Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – At CSC, Marcus Gardley’s ambitious, spiritual BLACK ODYSSEY mines the past as a means of journeying forward

• By drediman
• February 27, 2023
• No Comments

Last night, Classic Stage Company’s production of black odyssey by Marcus Gardley opened Off-Broadway. If you haven’t already surmised, the ambitious play — which was originally developed and produced by the Denver Center Theatre Company — uses Homer’s Odyssey as a spring board for its own saga of Ulysses Lincoln, a Black soldier who embarks on an epic journey to be reunited with his family.

There’s no denying the breathtaking scope of Gardley’s sweeping tale. The playwright is most successful in his endeavor to convert Homer’s literal adventures into the psychological and spiritual reckonings of a Black man. As such, black odyssey is fully attuned to the current national discourse surrounding race, mining Black history as a means of journeying forward. The play is less successful when it reverts to “real life”, particularly the labored scenes involving the soldier’s frustrated, long-suffering wife and their troubled son. Thankfully, Ulysses Lincoln’s central trek exudes enough exuberant and poetic theatricality — thanks largely to the spirited contributions of the ensemble cast — to make up for the play’s unevenness (the second act montage is particularly inspired).

The CSC production has been directed by Stevie Walker-Webb, who recently helmed Jordan Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’ on Broadway earlier this season. Once again, he shows his penchant for fantastical storytelling and pointed commentary. Even if his work here doesn’t quite hit the consistent heights of his staging of Cooper’s play, black odyssey ultimately arrives at its destination with much to be admired, especially with respect to its abundant soul.

RECOMMENDED

BLACK ODYSSEY
Off-Broadway, Play
Classic Stage Company
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through March 26