THE HANGOVER REPORT – Keeljay Gipson’s DEMONS. unpacks grief and inter-generational trauma in an unlikely, whimsical manner

A scene from The Bushwick Starr’s production of “demons.” at the Connelly Theater (photo by Maria Baranova).

Earlier this week, I wrote a piece about how several recent performances I’ve attended have addressed how to come to terms with grief. Continuing on this trajectory is Keeljay Gipson’s new play demons., which is currently playing Off-Broadway at the Connelly Theater. Presented by the Bushwick Starr (in association with JAG Productions and Oye Group), the play tells the story of a family grieving the loss of its patriarch.

In short, Gipson’s play is an intriguing but ultimately incohesive exercise in Afro-surrealism, one in which grief is theatrically manifested as a giant cuddly monster (!) — think one of the whimsical creatures of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. The fascinating if unlikely decision to do so allows audiences to process the inter-generational trauma experienced by the characters — namely Bubba, the gay son whose relationship with his late father was tenuous, at best — more objectively and accessibly. Despite its originality, the play’s individual scenes don’t quite cohere, and other than Bubba, none of the characters are really fully fleshed out nor developed.

Luckily, the symmetrically-staged production — Gipson is also credited as director — is rich on atmosphere and style. Especially impressive are Minjoo Kim’s eerie lighting design and Cedwan Hooks’s eye-popping puppet design. The acting throughout is nothing less than solid. Unsurprisingly, the standout was Donell James Foreman’s sensitive performance as Bubba, arguably the work’s central character.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

DEMONS.
Off-Broadway, Play
The Bushwick Starr (in association with JAG Productions and Oye Group) at the Connelly Theater
1 hour, 25 minutes (without an intermission)
Through June 10

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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