The year was
1967, it was a hot July, and Detroit was on fire. Riots, instigated by the
white Detroit police force, were happening all over the city as the African
American residents fought to defend their homes and businesses. A violent five-day
streak resulted in 1,000 burned buildings, more than 7,000 arrests, and 43
deaths. This national news also led to riots in other cities and was a driving
force in the Black Power movement.
Playwright Dominique Morisseau recreates a fictional story within this
historical time in her play, “Detroit ’67,” which is being staged at Blackfriars Theatre through November 3. It’s a sobering
follow-up to the saccharine season opener “Guys and Dolls,” but –disappointingly
— the theater was not nearly as full on opening night of “Detroit ’67.”
The plot surrounds Lank (Laron
Dewberry) and Chelle (Ashona
Pulliam), siblings who are running an underground nightclub in the basement of
their downtown Detroit home. The two have inherited the house from their
deceased parents, and are using the money from the nightclub to pay college
tuition for Chelle’s son, who is attending the
prestigious Tuskegee University. Helping with the cause is Lank’s
best friend, Sly (Aceyon Owens), and Chelle’s best friend, Bunny (Tahina
McPherson). When Sly and Lank find an injured white girl, Caroline (Melanie
McBride), on the black side of town and bring her home to Chelle
for help, it kindles a series of events leading up to the riots.
J. Simmons, who has been onstage
frequently in the past few years at Blackfriars
(including as Sky Masterson in “Guys and Dolls” last month), directs the
production, and his attention to important details and pivotal moments is
keenly felt throughout the two-and-a-half hour show.
The small cast of five, mostly new faces for Blackfriars,
stayed focused and character-driven for the run, even when a surprise guest (a
mouse the Blackfriars crew has dubbed “Stubby”)
popped up and ran around the stage in the middle of a weighty scene between
Lank and Caroline.
Though it’s hard sometimes to tell
whose story the play is telling, Pulliam clearly leads the cast as the
cautious, motherly Chelle. Her emotional
transformation is powerful, and her energy lends spotlight to other members of
the cast in ways that a true leading character should. Opposite her as younger
brother Lank, Dewberry is at once charming and reckless, saving Caroline in
many ways even as he spends away his inheritance on a whim. The chemistry
between him and McBride is palpable, and McBride’s waifish, fearful Caroline
blooms in the light of Dewberry’s warmth. Seemingly the youngest in the cast, McBride
holds her own during several weighty emotional scenes.
With her fabulous bouffant wig
(designed by Adriana Lipomi) and quippy
timing, McPherson is the quintessential sidekick, there to drink wine and talk Chelle down as best friend Bunny. As Lank’s
best friend Sly, Owens is a ray of light to the siblings, there to romance Chelle with Motown tunes when she allows it, and to dream
big with Lank. His contagious stage presence takes the entire cast up a notch
whenever he is present.
Set design — which is the entire
basement of Lank and Chelle’s house — by Allen Wright
Shannon is impressive, encompassing the hominess of a family dwelling, with
expert finishing touches by props master John Engel in the art, furniture
styles, knickknacks and even the style of the washer and dryer. There’s plenty
to look at throughout the show, and it’s a set that’s functional enough to give
the actors natural blocking and movement through the many dialogue-heavy
scenes. Rounding out the set’s colorful pops is Katherine McCarthy’s costume
design, worthy of emulation even for today.
During each scene change blackout,
newspaper clippings from the era are projected on screen, a reminder that while
the story onstage may be fictional, the riots of 1967 were very real, and they
are soberingly reminiscent of recent police brutality
headlines. While “Detroit ’67” is not the most uplifting night out, its strong
performances, historical content, and a distinct relevance to current events
make for an impactful experience.
This article appears in Oct 23-29, 2019.
