Image courtesy of Casey Gardner Ford
Image courtesy of Casey Gardner Ford
You can examine yourself from countless perspectives by turning one mirror on top of another, but you can never fully see who you are. Humans are too complex, unique, and intricate for simple solutions.In A Strange Loop, a person does such an assessment nevertheless in order to determine the best method to deal with the challenges he has in life.
This daring, frequently humorous musical has an emotional component that every gaming audience member may relate to. In general, it is about loneliness, human uncertainty, and the nearly hard path to self-acceptance. It creatively expands on elements of other outstanding musicals that came before it to give viewers something new and captivating.
The show’s opening number declares that it is a Big, Black, and Queer-Ass American Broadway Show, a big and proud statement for the particular communities that the author belongs to.Not everyone is the target audience for A Strange Loop. It is specifically about being a bigger, Black, cisgender, queer, lisping, hateful American man and all of the conflicting multitudes that he carries.
As Usher attempts to find his place in an art form and a culture that all too often ignores or stereotypes him, we accompany him from work to home throughout the 100-minute production without intermission. We watch him struggle with his inner white girl, his sexual urges, his religious trauma, his fear of AIDS, the demands of his devout parents, and the specter of Tyler Perry. The script also has the audacity to address the challenges a writer may have while attempting to convey a cohesive message to an attentive audience.
It’s an intriguing, challenging, and admirable piece of art that may be bold and confronting at times. And for the most part, it works.
Image courtesy of Casey Gardner Ford
Image courtesy of Casey Gardner Ford
Weaver gives a fiery, passionate, and frequently sad performance in the lead. He has lovely vocals. In the scene where Usher plays all the parts in a crazy spoof of a gospel play, he’s also hilarious.
All of the Thoughts actors are excellent, frequently playing dozens of parts throughout, such as Atarius Armstrong’s lively dance, Usher’s parents in miniature, and frequent scene changes.
In a song mysteriously titled Tyler Perry Writes Real Life, they all play Black historical figures and confront Usher about his ego. This is one of the comedic highlights.
Washington’s directing maintains the show’s fast tempo, and its deft blocking, Seamus M. Bourne’s set design, and Kevin Frazier’s lighting shift the action’s focal point across the room without interruption or confusion.
A Strange Loop is a must-see for anyone interested in creative theater.
A REVIEW OF THE THEATRE
An Odd Loop
through Actor’s Express on August 31. Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. The starting price is $46.35. Atlanta.actors-express.com, 887 W. Marietta St. NW, Suite J-107.
Thanks to ArtsATL
Thanks to ArtsATL
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A nonprofit organization called ArtsATL (artsatl.org) is essential to teaching and enlightening people about the arts and culture of metro Atlanta. Established in 2009, ArtsATL works to create a thriving arts community that supports the city’s cultural and economic well-being.
