Dot

Dot is playing at the Vineyard Theatre located at 108 West 15th Street. It runs for two hours with one intermission. The play closes on March 20, 2016.

The play premiered at the Humana Festival in 2015.

Susan Stroman is the director. She won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for director and choreographer for The Producers in 2001, a Tony Award in 2000 for Contact (choreographer), A Tony Award in 1995 for Showboat (choreographer) and a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award in 1992 for Crazy for You (choreographer). Susan has also been nominated for a Tony Award for The Scottsboro Boys (2011 choreographer and director), Oklahoma (2002 Choreographer), Contact (2000 director), The Music Man (2000 director), Steel Pier (1997 director) and Big (1996 choreographer).

Colman Domingo is the director. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 2011 for The Scottsboro Boys for best actor in a feature role.

The play takes place in the present day West Philadelphia.

The first act takes place in the kitchen.

Shelly (Sharon Washington) is making breakfast for her mother Dotty (Marjorie Johnson). Jackie (Finnerty Steeves) is visiting from New York City. She grew up in the area and was friends with Shelly.

Shelly is overwhelmed because her mother has dementia. She is the only one of her siblings taking care of her financially and physically. Shelly has hired Fidel (Michael Rosen) to take care of her when she is at work at her mother’s home.

Shelly sister Averie (Libya V. Pugh) lives in her basement.

It’s Christmas and Dotty wants a blue spruce for the tree.

Dotty’s personally changes in a flash, one minute she is rational and the other her mind change in a different direction. She does not remember what she just said.

Jackie is white and use to date Shelly’s brother Donnie (Stephen Conrad Moore) in high school. Donnie is gay. Jackie was invited to his marriage to Adam (Colin Hanlon) but didn’t go.

As the group reminisces, Averis comes into the kitchen. She strut’s her stuff in high heel shoes.

Act two we are in the living room. A large decorated Christmas tree is in front of the widow a piano is near it. The family is trying to come to decision on what’s going to happen to their mother. Averis, Donnie and Adam realize what Shelly has been going thru.

This is a heart wrenching story how dementia effects everyone in the family. You will have to see the play to find out what happens and more about the family members.

Go see this show you will not be disappointed. I was glad I got to see this beautiful play, it is well written, directed and acted.. Marjorie Johnson, Sharon Washington and Colin Hanlon did an impressive job in making you feel that they are the person they are acting.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Anazor.

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