In the Blood

In the Blood is playing at the Signature Theatre located at 480 West 42nd Street. It runs two hours with no intermission. The play closes on October 8, 2017.

Suzan-Lori Parks is the playwright. She won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2001 for Topdog/Underdog.

Saycom Sengbloh was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Drama Desk Award in 2016 Eclipsed.

Frank Wood won a Tony Award in 1998 for Sideman.

Hester, La Negrita (Saycon Sengbloh) is not married and has five children. She is alone on the stage. There are people behind her partly hidden behind her. They are making remarks like is she married, slut, what are we suppose too support her??

When we first see her with her children she is a loving and caring mother. They live under a bride and live off the garbage thrown off it.

We meet the people in her life. They are supposed to be friends or there to help her.

Six people make confessions.

 

1. Her Doctor (Frank Wood). He tells her they only way they will help her if is she gets a hysterectomy.

2. The Welfare Lady (Jocelyn Bioh). She makes her have three way sex with her husband.

3. Her friend Amiga (Ana Reeder). Hester gives her things to sell and she keeps the money.

4. Reverend D (Russell G. Jones). Is one nasty preacher, he is the father of one of her children.

5. Jabber (Michael Braun). He is her first lover and father to her first child.

6. Hester tells us she can’t read or write.

 

These are some of the confessions.

All the pressures and disappointments are taking a toll on her.

Things happen. This is a very emotional play. Don’t miss seeing this play. But be prepared it will hit you hard.

The cast plays her children and the people in her life. They do an incredible job. Saycon Sengbloh does an outstanding performance.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.