All The Natalie Portmans

All The Natalie Portmans is playing at the MCC Theater located at 511 West 52nd Street. It runs two hours and ten minutes with on intermission. The play closes on March 15, 2020.

Donyale Werle is the scenic designer. He won a Tony Award in 2012 for Peter and the Starcatcher and was nominated for a Tony Award in 2011 for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.

Montego Glover was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 for Memphis.

The time is 2009 in Northeast Washington D. C.

Chantel (Renika Williams) comes out in her bra and underwear. She is trying to get dressed. Samuel comes out of the room in his underwear. He tries to coax her back into the bedroom. She won’t come back in unless her wears protection. Samuel hugs her and say she is his girlfriend. Her reply is we are just friends.

When she leaves Samuel’s sixteen-year-old sister Keyonna (Kara Young) comes in. Her favorite actress is Natalie Portman. The wall behind the coach where she sleeps are pictures of her and Whoppi Goldberg. From time to time Natalie Portman (Elise Kibler) appears in costume and they act out a scene from one of her movies.

Ovetta (Montego Glover) is the mother. She is a mess. Their father died when they were young. She became an alcoholic.

Samuel and Keyonna are on their own. Samuel is a bar tender. Keyonna wants to go to college and ants to become a screenwriter. Ovetta works in a hotel. They don’t know month to month if there will be money for rent or food.

Things really get intense. I’m not saying anymore so I won’t spoil it.

This an intense and gets emotional play. It is worth seeing.

The whole cast is outstanding. They work well with each other.

Especially enjoyable are the scenes with Natalie Portman. They help chill some of the other scenes.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read an interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.