KC Rep "Harriet Jacobs" review by Guildenstern

Dramatic potential marred by poetic approach

Rating: 2

Harriet Jacobs

Kansas City Repertory Theatre

"Harriet Jacobs" is an undercooked drama that poetically softens up a story filled with rape, sexual assault, beatings, and other antebellum indignities. The focus is on Harriet's strength of character in a world with little options, and in a few dramatic moments it works. Unfortunately these dramatic moments are few and far between as this play is very monologue heavy. It's fifteen or twenty minutes before the first real bit of action occurs, and throughout the play characters introduce themselves to the audience and describe life on the plantation – characters which Harriett has little interaction with. The spare dramatic scenes give you far better idea of their life than all the various monologues, but there isn't enough interaction here to give the supporting players much dimension, and every time the play gets some momentum, it's killed by another monologue.

One good idea was having the black actors play white characters by dressing in bright white clothes, although it took a long time to figure out that's what was going on. It was also surprisingly effective when Harriett speaks with other characters through her writing and it made her confinement theatrically interesting. The play convinces us that when she is most confined she is also the most free, and it's remarkable she doesn't lose her sanity or even her optimism.

Performances are good across the board with most of the weight on Harriet, superbly played by Nambi Kelley. The only local actor I recognized was Damron Armstrong, who gives a solid performance in a small role and has a strong singing voice.

The set is possibly one of the most boring I've ever encountered. The stage is cut in half by a wall with windows. Beyond the windows are video projections of cotton fields, and often the action taking place outside the windows is more interesting that what's happening inside. The inside is simply a bare set, with actors continually (as well as poorly and distractingly) miming their chores. When one actor mimes giving another a present, she can only look at her empty hands and ask, "What is it?" The great irony is that the one prop that was brought onstage by an actor – a metal bucket – was accidentally dropped with a great clanging sound. It seemed that most of the action took place in one location, so the lack of a set was baffling and uninteresting. The only effective part of the set is the triangular loft high above the stage.

This was my first visit to the Copaken stage, and I should comment on it too since it greatly affected my enjoyment of the show. My seat was near the back, and there was some fan or machinery running continuously throughout the show, making it extremely difficult to hear the actors. The seats are also severely raked, so the back was high above the stage – almost level with the top of the proscenium – and it's disorienting to look down on a play. I'd say the auditorium is twice as big as it should be for a truly enjoyable experience, and wouldn't recommend anybody ever buy tickets in the upper rows of the theatre.

read the review at KC Stage