"Home"

"Home" at the Todd Haimes Theatre was originally brought to Broadway in 1980 after a stint at the Negro Ensemble Company the year prior. Written by Samm-Art Williams (who died just before previews begun), follows the life of Cephus Miles (Tory Kittles) as he moves back and forth in his life from the late 1950's to the present. As people move away from Cross Roads, North Carolina, a farm area, workers are difficult to find, family members have passed, but he loves the land;" loves the black sod beneath his feet". Even though he works in a mill during the winter months, he lives for the days that he is able to work the land. From tobacco, corn and other crops, this is what gives Cephus the most pleasure.

Not overly religious, he becomes so when he meets and falls in love with Pattie Mae Wells (Brittany Inge). As both parents agree to them being married, he must first be Baptized if he is to wed Ms. Wells. The other stipulation is that she must get an education at a teaching college in Virginia. As there lives splinter over the course of time, Cephus will never love another woman.

"Home" has a few fundamental problems to it: the first is the speed of the speaking in Tory Kittles, the second issue is that the two woman, who perform their roles with brilliant aplomb are sometimes confusing in how they portray their characters. This falls squarely on the direction of Kenny Leon. Like many of Leon's shows that he directed of recent, the actors tend to fall out of cadence, sometimes he "overkill's" a scene. The last problem is that the show slows to a snails pace at two points in the show. The first is when Cephus goes to jail, the second big lull is shortly after his prison release. We never get a full understanding as to why he is incarcerated, other than he is a draft dodger and that he doesn't believe in killing.

As the three actors move about time and back, Both Stori Ayers as woman two and Inge do an admirable job playing different roles. Ayers is brilliant in the role of a toothless bus driver taking Cephus from the big city to back home to the farm which was just purchased for him by someone he doesn't at first recognize (at least not the name).

The set design by Arnulfo Maldonado, the costumes by Dede Ayite and the lighting by Allen Lee Hughes are not remarkable, however, the sound by Justin Ellington is first rate. The subtitles during performance were brilliant in that it hit the subconscious, giving great mood effect.

The play and its writing did give us some good material, what was always in his heart is where he was most happy, at home. The ending, even though it was predictable, was heartfelt. Cephus had a tough life on the whole, he never complained about the cards he was dealt at times, he just moved forward, only to return to his happy place.

Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes Theatre, Kenny Leon, Samm- Art Williams, Tory Kittles, Brittany Inge, Stori Ayers, Cross Roads, North Carolina, Upcoming Broadway Shows, Tony Awards, Mary Jane, The Mother Play, The Who's Tommy, Theater 555, off Broadway, Aladdin, Harry Potter, The Play That Goes Wrong, Back To The Future, The Great Gatsby, Merrily We Roll, MJ The Musical, Heart of Rock and Roll, The Book of Mormon, Chicago, A Beautiful Noise, The Tony Awards and Drama Desk Awards, Playbill, Hollywood, Robert Downey Jr, George Clooney, The Roommate, Hamlet, Once upon A Mattress.