Review Highlights: BARBECUE - Black Theatre Troupe

Shonda Royall, Lydia Corbin, Dayna Donovan, Ryan L. Jenkins, Michael Thompson,
Louis Farber, Katie McFadzen, Debra Lyman, Debra K. Stevens, and Megan Holcomb
Photo by Laura Durant

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through November 6

"Robert O'Hara's sly and cynical black comedy Barbecue focuses on two families where everyone has some form of addiction.. a very funny play with lots of shocking and surprising twists and turns, and Black Theatre Troupe's production features an impeccable cast and smart direction....Four siblings have gathered together in a local park for a family barbecue and are waiting for their sister Barbara to arrive, but the get-together isn't exactly what you think it is....The four siblings want to convince Barbara, who they claim has a crack and drinking problem, to go to a rehab in Alaska..,As the members of this white train wreck of a family coordinate their plans for the intervention and wait for Barbara to arrive, the scene ends and there is a blackout. When the lights come back on every member of the family is now Black. And that's all I can say about the plot without revealing any of O'Hara's surprising turns in the script...satirizes our views on race, class, addiction and celebrity, and his twists in the plot are smart and intriguing. His dialogue is funny and his characters, while broad, are loud and obnoxious. He also allows us to see that possible preconceived beliefs of drug addiction and family dynamics when it comes to minorities aren't exactly true when we see a white family have the same problems. However, while O'Hara has crafted an fascinating drama, and as good as the revelations are, the ending and some of the second act doesn't seem as fully firm as it could be....Director Ron May has assembled a crackerjack cast...in this very smart satire about poverty, race, and social class." - Gil Benbrook, TalkinBroadway.com (click here to read the complete review)

"...In BARBECUE, there are so many unexpected turns and jaw-dropping surprises in its narrative, that to spell them out in a review is to cause a major injustice. .. Challenging an audience's perception in matters of race, BARBECUE incorporates not only the more obvious elements of a person's awareness of the subject, but how those daytime TV shows, movies, and the media in general mold attitudes that can often have no bearing on reality...Set against Sarah Harris' extremely effective set design of a public park's picnic area, and Carol Simmons' costume, hair, and makeup design that makes each character on stage as authentic as the play demands, Ron May's pitch-perfect cast - no weak link - fully embraces the language, and with no disruption to the intentional rhythms of the lines, for two hours including intermission, they expertly surf the waves of O'Hara's written words. This is a richly intelligent play and a great Black Theatre Troupe production."   -  David Appleford, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)