Lenelle Moïse's 'K-I-S-S-I-N-G' is worth e-m-b-r-a-c-i-n-g at the Calderwood
Occasionally, we are lucky enough to stumble upon unexpected beauty: a song or artwork that resounds in the heart or a story that leaves the soul brimming with emotion. This sentiment holds true for Lenelle Moïse's exquisite play "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" at the Boston Center for the Arts' Calderwood Pavilion through April 2.
The first few minutes of the play are jarring. But don't fret; it'll soon switch gears. Moïse's summer tale of a teenage love and lust triangle between Lala, Dani, and Albert isn't what it seems. It's more. Moïse's writing captures the luminous shine that marks youth, love's promise of feeling seen and the discovery of fine art, while simultaneously engaging pain, loss and more. But joy is most abundant.
The production is a joint effort between the Huntington Theatre Company and Front Porch Arts Collective. And Front Porch's heart-forward, community-centered aesthetic sings here with Dawn Simmons' masterful direction. It's wildly funny and culturally specific without being exclusionary. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" has been in development for a while, with workshop productions in 2014 and 2018 and readings in between. It was worth the wait. Read more
'Black Odyssey Boston' Mixes African-American Oral History With Homer's Classic Tale
“Ulysses learns to confront his past, to confront the dark parts of himself, and in doing so, brings out more of his light.”
At Central Square Theater in Cambridge, about a dozen creatives of color sit at tables in a black walled room to rehearse. The actors’ voices boom and change timbre as they read their characters’ lines in preparation for an upcoming performance. The vibe of the group, members of The Front Porch Arts Collective, a black-led theater company, feels more like a gathering of old friends at dinner than a rehearsal.
They're working on the epic play, “black odyssey boston,” which runs April 25 through May 19. This subversive take on Homer’s classic tale by playwright Marcus Gardley, combines the elements of Boston, informed by interviews with key residents of color, with Greek mythology, African-American oral history and music.
The basic gist of Odysseus’ (Ulysses in Roman myths) story remains the same. But, in "black odyssey boston," directed by Benny Sato Ambush, Ulysses Lincoln, (Brandon Green), is a Gulf War veteran presumed dead who fights to find his way back home — both physically and metaphorically — to wife Nella Pell (Elle Borders, who is Green's real-life wife), and son Malachi. During the journey Green says, “Ulysses learns to confront his past, to confront the dark parts of himself, and in doing so, brings out more of his light.”
In the midst, intrusive gods, Great Grand Daddy Deus (Johnny Lee Davenport) and Great Grand Paw Sidin (Regie Gibson) struggle to control Ulysses' fate, as bits and pieces of the diaspora — like Afro Cuban chants, references to Martin Luther King Jr. and Tina Turner — add color and depth. Read more.