(Kenneth Brown Jr who plays Calvin Chaisson)
Fine performance from
Kenneth Brown Jr in the thought-provoking drama. (Review by Caroline Smart)
We Live Here, by the award-winning American playwright,
Harold Ellis Clark, is presented by The International Arts Foundation Inc. of
New Orleans in the United States, in association with the Playhouse Company. Directed
and designed by John Grimsley, it marks an ongoing sister-city cultural
exchange between New Orleans and Durban, which aims to serve as a bridge in
communication and understanding between the two cities.
The
production comes highly acclaimed having won the Playhouse on the Square’s New
Works @ The Works Playwrighting Competition.
Calvin
and Francine Chaisson are a married black couple – she is heavily pregnant –
who have moved from New Orleans to a new home in a white neighbourhood. While
Francine is happy in her new home, Calvin doesn’t share her views and this isn’t
helped when their lawn is defaced and a brick is thrown through one of their
windows. Calvin catches the perpetrator who turns out to be a young white boy named
Alex Rodrigue who claims he had nothing to do with the damage to the lawn.
The police
are called and the Sheriff’s deputy arrives. He eventually releases the boy to
Richard and Barbara Rodrigue (his grandparents) under stern reprimand and
promises the Chaissons that he will find those responsible for the damage.
The
media gets hold of the story and so do religious representatives. One of these
is the fiery Reverend Thomas Todd, a civil rights leader and activist who is
known for deliberately attracting publicity. His idea is to hold a march to
protest against the community feelings that led to the attack on the Chaissons.
With the help of Calvin’s extensive stock of beer, he eventually opens up on
memories of his own.
There
are conversations between Francine and Barbara as well as between Richard and
Calvin (again helped along by some beer!). Then it is the Sheriff’s Deputy’s
turn to reveal painful information.
There
is much focus on the problems of parenthood. Also that everything starts in the
home. As Calvin says: “If we can take care of everything that is going on in
here we can take care of pretty much everything.” However, the main message is
the vital importance of communication between races and cultures.
The
simple but very effective set constructed by Greg King carries out the
black/white theme. There is a white framework depicting a living room with
table and chairs, a door and a staircase. The scenes are links with a cacophony
of discordant music, again reflecting the tension within the community.
Ernest
D Kelly, President and Chairman of IAF explains that “In spreading its message, We Live Here serves with unswerving
integrity as an instrument of social cohesion that reaches beyond the confines
of theatrical entertainment.” This
message will hopefully be appreciated by adult audiences as well as the
learners in the school audiences.
We Live Here features a fine performance from Kenneth
Brown Jr as Calvin Chaisson. He is ably supported by Constance Thompson (Francine);
Alfred Aubry (Rev Todd); Matt Borel (Richard Rodrigue); Sharon Smetherman (Barbara
Rodrigue), Kevin Hubble (Sheriff’s Deputy) and Oliver Grimsley (Alex Rodrigue).
There are two more performances in the Playhouse
Drama – tonight (May 6) at 19h30 and tomorrow (May 7) at 14h00. Booking is at
Computicket or tickets are available at the door. – Caroline Smart
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