Clybourne Park

This week Chizz and I decided to take in a show.  I just cut out a list from New York Magazine about 5 must-see plays.  Because we "must", we did.  We chose the first play on the list, Clybourne Park.

In short, it was great!   As I have admitted before, I LOVE live performances of almost anything. I tried to remember the last time I saw a play that wasn't a musical.  Other than Sleep No More, it has been quite a while.  Years.   I was surprised at how refreshing it was, not waiting for the characters to break out in song to sing their main point.

The play takes place in a house, two acts - each act a different year 1959 and 2009.  In a way, the central character is the house.  Two different, but very remotely connected families live or lived in the house.  The play centers around the racial mindsets of each time period and how people felt really depended on which side of the issue you were on.  Surprisingly the sides switched over the years.  The first story featured issues surrounding the first black family moving into the neighborhood and the second story involves a white family moving into the house.  The plays discusses how the communities react in each time frame and how each community is not so comfortable with the change about to happen. 

It has been nominated for 4 Tonys.  The same actors play characters in both time frames and I think the juxtaposition of their different roles is interesting.  In one era, an actor plays a neighbor "concerned" where his community going.  In the next act ,he plays a new-comer wanting to make his own mark on a neighborhood.  Almost opposite roles. 

Sounds pretty deep, huh?  Would you be surprised to find out it was a comedy of sorts?  Really kind of a farce.  Forcing people to laugh, sometimes uncomfortably, at either how ridiculous some long ago widely-held beliefs were or in awkward recognition.  Funny but powerful.  I like plays that make me think about the premise long after the show.  Entertained and engaged.  Definitely four thumbs up from Wendy & Chizz!!