Opening Doors and Shedding Light

Time is On Our Side – About Face Theatre

 

Within each of us there lies a story. It’s our own personal histories. Our stories are as individual as we are unique, although often there are more similarities that connect us than we even imagine. Philadelphians Annie (Maggie Scrantom) and Curtis (Rashaad Hall) are longtime best friends. Despite still being young, they’ve experienced a lot, both individually and together. What unites them is they’re both gay and they share an interest in LGBTQ history. They’re still struggling financially to produce a quality podcast about queer history in the City of Brotherly Love, with the hopes of eventually becoming a bigger program on National Public Radio.

A conflict arises when Annie and Curtis accidentally discover a diary written by Annie’s grandmother. It contains some tantalizing tidbits of information about her relationships with the men and women who peopled her life during the late 20th century. One provocative passage points to the possibility that her grandmother might’ve also been a lesbian at a time when it wasn’t easy to come out. To complicate matters, Grandma was married to her grandfather. But other names and clues pop up in the writing, sparking a mystery that begs to be solved. Curtis’ interest is especially piqued but Annie doesn’t want to know anything that’ll alter her fond memories of her grandmother. She demands that her friend drop his investigation but Curtis persists. Soon their enduring friendship shatters into unfortunate resentment.

There are two others who figure prominently in this production. Friends of both Annie and Curtis, Rene (a terrifically talented Esteban Andres Cruz) and Claudia (the effervescent and joyful Riley Mondragon) are guest voices on their podcast. Both friends nicely portray various characters in the historical playlets for the internet program. But each of these two accomplished actors also play more than one role in the play. And it’s in these other ancillary characters where they particularly shine.

While Act I sets up the premise, it feels unnecessarily wordy and takes a long time to get going. Annie and Curtis’ conflict seems like just a plot devise; it grows tiresome and feels contrived. However, whenever Cruz and Mondragon appear, in all their various characterizations, R. Eric Thomas’ play becomes entertaining and exciting. These two actors, and the people they skillfully portray, are the real focus of this comic drama.

Director Megan Carney makes this play as intriguing as she can, sometimes staging her production well enough, but often without much imagination. Actors stand or sit and talk to one another, and then simply trade places on stage. Greater variety in blocking might’ve helped a script that often feels static, especially in the first act. When the mystery element amps up in Act II, Carney’s guiding hand is evident and the audience becomes engaged and curious about the outcome. Getting to that place, however, takes a while.

One of the finest elements of this production is an inventive, aesthetically and symbolic scenic design by Jose Manuel Diaz-Soto. Stunningly comprised of doors and a couple windows, his gorgeous set is not only jaw-dropping, but it offers a visual metaphor for the portals of information that will eventually shed light on the mystery contained in Grandma’s diary. Claire Sangster’s inventive lighting sometimes startles with unexpected delight, then bathes the stage in illumination, another metaphor for the light shed on Annie’s past. Christopher Kriz provides a fine sound design, which includes original music, and Robert S. Kuhn works his typical magic in providing costumes appropriate to each character and time period.

This award-winning play by R. Eric Thomas is interesting in its investigation of a buried family secret that sheds light on LGBTQ history, as well as some facts about the Underground Railroad and other historical events. The dialogue is accurately 21st century, with all its cliches and redundancy. But it’s the mystery, the story of Annie’s grandmother, grandfather, their secret lives and how they were all a part of queer history, that makes this play entertaining and feel particularly personal and immediate.

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

 

Presented March 7- April 7 by About Face Theatre at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 773-975-8150 or by going to www.aboutfacetheatre.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.