STEW
As we entered the auditorium of the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center for the Opening Night of the Ebony Repertory Theatre’s production of Stew, the aroma of stew cooking on the stove right on the stage wafted through the audience. I’ve never experienced such a perfect mood-setter before!
Stew features a family of strong black women—the matriarch and her two daughters along with a young teen-age or tween granddaughter (my friends and I really couldn’t figure-out her age)—in a town right outside of the Bronx, New York, and as the program tells us, “somewhere around the millennium.” The entire action takes place on a Saturday morning in Mama’s kitchen, where the women are…making stew, of course! It’s for some sort of celebration that night. (We didn’t understand what exactly the event was going to be.)
(L-R) Iesha M. Daniels, Nedra Snipes, Greta Oglesby, and Roslyn Ruff. Photo by Craig Schwartz, as is the one at the top of this review.
And they really chop and prepare that food right in front of our eyes! There is sooo much “business,” (as it’s referred to in acting,) that I don’t know how they remember it all. But I bet that everyone connected to the show knows how to cook a stew now!
And, on a note of gratitude, I actually finally learned the proper way to cut a pepper from them! How many other plays can claim to give that lesson to the audience?!
As to what the play is really about, I’m not sure. It’s mainly a comedy—a very funny one—however it does get heavy on occasion. But that’s just life, isn’t it? So I advise to simply enjoy the journey.
When I saw this play elsewhere about eight months ago, it took me a while to understand who all the characters are to each other, (because the actresses’ ages aren’t totally apparent, and the script doesn’t make it clear.) I got it by the end of that rendition, so I knew the relations going in this time, but I still doubted my deduction for part of it. The two guys who accompanied me to the Nate Holden–both really intelligent, worldly, successful professional writers–were confused about the relationships this whole time, as well.
But it appears that I did get it right. So I’ll explain it. There’s the matriarch, Mama, played by Greta Oglesby; her grown-up married daughter, Lillian, played by Roslyn Ruff, (whom I saw play the same role in that previous production); her seventeen-year-old daughter, Nelly, played by Nedra Snipes; and Lillian’s daughter, Lil Mama, (whose name is very confusing,) played by Iesha M. Daniels. And let me tell you—I have rarely seen soooo many credits for an entire cast! You best catch their work right now before they’re on to the next roles!
The stand-outs for me are Greta Oglesby and Roslyn Ruff. Perhaps the best part of the entire play for me is when Mama does a bit of a Shakespeare soliloquy to show her auditioning granddaughter how it’s done. I promise you that I have never understood the Bard’s words until that moment. I was riveted to Greta Oglesby’s performance.
(L-R) Iesha M. Daniels, Roslyn Ruff, Greta Oglesby, and Nedra Snipes. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
As a writer and a former teacher, from an entire family of teachers, I enjoyed the few times Mama corrected the others on word usage, such as when she admonishes one of them that the proper word is “lie” not “lay.” (You go lie down, not lay down. “Lay” is the past tense of “lie.” That common grammatical error is like nails on a chalkboard to me, so I always appreciate when someone else points that out to the world; I always feel so alone in giving that lesson.)
I also appreciated the times that the characters talked over each other, even though it made the dialogue in those scenes a bit hard to understand. But it’s so realistic that one can’t help but admire that brave direction.
As to the technical aspects of this production, Scenic Designer Michael Billings’s set is spot-on. And it makes all the action easy to see from any seat in that wonderful theatre.
The set. Photo by Karen Salkin.
All the pajama/housecoat wardrobe is also very real-world, especially Lillian’s cozy outfit, which I coveted.
The only thing that appears to be a tad out of place is Lil Mama’s adorable and hip hair-do—green-tinted braids–when she finally reveals it near the end. I doubt that anyone rocked such a happening style like that almost a quarter of a century ago, especially in a small town like Mt. Vernon, New York, so, as much as I admire it, it seems anachronistic for the turn of the millennium.
When I saw Stew that first time, the ending had me stumped, so I figured the smart guys I brought this time could clear it up for me. But it confused even them. They both said they’d think it over for a bit and get back to me. And now one has done just that. So SPOILER ALERT FOR THE NEXT TWO PARAGRAPHS!
Allen posits that perhaps the play was Mama’s memories, and “it was all jumbled in her mind.” And “maybe Lil Mama was herself.” About that, he added, “Maybe all the women were her.”
All three of us had noticed that there was a stain on one wall, like someone had thrown a liquid on it, as soon as we sat down. We had thought that it was left there from a rehearsal, and were surprised that the producers hadn’t fixed it before opening night. But, after mulling it over for a while, Allen told me that perhaps “the stain on the wall was deliberate,” and Mama “was playing things back over and over.”
Now I’m dying to meet Zora Howard, the young playwright, to ask her if Allen is correct. But I have a feeling she’ll never tell. So I guess it’s just left up to each of us to decide for ourselves.
SPOILER ALERT OVER!
So now let me tell you about the Opening Night soiree.
The Stew opening night party. Photo by Karen Salkin.
When we all moved across the lobby of the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center to the party room, I felt like I was in that fun church function for which the characters were doing all that cooking! And, of course, they served stew. Very thoughtfully, a choice of beef or vegan was on offer. I had forgotten to eat a different stew at an Oscars event the day before, so I was glad to finally get that taste at this party.
There was also cornbread and bite-sized sweet potato and lemon pies. What a nice menu!
Of course, when you see Stew in these next few week-ends, you won’t get a party after it, but, if the play does make you hungry, you are close enough to a Roscoe’s for a delish late-night meal, possibly even their chili. At just an hour and a half, the play won’t make you hungry for long.
Stew running through March 24, 2024
Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
4718 West Washington Boulevard Los Angeles
323-964-9766 www.ebonyrep.org
