Playwright: Stephanie Liss. At: Athenaeum Theatre, Studio One, 2936 N. Southport Ave. Tickets: AthenaeumTheatre.org; $32. Runs through: Sept. 10
When sitting down for this world-premiere drama about the victims of the Congo's ongoing civil war, one might be disappointed if one comes looking for a play consisting primarily of dialogue and interactions between actors.
Sister Africa can more aptly be described as a collection of monologues delivered by various characters in an unfolding drama, sometimes tied together by brief moments of interaction. Based upon hundreds of hours of interview with war victims and soldiers gathered by author Stephanie Lisswho journeyed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Jewish World Watchit stands as a distilled collection of stories from her experiences.
Stealing the show is actress Takesha Kizart as Mama Jette, whose stirring recollections of the murder of her family and rape by enemy soldiers leaves a lasting impression. Ahmed Brooks as Amani, a Congolese teacher drawn to save child-soldiers from military bondage, and Chris McClellan as Cesar, a child-soldier, also display great character development. Jimmy Binns ( Rabbi ) and Melissa Nelson ( Miriam ) are less effective in their performances, though this may in part be due to the writing, as their characters seem more observers rather than players in the drama.
The music, composed by American-Israeli musician RebbeSoul, adds to the ambience and does not distract from the actors. It might be improved, however, with more African influence.
Problematic are the staging and lights. The stage was divided too neatly into the rabbi's office on one side and an African hut on the other, with two white zigzag lines painted down centerstage to divide the action. As the stage is already small, the actors were often confined to stand and deliver their monologues, rather than use the full space. The stories would only come to life more fully had director Elayne LeTraunik allowed for a more innovative staging and set design.
The attention to lighting was also lacking. At times, the wrong half of the stage appeared lit while actors delivered their stories from the other side. Also, more could have been done with lighting to evoke moods of daylight, sunset and evening. Costumes were effective and consistent to their characters, however, even beautiful in the case of Mama Jette.
Although this production felt clunky at times, one can commend the efforts by Liss and Genesis Theatrical Productions to bring to light the atrocities of the Congo's civil war and the many layers of victims that such wars leave behind. It is a story worthy of telling.