‘Damn Yankees’ revives old-fashioned musical fun.
The comedic and melodramatic “Bash’d”—billed as a “gay rap opera”—successfully reclaims hip-hop from its homophobia.
Plus: Edward Albee’s most engaging work, and a Christian musical ‘Saved’ by pop-rock
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By JONATHAN WARMAN
Monday, September 25, 2006
The poor air conditioning at WOW Cafe Theatre actually adds to the atmosphere of "A Love Like Damien’s" by first-time playwright Andrea E. Davis. The production team thoughtfully placed a fan on each audience seat, and the collective flapping of overheated theatergoers immediately evokes the environment of a black Baptist church.
This inventive drama follows a young black gay man named Damien, forcefully played by Tarik Daniels. Damien is rejected by his church, spirals out of control and drinks himself to the brink of death. At just that moment two spirits bring him into the presence of the godlike Ms. Sophie Divine (played with grit and real "spirit" by Denise Collins). We are then thrown into a flashback showing the hell that Damien has gone through since he brought a boyfriend of his to a Valentine’s Day blessing ceremony.
It’s pretty potent stuff, which Davis mostly handles with the skill of a much more experienced playwright. The only thing that didn’t quiet work for me is the stereotypical "white devil" portrayal of Damien’s current meth-dealing "boyfriend" Phil. I’m not denying that scuzzballs like him exist, but having Phil as the only white character in the play rings just as false as token black characters in other stories.
Davis is working on her Master of Divinity at New York’s Union Theological Seminary, and she deals with the show’s theological and political issues with intelligence and passion. Director Andre Lancaster adds depth with an adroit mixture of techniques from performance art, hip-hop and traditional theater (he only falters when he veers towards halfhearted audience participation). E. Talley II’s imaginative choreography and DJ:Ayden’s multi-dimensional sound design display a level of artistry that put many higher profile productions to shame.
WOW is definitely not a summer friendly theater—please feel free to contribute to their current fundraising campaign, earmarked for renovations that may help that situation. Also, Shannon Dougherty’s lighting design is too clever for its own good, ending up more headachy than evocative. The play’s conclusion, though, in which Damien gets it together and finds the strength to stand up to his church’s homophobia, is a high-spirited payoff that more than makes up for these minor drawbacks.
"A Love Like Damien’s," 8 p.m. Thu.–Sat. and 5 p.m. Sun. at WOW Cafe Theatre, 59 E. 4th St., $20, 212-352-3101, alovelikedamiens.blogspot.com.
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