THE MOJO AND THE SAYSO

THEATER OPINION

The Mojo and the Sayso
by Aishah Rahman
Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton
ACT Theater
September 2, 2007 (preview)

Thanks to a free ticket provided by Seattle Dramatists, I attended a preview of The Mojo and the Sayso by Aisha Rahman at ACT over the weekend. The play opens on September 6, and the director, Valerie Curtis-Newton, asked the audience before the show to "work," and give the actors the responses they needed to fine-tune their performances. Theater's most powerful aspect is that interplay between performers and audience members, and it was nice to be reminded that we are an integral part of the creative process.

Embarrassingly, I had never heard of playwright Aisha Rahman before seeing this play, and a quick bit of research indicates that she has not written a play since 1993. I was instantly intrigued by what the Director's Note described as Rahman's "jazz aesthetic," a literary style influenced by the free form, ensemble oriented musical style. Defying a traditional dramatic structure, would this play still bring the audience along on a journey?

Yes, and no.

Immediately impressing is the set at the center of the Allen Stage (in the round), dominated by a Cadillac under repair or renovation. We soon realize that this is the living room of ACTS (Lindsay Smiling) and AWILDA (Tracy Michelle Hughes), a space co-opted by the former as a mechanic's garage. Acts' Tire irons, spark plugs, hub caps and other automobile parts and tools litter the floor, but are mixed in with Awilda's candles, Bibles, and picture frames. The drama unfolds in this cramped space, usually remaining firmly in the realistic present, but routinely interrupted by stop-time prayers, flashbacks, and even a fantastic episode of absurdity.

Acts and Awilda have been at odds with each other ever since the death of their youngest son four years prior. As the story unfolds, we realize that the son was mistakenly killed by police officers, shot in the back as he fled. Acts was present at the time of the shooting, but has never said anything about it other than, "Our son is dead." The rest of the play is basically about Awilda (and later, their eldest son "Blood") trying to get Acts to talk about "that night." This doesn't make for an especially compelling conflict, however, and the resolution that eventually comes is satisfying and, yes, earned, but seemingly weaker than I expected from such tragic circumstances.

That being said, the production really worked for me. I was engaged throughout, laughing out loud often, and even getting teary-eyed at a few key moments. There were many pleasant surprises, and although the ending was telegraphed early on, I found the final image to be quite poignant. Driving the story in a powerful performance is Lindsay Smiling as Acts. Though this was only the second preview, his performance was rich, nuanced, and compelling. His fear, anger, bravery, and frustration had different shades to them, and his complicated relationship with his son BLOOD(Jose A. Rufino) was real and touching. Rufino, currently enrolled at the University of Washington's Professional Actors Training Program, moved with a powerful and expressive physicality. Tracy Michelle Hughes as Awilda first came across as strident and a bit one-dimensional at first, but she seemed to hit her stride as she delivered a beautiful, subtly condemning monologue on the monetary cost of losing a son. I am confident that Ms. Hughes will find the nuances in her character at the very beginning, because we need to see why Acts chooses to stay with her and dream about her all this time. Rounding out the ensemble is Timothy McCuen Piggee in a brief, show-stopping performance as PASTOR. This man basically slips in, explodes with fury and accusation, transforms with surprise and hilarity, and exits like a hurricane.

I would not describe The Mojo and the Sayso as a straight drama because it has so many unexpected elements, and the time seems to shift constantly. We could be watching a story that plays out over one day, or it could be played out over several months or years. For the most part, these elements all work beautifully together. However, I felt that the emotional high-point was Blood's final confrontation with Pastor, though it is clearly meant to be Acts' confession at the end. Regardless, I still found the simple closing image, of a contented family out for a drive, satisfying. Some other issues, most notably the actors comfort with some of the unexpectedly formal language, will surely be worked out in the next few days. My hope is that Seattle turns out for this play, and becomes as intrigued as I have become by the Hansberry Project at ACT, playwright Aisha Rahman, and her "jazz aesthetic."

GRADE: B