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When Stars Align
Reviewed by Lovell Estell III
Odyssey Theatre
Through Oct. 4.
She is white; he is black. Such a pairing wouldn’t ruffle many feathers today, but Carole Eglash-Kosoff and director John Henry Davis’s ambitious drama (based on Kosoff’s novel of the same name), is set on a pre-Civil War Louisiana plantation, when such relationships were not only taboo, but life-threatening.
Thaddeus (Jason Woods) is a child begotten by the brutal rape of his mother Rose (Allison Reeves) by her virulently racist master Henry (Nick Ballard). He comes of age favored by his grandfather Jedidiah (Veryle Rupp), who dotes on him, teaches him to read, and treats him far better than the rest of his “slaves,” but he is utterly despised by his father, who often contemptuously refers to him as a “nigger.” A chance encounter with the tomboyish Amy (Haley McHugh) leads Thaddeus to a troubling realization about his parentage, and gradually to a decades long, bittersweet romance with Amy in defiance of the rigid racial etiquette of the time that forever changes their lives.
There is a noticeable reflection of the sweeping breadth and vision of Gone with the Wind that contours Kossof and Davis’s bulky script. Woven into and around the story of Amy and Thaddeus’s relationship, the play also revisits plantation life (complete with moonlight and magnolias), the era of the Civil War, Reconstruction, New Orleans night life, and the ugly, violent period of white backlash that reestablished white supremacy in the south. It is a bit much to take in, especially in a theatrical format. The script often descends into overheated melodrama and relies on puzzling, improbable twists.
That notwithstanding, there is much to enjoy about this guest production at the Odyssey Theatre. The sizable cast turns in credible performances, some in multiple roles. Eric Charles Jorgensen and Kaitlin Huwe provide beautifully evocative music (performed on violin and guitar). J.R. Bruce’s wooden stage, accented by an enormous tree with hanging moss is simple, yet attractive, while Michael Mullen nails it with his costumes.
Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., W.L.A., Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; (added perfs Thurs., Sept. 24 & Oct. 1, 8 p.m.) through Oct. 4 (323) 960-7738, www.plays411.com/starsalign
