Chanell Bell and Julanne Chidi Hill (Photo by Mallury Patrick Photography)
Reviewed by Molly McLean
Outside In Theatre
Through November 17
Sierra Nicolette Smith (Photo by Mallury Patrick Photography)
Coco Queens, a new play by LaDarrion Williams, takes place over a weekend in a small Southern town. We see four friends engage in their yearly tradition: They set aside a weekend to celebrate their humanity and friendship. They are all stuck in frustrating cycles: grief, resentment, exploitation.
The play, directed by Jessica E. Williams, mixes living-room drama and surreal spiritual fantasy. Ghosts touch and change the lives of the characters. There are projected videos by Nicholas Santiago that show stylized renderings of places and people mentioned in the play. There is a dance sequence in which characters channel the energy of their ancestors, choreographed by Indira Tyler.
The set itself is literal, though. The play takes place entirely in the house-cum-salon of Gloria (Julanne Chidi Hill), the woman around whom the play revolves. Even though the beauty parlor takes up half the stage (design by Herbert Newsome) no one gets their hair done. Hair gets touched up, but there are no haircuts or stylings. It’s the same for the play as a whole: Characters touch on, monologue about, and muse over their objectives and obstacles. We don’t get to see characters change — we hear them talk about changing.
The brightest moments come from the characters’ joke-telling: There are funny quips, clear physicality, and hilarious line readings from all of the actors — Hill, Mildred Marie Langford, Chanell Bell, and Sierra Nicolette Smith. All four bring vibrant energy to their characters, but their power often dissipates in scenes where all they do is monologue and reflect.
Outside In Theater Art Space, 5317 York Rd., Highland Park. Mon.-Tues., Sat.-Sun., 8 pm, and select matinees; thru Nov. 17. www.Outsideintheatre.org/coco-queens. Runtime: two hours and 30 minutes with an intermission
