I wondered, as I headed to a second-week performance of Black Theatre Troupe’s "Rasheeda Speaking," if it would be possible for a production starring Lillie Richardson and Katie McFadzen to be lousy. Could it be in some way lacking if the supporting cast were Joseph Kremer and Pamela Fields? How bad could any evening of theater be if it were directed by Matthew Wiener?
I needn’t have worried. Chicago playwright Joel Drake Johnson’s tidy one-act isn’t perfect, but it offers interesting perspective and burnishes its rough edges with some real literary style. The cast and their director offset the script’s soft spots with an obvious affection for the material.
Equal parts social-issues drama and psychological thriller, the story is entertaining and light on commentary. The plot has Jaclyn returning to work in Dr. Williams’ medical office after five days of sick leave. He’s not happy to have her back, he tells Ileen, his recently promoted office manager. Ileen’s new duties include keeping tabs on Jaclyn, and creating a list of her transgressions that will allow Williams to fire her. Jaclyn notices, and responds by messing with Ileen’s desk drawers; being rude to a patient and shamelessly schmoozing the doctor.
Johnson has written a deplorable trio of characters, each with their own vices. Williams may be a racist who doesn’t like Jaclyn, but so too may Jaclyn, who tells mean-spirited stories about her Mexican neighbors. Ileen’s trouble is her ambivalence. Does she even like Jaclyn?
The production is beautifully cast. Richardson gives Jaclyn an almost maniacally jovial quality that makes credible her later swift shifts between mischief and meanness. McFadzen gives Ileen plenty of room to move, offering a convincing leap from confident and content to a new, more unsteady understanding of her coworker.
Wiener keeps the emotional action moving with his usual polish, and the single office set is handsomely furnished with mundane desks and door frames, signaling that the story we’re about to see is a real-world drama. It’s illuminated by Jamie Arakas’s thoughtfully designed lighting, which complement four fine performances — the real reason to see this production — without competing with them.
Robrt Pela’s reviews appear in the Phoenix New Times.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This headline had been modified to correct the spelling of Robrt Pela's name.