Rep’s quietly affecting ‘Bossa Nova’ seeps into your soul

REVIEW: Rep’s quietly affecting ‘Bossa Nova’ seeps into your soul- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

Ficklin Media Note: The above  New Haven Register title of the Bossa Nova review very much captures perhaps the distinct impression of this production. Whose soul has been invaded. Is there such a thing as a black soul, a white soul , a human soul, one soul? Is the play strictly about race, class ,sexism, politics and sociology? Is it more deeply about this human dance to the music of our heart, regardless of time and place ? Can the production be appreciated in the same way if you are black, female, white or male. In these days of culture wars, wiki leaks, political character assassinations , global meltdown and fiscal instability is attending a play a prelude to "let them eat cake" or can it be a soul saving endeavor enabling you to emerge fired up and ready to go?

VARIETY REVIEW


Gygi JenningsDecember 6, 2010 at 4:23pm
Re: The FICKLIN MEDIA GROUP,LLC: Rep’s quietly affecting ‘Bossa Nova’ seeps into your soul
In general, it was a good night at the Theater and I was glad to be supportive of Black Theater! Whenever issues of Class, Race, Illicit Sex and Major Denial are explored, you're guaranteed a thought provoking experience! However, I can't help but feel alittle underwhelmed by this piece and I'm not sure if it's the treatment/presentation of these topics or the performances, but I feel that it was abit shallow. Overall, in my opinion, the play was commendable but not necessarily memorable.

Comments

Unknown said…
Tellingly, Gygi Jennings, commentary on Bossa Nova the new play by Kirsten Greenidge at the Yale Rep. is itself both shallow and cryptic. By telling the reader that she is happy to support "Black Theater," reveals that she learned little from the lyrical melodic words so warmly and adroitly strung together by Greenidge. There are a total of 6 characters in the play. Three of the characters are black and three are white. However, more importantly, the play is not exclusively about the tragic growing pains of a black girl from puberty to adulthood, rather it is a poetically layered dramatic glimpse into the way in which cultures intermingle, mesh and thrash against one another. Too bad Jennings missed the journey and true meaning of Bossa Nova.