Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Family matters, exposed: Assessing Katori Hall’s THE BLOOD QUILT and Dominique Morisseau’s BAD KREYÒL

• By drediman
• December 2, 2024
• No Comments

This New York fall theater season has brought onto the boards a pair of anticipated new plays by two of our more accomplished playwrights — Katori Hall’s The Blood Quilt and Dominique Morisseau’s Bad Kreyòl, both of which happen to expose and excavate deep-rooted family matters. As always, read on for my thoughts.

BAD KREYÒL
Signature Theatre Company and Manhattan Theatre Club
Through December 1

First up at the Pershing Square Signature Center is Signature Theatre Company and Manhattan Theatre Club’s co-production of Bad Kreyòl (RECOMMENDED) by Dominique Morisseau. In short, the smartly-written new play tells the story of an American woman (Simone) who, upon the passing of her grandmother, travels back to Haiti in order to reconnect with her cousin (Gigi) and her Haitian roots at large. At first glance, the characters come across more or less like caricatures (e.g., as manifested by Simone’s American “savior” mentality, as well as Gigi’s boisterous “island” demeanor). But as the craftily structured play unfolds and the characters find themselves in increasingly complex and murky situations — in particular, as they navigate the grey area between idealism and life’s tough compromises — they transcend their stereotypes, in the process unlocking unforeseen aspects of the characters. The central relationship between Simone and Gigi is astutely conveyed — as is their respective relationship with the irrepressible Pita, a close family friend and employee — and their divergent relationships with the family at large are eloquently articulated. Directed by Tiffany Nicole Greene with a deceptively light touch, the Off-Broadway production is finely-calibrated, easily keeping audiences engaged despite its well-trodden “crashing of the cultures” premise. Overall, Bad Kreyòl is warmly and intelligently acted, the end result being an emotionally and dramatically satisfying evening at the theater.

THE BLOOD QUILT
Lincoln Center Theater
Through December 29

Then over at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, you’ll find Lincoln Center Theater’s Off-Broadway production of The Blood Quilt (SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED), the anticipated new play by Katori Hall (who is perhaps best known for penning the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Hot Wing King, as well as the Martin Luther King, Jr. bio-drama The Mountaintop). Set on a remote island off the coast of the state of Georgia, the play depicts the reunion of four adult sisters — each their own unique creation — after the death of the family’s matriarch (their mother). As they re-acquaint themselves with each other and reminisce about their complicated relationships with their deceased mother, past traumas re-surface and unresolved conflicts are once again ignited. Suffice to say, the drama quickly escalates — especially palpable given that each of the sisters possess larger-than-life personalities — often to the point of unsteady, unruly melodrama (in this respect, the play calls to mind a less compelling version of Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County). The play is at its most thoughtful, and therefore successful, when the drama is seen through the eyes of Zambia (terrifically played by Mirirai with precociousness and curiosity), one of the sister’s daughter. Ultimately, The Blood Quilt, at nearly three hours in length, is overlong and largely overwrought, and it often leaving me numb when I ought to have been stimulated. As such, it’s perhaps better to process the play as a tapestry — enlivened by colorful and heightened performances — rather than a progression of muddled scenes.