact that history has on the present. It's an easy link to today.

Eden Marryshow plays Lynch as an agent whose moral authority is always demonstrated with an urgency that commands respect, and who conscripts the audience into his memory-play.  He is abetted by a dexterous ensemble of eight men and one woman who all play multiple historic figures: Grant [Liam Craig], Lamar [Grant Chapman], Garfield [Matt Wolpe], and others; in an otherwise powerful male dominated world, Devin Kessler portrays Mabel, Lynch's love interest, and his niece Agnes who assists him in editing his book while demonstrating against the controversial film Birth of a Nation; you have to pay strict attention, since some appear briefly and actors change roles quickly.

There are some stunning projections [Rasean Davonte Johnson] that visually enhance a monochromatic set [Robert Brill] and costumes [Richard St. Clair].

ReCON$truXion has a very short run at ASF; perhaps it will find a wider life elsewhere. As we approach America's 250th celebrations, there is still a lot at stake for "We the People". 

Millbrook: "The Chicken-Fried-Fabulous Spa-Dee-Dah Sisterhood"

With the death this month of actress-playwright Jessie Jones, the decades-long collaboration of Jones-Hope-Wooten has come to a close, though their many popular Southern female centered comedies will no doubt continue to be performed.

One of them -- The Chicken-Fried-Fabulous Spa-Dee-Dah Sisterhood -- concludes its two weekend run by the Millbrook Community Players this weekend. And from the audience laughter and applause, and Millbrook's commitment to producing their plays, they've clearly hit the funny-bone of the River Region. 

Sure, they're formulaic; sure, the jokes are familiar one-liners; sure, the endings are predictable -- but, "So, what?!" -- they're entertaining and an excellent antidote to the serious issues surrounding us every day.

Director Cheryll Phillips has conscripted a fine ensemble of neophyte and veteran actors for her production, some of them reprising roles from other shows in the Jones-Hope Wooten repertoire. And they deliver.

This time, vindictive Glorietta DeWitt [Amanda Ledbetter] contrives to commandeer a cookie recipe and the attendant business though whatever means she chooses. And the combined efforts of Carlene [Vicki Moses], Nita [Angie Head], Mavis [Karla McGhee], and Sugar Lee [Blair Berry], together with Bobby Dwayne [Bill Rauch] and surprise twist by Hardy [Steve Phillips] put an end to Glorietta's scheming. A lot goes wrong along the way, and a lot of silliness occurs, but the resolution is satisfying, so audiences can lap it up gleefully.

WOBT--Prattville: "Twelve Angry Jurors"

From Perry Mason to Law and Order, from Anatomy of a Murder to My Cousin Vinny, courtroom drama remains a popular entertainment in American households; but, while we eagerly watch the proceedings in the court, we are rarely invited into the Jury Room where life-and-death decisions are often made.

Reginald Rose's compelling Twelve Angry Men [television, film, and stage versions] takes a different stance; the entirety of it is located in the Jury Room, where twelve men from an assortment of backgrounds, races, and ages convene to deliberate what went on at the trial, and must decide the fate of a 19-year-old reform school suspect accused of murdering his father. -- An updated version by Sherman L. Sergel, now entitled Twelve Angry Jurors to accommodate female jurors and their enhanced perspectives, is currently on offer in director Alex Rikerd's compelling production at the Way Off Broadway Theatre in Prattville.

At the outset, we hear a judge's "charge" to the jurors that their decision must be unanimous, that the decision must be made "beyond reasonable doubt", and that a guilty verdict will result in the death penalty.

So the drama begins: it's a hot day, only one window is open, the fan doesn't work, and the jurors are hot, tired, impatient, and short-tempered. To most of them it's an open-and-shut case, but one of them has doubts; and it will take a lot of sifting through the details of the evidence, and questioning the validity of some witnesses' testimonies in order to get unanimous agreement. At a time when there were no cellphones, internet, or AI, they must deliberate on their own.

Ms. Rikerd has a tight ensemble of actors at her disposal; though they are identified only by their Juror Number and not by name, their backgrounds, biases, and personalities become abundantly clear as the tensions rise moment by moment. -- The main contenders are Juror #8 [Scott Rouse] who first admits he has doubts about the perpetrator's guilt, and Juror #3 [Matthew Givens] who is adamant on both the guilt and for the jury to reach a quick unanimous verdict.

As their arguments heat up, evidence is re-considered, and several other jurors change their minds, audiences too might well change their own opinions. -- And while this creates a good deal of frustration, the play is not only about their ultimate verdict. In fact, perhaps the more interesting elements of Twelve Angry Jurors are about the jury process itself, a deliberation on what constitutes "reasonable doubt" and "justice", and a challenge to audiences to recognize their own beliefs.

Theatre AUM: "Fool for Love"

Actor, director, multi-award winning playwright Sam Shepard was in the 1970s and 1980s the most fashionable playwright in the USA and abroad, his edgy, surrealistic plays dissecting some very uncomfortable social and family issues in bare-bones naturalistic dialogue. -- Alas, none of his plays have been performed in the River Region for decades: our loss.

But now, Theatre AUM [true-to-form in producing plays from across a wide international and stylistic spectrum] is bringing Shepard's compact Fool for Love to their stage. In a seedy Mojave desert motel, we meet May [Sam Crevensten], and Eddie [Samuel "Goose" Alford]; they are half-siblings and on-and-off lovers for about fifteen years, and while Eddie obsesses their relationship can be resumed, May wants nothing to do with him; in fact, she's expecting her date Martin [Nicholas Hall] any minute.

The fourth character is The Old Man [Jay Walker Russell] who fathered both May and Eddie with two different women, and who had abandoned them some time ago; he serves as a kind of narrator-conscience as he sits outside the action though he "communicates" with his children individually as his attempts to assuage his building guilt consumes him. The past haunts the present.

Eddie is also being stalked by his most recent lover, the unseen "Countess', who wreaks havoc on Eddie's truck in the parking lot.

There's a lot of tension in the one-hour stage time, and the actors give credible renderings of their roles. Ms. Crevensten -- a late addition to the cast -- gave an admirably intelligent interpretation on opening night, despite reading from the script she held in her hands. [While this has been done before, there is no doubt that holding a script inhibits physical movement and eye-to-eye contact with scene partners, and hence the rhythms and intensity of the dialogue, as well as the emotional impact on the audience.] -- Expectations are high that she will be off-book soon to ensure her talents are better displayed for future performances.