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Elmina’s Kitchen
By Kwame Kwei-Armah
Directed by Derrick Sanders
Produced by Congo Square Theatre Company
At Green Street Theatre
777 N. Green Street (off Halsted & Chicago Ave.)
Chicago, IL
Call 773-296-1108, tickets $25
Thursdays & Fridays at 8 pm
Saturdays at 2 & 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through October 14, 2007
Chilling cautionary tale haunts long after the show
Congo Square Theatre, now in residence at the Green Street Theatre, opens their new season with a Midwest Premiere of British playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah, Elmina’s Kitchen. Influenced by August Wilson, Kwame Kwe-Armah has penned a cautionary tale of the troubles of Black’s in London’s Hackney’s Murder Mile. We see the struggles of black youth by the lure of fast cars, clothes and cash from the criminal gangs.
Set in a West Indian restaurant (set design by Nick Mozak), Deli (Anthony Irons in compelling performance) struggles to make a living and raise his street wise son, Ashley (Phillip James Brannon). Digger (the commanding Morocco Omari), is the West Indian thug whose claim to fame comes from spending 5 years in a New York prison. Digger attempts to intimidate everyone. Deli and Digger have an understanding—no criminal business in his restaurant and Digger protects the place from protection payments.
In the finest August Wilson tradition, Kwe-Armah develops a colorful cast featuring an old-time West Indian native, Baygee (Willie B. Goodson), who gives us a glimpse of the Caribbean folk lure. When Clifton (Cedric Young), Deli’s estranged father, Baygee and the charismatic Clifton get into calypso music and Island mythology. Deli hires a strong woman, Anastasia (Ann Joseph) to cook. Soon Anastasia covets Deli but Clifton also has his eye on the mature woman. We see Deli and Ashley clash over lifestyles and values. Deli is scared that Ashley will succumb to Digger’s influence and become anther young street thug seeking the fast riches of gang life.
This language is poetic (hints at August Wilson) and it is flowered with a blend of British low class street idioms and West Indian terms. The authentic accents are a blend of British and Wet Indian English (nice work by dialect coach Tanera Marshall). Deli and Ashley speak the British idioms while Clifton, Baugee and Digger sound much more like Islanders. It takes a few minutes to tune the ear into these rare sounds but the cast has fine articulation within their accents. Anthony Irons and Cedric Young anchor the play with strongly emotional performances.
This drama has finely developed characters and the plot has a blend of realism that shakes us with its surprising conclusion. The tragedy of the failed father-son relationships is surely a cautionary tale for us all—Americans or British.
I enjoyed this well acted and nicely paced look at the mean streets of London. Ray Nardelli’s original music and Sona Smith’s Island dance created a rich atmosphere for the story. Kudos to Congo Square Theatre for mounting Kwame Kwe-Armah’s work—he is a voice to be heard again.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2007
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