A good year or so before any of us had heard of "Clybourne Park," the current Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning drama that offers an ingenious before-and-after twist to the Lorraine Hansberry classic "A Raisin in the Sun," local audiences got a similar kick out of Horizon Theatre's 2009 premiere "A Cool Drink a Water."
A product of Atlanta actor/writer/director Thomas W. Jones II's ever-active imagination, the show basically borrowed the cast of characters from Hansberry's play, placed them in a contemporary setting, adjusted their perspectives accordingly and, in the process, delivered a generally fresh take on some universal themes.
"Cool Drink" was less a sequel than what has come to be known as a "reboot." Although Jones' latest Horizon collaboration, "Sheddin'" (which he wrote and stars in), is very much a sequel to his earlier show, it's to his wise credit that, unlike a lot of uninspired follow-ups, his isn't content just rehashing all of the same old stuff.
To be sure, "Sheddin'" picks up right where "Cool Drink" left off in terms of dealing further with the conflicted relationship between Walt Young (Jones) and his grown son, Trane (Enoch King). But more overtly comedic in tone and dispensing with any and all of those heady allusions to Hansberry, it ventures in highly entertaining new directions.
Like Jones and King, Donna Biscoe reprises her role as Ruthie, their loving wife and mother. "Sheddin'" also introduces three other memorable characters. LaParee Young and E. Roger Mitchell portray Walt's buddies, Otis and Moses, and the bulk of the play's first act thrives on the crackling banter and irresistible camaraderie between them.
To watch these guys shooting the breeze out by the shed in Walt's back yard, or rehearsing their song-and-dance moves with dreams of touring as an opening act for Trane (who has become a hip-hop star in the sequel) is to relish a trio of dynamic actors working at the top of their game. Talk about Men of Distinction (the name of their musical group).
And New Orleans-based actress Francesca McKenzie is a scream as Trane's New Age-y Eurasian bride, E'Boa, who's described as a cross between Lady Gaga, Erykah Badu and Yoko Ono. In her outrageously colored wigs and slick leather costumes (designed by Nyrobi Moss, replete with stiletto-heeled boots and an accessorizing whip), you could mistake her for a kinky dominatrix.
Ruthie mainly objects to her as a suitable wife for their son, while Walt holds a more selfish grudge when he learns that E'Boa will be performing with Trane on his upcoming concert tour.
As tensions mount, Chicago director Bruce A. Young's lively production loses a bit of steam and focus during its second act, somewhat sidetracked on tangents about the high price of Trane's fame, about E'Boa's hard-luck past and about bridging the gap between personal hopes and familial obligations. Even the shenanigans of those Men of Distinction begin to wear thin.
For the most part, however, in "Sheddin,'" as in the majority of his work over the years, there's absolutely no denying the courage of Jones' convictions.
THEATER REVIEW
"Sheddin'"
Grade: B+
Though Aug. 19. 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 3 and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays; 5 p.m. Sundays. $20-$30. Horizon Theatre, 1083 Austin Ave., Atlanta (in Little Five Points). 404-584-7450. horizontheatre.com.
Bottom line: Thomas W. Jones II strikes again.
About the Author
