Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2022)
October 5, 2022 Page 13 Minority Business Edition Arts & ENTERTAINMENT Bringing Black Joy: Presenting “Chicken & Biscuits” O piniOnated J udge by d arleen o rtega Portland Playhouse has opened its 15th season with “Chicken & Biscuits,” a come- dy that is specifically and joy- fully Black. One could not ask for a more delightful night at the theater. Playwright Douglas Lyons (who previously appeared on stage in Portland in the national tours of “The Book of Mormon” and “Dreamgirls”) sought to mine the humor, music, and the- atricality of Black church for his first play. It’s terrain he knows well; both he and director Cycer- li Ash-Barlocker (a gem of Port- land stages, including in Profile Theater’s heart-stopping recent production of “Sweat”) are PKs themselves—that’s “preacher’s kids,” for the uninitiated, and in the Black church tradition that likely means spending some part of most days in church. The setting of “Chicken & Biscuits” is not just Black church; it’s a Black church me- morial service—and those of us with church backgrounds know that only weddings compete with funerals for most drama in church. Here, two sisters gather to enact their familiar conflicts at their father’s memorial. The oldest, Baneatta (Valerie Yvette Peterson, balancing anxiety with imperiousness), is now the church’s first lady; her hus- band Reginald (Donterrius Ruff, whose moves including knowing when to stop forward and when to step back with equal deftness) is assuming the role of head pas- tor in the church her father led. The younger sister, Beverley (a hilarious Brittney M. Caldwel), stakes the opposite pole of re- spectability; indeed her choic- es of wardrobe and demeanor equate dominance with outrag- ing her sister. Naturally, there are other family conflicts in evidence too. Simone, the daughter of Baneat- ta and Reginald, is nursing her own set of hurts and grievanc- es; Treasure Lunan (last seen powerfully embodying Aunt Ester in Portland Center Stage’s excellent production of “Gem of the Ocean”) imbues Sim- one with surprising complexity and depth. Her brother Kenny decides to bring his white boy- friend Logan along, even while both know to expect “reverse ‘Get Out’” passive-aggression from Kenny’s family members, who can’t bring themselves to remember Logan’s name or ac- knowledge his importance to Kenny. Chidube Egbo imbues Kenny with gentleness that de- teriorates into exasperating but understandable deference to the family norms, and Austin Comfort makes the most of his many comedic moments as the alien invader boyfriend. Bever- ley’s teenage daughter, La’Trice (Ashlee Radley having the best time), has no intention of taking anyone or anything seriously. Their simmering conflicts predictably come to a chaot- ic boil—which is fun for us at least. Portland Playhouse may be ideal setting for the play’s West Coast premiere; what bet- Chicken and Biscuts actresses Brittney M. Caldwell & Treasure Lunaan ter place than the intimate space of this former Black church to Full set of outfits worn by the Jackson 5. plunge us into the humor and Rebecca Sapp, GRAMMY Museum. drama of church and family conflict. Ash-Barlocker clearly knows her way around this ma- terial, enlisting music and phys- ical comedy to show us good people who are loveable even at their worst and respecting the characters enough to see beyond type. Wanda Walden brings her reliably good instincts to the costume design, and the cast (in- cluding Tamera Lyn as a visitor who may or not be a surprise to everyone) make the fun infec- tious, evincing signs of a com- munity built with care. It’s hard to imagine that the big Broadway house where as- sistant director Charles Grant first experienced this play held it as well; Portland Playhouse feels better designed to held the play’s intimate energy in a believable way, though we probably have Broadway to thank that the play found its way to us at all. This show may feel simple, but it is also delicious, just like a good meal of chicken and biscuits. It plays through October 30. Darleen Ortega is a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals Curated by the GRAMMY Museum® and the first woman of color to serve in that capacity. Her mov- On exhibit Sept. 23, 2022 – Mar. 26, 2023 ie and theater review column Opinionated Judge appears regularly in The Portland Ob- Museum open daily! More at ohs.org/motown. server. Find her review blog at opinionatedjudge.blogspot.com. Motown The Sound of Young America
