By James V. Ruocco
In Lynn Nottage's absorbing 80-minute play "Mlima's Tale," the title character, a much-loved and fiercely protected Kenyan elephant is attacked and killed by two poachers who anxiously await for him to die so that they could sever his magnificent tusks for their own commercial gain. But as the play evolves, his spirit lingers about in subsequent scenes as a reminder of their guilt and the savagery associated with their morally corrupt, unjust acts of murder. The tusks, in turn, eventually end up going to the highest buyer, openly displayed in a penthouse foyer as proof of their extraordinary beauty and quality.
Here, as in other works that include "Sweat," "Ruined" and "Intimate Apparel," Nottage is a masterful storyteller who gives each of her plays identity, strongness and purpose. Her passion for writing is well-intentioned, mixed with just the right amount of wit, edge and confirmation that from page to page and scene to scene, complement her inner strength, stability and remarkable playwriting vision.
Haunting.
Dramatic.
Lyrical.
Striking.
Gripping.
Passionate.
This is a powerful play that is appropriately timely, extreme and dangerous. It is unexpectedly in the moment, in its execution and in its take on the subject matter. It is also pin-sharp, revered and alarmingly sensationalized.
At Westport Country Playhouse, "Mlima's Tale" is being staged by Mark Lamos, an acclaimed, award-winning director whose credits include "The Rivals," "A Flea in Her Ear," "Ghosts," "Tartuffe," "The Miser," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Romeo and Juliet," "Of Mice and Men," "Our Country's Good" and "Tiny Alice." Here, as in other plays he has directed, Lamos brings a raw honesty and a strong emotionalism to this drama as he lays bare the involved patchwork of Nottage's words, observations, themes, characters and story arcs, calibrated by his alternatively chilling, piercing directorial strokes.
What's especially exciting at watching Lamos at play (no pun, intended) is the way he prefigures the work from the start, how the situation or situations at hand unfurl, how everything seamlessly connects and how the piece moves from rehearsal hall to stage like an unstoppable force determined to fly and unravel with a uniqueness and freshness that's carefully blocked and persuasively balanced.
With "Mlima's Tale," the spotlight is aimed at short, narratively involving episodes that move the story forward with a force and inspiration that provides many powerful moments, thoughts, reflections and resolutions that are both convincing and dramatically effective. This is all stylistically configured to include important projections of Africian-inspired proverbs, mood music, lighting and sound cues and Jeffrey Page's sensual choreography that heighten the story's already strong docu-drama feel and allure. That said, Lamos knows what to emphasize and what to let stand still and breathe, how to let an important piece of information linger, when to amp up the pathos without calculation and how to drive each of the playwright's key story points home convincingly and unobtrusively.
The produiction stars Jermaine Rowe as Mlima, Jennean Farmer as Player 1, Adit Dileep as Player 2 ans Carl Hedrick Louis as Player 3. Playing a variety of characters including poachers, government officials, smugglers, boat captains, ivory carvers, art buyers and collectors, Farmer, Dileep and Louis shift gears with creative, chameleon-like aplomb that is admirable, persuasive and coated with actor-like relish and dynamic that works most advantageously throughout the entire production. As Mlima, Rowe is astonishing. His transformation into elephant and subsequent spirit is imbued with a lyrical command and Alvin Alley balletic grace that fascinates at every single turn. The actor also brilliantly communicates the character's suffering, anguish and torment in early scenes that portray Mlima's death and passing from one world to the next.
A shattering, potent work with edge, impact and theatrical dynamic, "Mlima's Tale" is an important drama that benefits greatly from Mark Lamos' sharp, intuitive direction and the particularly effective performances of its hardworking quartet of actors. Playwright Lynn Nottage crafts an intensely personal play that stirs and ignites with an overpowering compassion that is not easily forgotten.
Photos of "Mlima's Tale" courtesy of Carol Rosegg
"Mlima's Tale" is being staged at Westport Country Playhouse (25 Powers Ct., Westport, CT), now through October 19.
For tickets or more information, call (203) 227- 4177.
website: westportplayhouse.org.
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