{"id":19044,"date":"2015-06-16T14:38:37","date_gmt":"2015-06-16T21:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=19044"},"modified":"2015-06-16T20:45:01","modified_gmt":"2015-06-17T03:45:01","slug":"choir-boy-is-a-masterpiece-at-marin-theatre-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/choir-boy-is-a-masterpiece-at-marin-theatre-company\/","title":{"rendered":"“Choir Boy” is a Masterpiece at Marin Theatre Company!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Choir Boy<\/em> <\/span><\/strong>is a Masterpiece at Marin Theatre Company!<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Marin Theatre Company closes out its 48<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> Season with a Bay Area premiere of <\/span>Choir Boy<\/span><\/em><\/strong> by <\/span>Tarell Alvin McCraney<\/span><\/strong>, the celebrated American Playwright of the <\/span>Brother\/Sister Plays Trilogy<\/span><\/em> and <\/span>Head of Passes<\/span><\/em>.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Kent Gash,<\/span><\/strong> who previously directed the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critic Circle\u2019s award-winning production of August Wilson\u2019s <\/span>Seven Guitars<\/span><\/em> at MTC, powerfully directs this exceptionally beautiful piece of theatre.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>This is pure theatre magic!<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Choir Boy<\/span><\/em><\/strong> takes place at the Charles R. Drew Prep School, an institution devoted to the development of extraordinary young black men.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>This play is a series of vignettes focusing on Pharus Jonathan Young (<\/span>Jelani Alladin<\/span><\/strong>), a talented singer at the school. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Pharus, a scholarship student, is ambitious and has worked hard to become the leader of the school\u2019s famous gospel choir, but he\u2019s also not inclined to hide his natural <\/span>flamboyance and has to decide how to deal with gay slurs from his classmates.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span>Director Kent Gash has created an ensemble of performers who work as a unit while each actor manages to maintain his individuality. \u00a0The primary conflict is between Pharus and Bobby Marrow (<\/span>Dimitri Woods<\/span><\/strong>), member of a prominent family and nephew of Headmaster Marrow (<\/span>Ken Robinson<\/span><\/strong>), while Pharus\u2019 main defender is his roommate Anthony Justin \u201cAJ\u201d James (<\/span>Jaysen Wright<\/span><\/strong>).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Filling out the cast are two more students Bobby\u2019s friend Junior Davis (<\/span>Rotimi Agbabiaka<\/span><\/strong>) and Pharus\u2019 <\/span>serious<\/span><\/em> friend David Heard (Forest Van Dyke<\/strong>).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>The Headmaster enlists Mr. Pendleton<\/span><\/strong>(<\/span>Charles Shaw Robinson<\/span><\/strong>), a retired Caucasian faculty member, to help the singers work together and think through their difficulties.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Jelani Alladin<\/span><\/strong> succeeds in portraying the different sides of Pharus: a young man who wants to be loved and accepted but who understands the need to follow the rules.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Dimitri Woods<\/span><\/strong> successfully shows Bobby\u2019s frustration, at not getting the respect to which he feels entitled, without becoming a villain.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Headmaster Marrow, as portrayed by <\/span>Ken Robinson<\/span><\/strong>, sympathetically shows how the Headmaster is occasionally in over his head, and <\/span>Charles Shaw Robinson<\/span><\/strong> adds some comic relief as Mr. Pendleton, who emerges gradually from being less shy and becoming more authoritative.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

McCraney incorporates acappella gospel songs between the scenes, sung brilliantly by his five young leads, directed by <\/span>Darius Smith<\/span><\/strong> and Sound Designer\/Assistant Music Director <\/span>Chris Houston<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The boys\u2019 sharp prep-school uniforms are designed by <\/span>Callie Floor<\/span><\/strong> and Scenic Designer <\/span>Jason Sherwood<\/span><\/strong>\u2019s stately set is circled by portraits of great African-American leaders. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Lighting Designer <\/span>Kurt Landisman<\/span><\/strong>\u2019s effective lighting enhances the mood.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Choir Boy<\/span><\/em><\/strong> is at the top of my list of shows not to be missed! <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

FLORA LYNN ISAACSON<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photos by Kevin Berne and Ed Smith
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Choir Boy <\/span><\/em><\/strong>began<\/strong>\u00a0June 9 and has extended its run through July\u00a05 at Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Performances<\/span><\/strong>:
\n<\/span><\/span>Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 8:00 pm <\/span>Wednesdays 7:30 pm
\n<\/span>Sundays 7:00 pm<\/span><\/p>\n

Matinees<\/span><\/strong>: Sundays 2:00 pm; Thursday, June 18<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> at 1:00 pm; and Saturday June 27<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> at 2:00 pm<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For tickets<\/span><\/strong>, contact Marin Theatre Company at 415-388-5208 or online at <\/span><\/span>boxoffice@marintheatre.org<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coming up<\/strong> at Marin Theatre Company, to start their new Season, will be <\/span>The Oldest Boy<\/span><\/em><\/strong> by Sarah Ruhl from September 10 through October 4, 2015. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Choir Boy is a Masterpiece at Marin Theatre Company!\u00a0 Marin Theatre Company closes out its 48th Season with a Bay Area premiere of Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":19159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19044","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-flora-lynn-isaacson"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"