During previews, I was invited to see a preview of the new play Stick Fly, a story about two new women being introduced into an affluent African American family’s home. The fiancé of one of the son’s is white and the girlfriend of the other son is black. Both of the woman are strong, passionate, and educated women in the fields of sociology and race relations – one by collegiate studies and one by personal experience.
At the center of Stickfly is Taylor, played by Tracie Thoms, a woman who is trying so hard to hold on to her relationships because she’s afraid of losing them (a fear induced to her when her famous literary father left her and her mother when she was young), and the other who (aside from being white) is quite secure in her relationship and her life, and has no problem with a heated debate with Thoms about race relations and feminism - this makes for an interesting evening, no doubt.
Stickfly is complex. It deals with a number of issues and there are a few plot twists as well. Thoms gives a beautifully heart-breaking performance - one of her best. The entire company is excellent though, including Mekhi Phifer, Dule Hill, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Rosie Benson, and Condola Rashad.
Although Stickfly was nearly 3 hours long, it was a quick and interesting three hours in a theatre.
Tickets were provided graciously by the producers.
