Theater Review: After The Rain, The Sun Will Come proves to be entertaining

(L-R): Umeki Webb as Toni and Kisa Jackson as Janet.

Like R&B music star Usher Raymond, I have a confession:

In the twenty-one years I have lived in Dallas, I have never visited Dealey Plaza, the historic landmark where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and thousands of tourists and locals visit annually with cameras and camcorders in hand.

Likewise, I have never been to the Texas Theatre, a former movie theater and also a landmark which gained notoriety as the location where Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President Kennedy and a Dallas police officer was arrested after the fatal shooting.

I don't know, call it the heebee geebee's but societal pre-occupation with violence is something I'd rather not associate with, even if its popular.

Well, I got over myself, took a leap of faith and attended a weekend production at the Texas Theatre entitled "After The Rain, The Sun Will Shine." And you know what? I'm glad I did.

Finding delicious theater served up in unexpected places is like an addiction for me. I credit this to my own humble beginnings as an actor in similar places over 20 years ago. This is where talent cuts their acting chops, pay their dues, and hone their craft.

I was reminded of that while sitting in the unrenovated Texas Theatre amongst a modest audience where I rediscovered the joy of basic theater all over again. Equally striking as the play commenced and ended, I felt as though I was watching the emergence of a new sub-genre of theatre similar to the popular urban Black theater phenomena that birthed the likes of playwrights and producers Shelly Garrett, Tyler Perry, and Dallas' own Laterras Whitfield.

Producer/Playwright Kisa Jackson

If Kisa Jackson, producer and playwright continues on this chosen path which began in 2006, she is sure to join the ranks of these mega-producers with a loyal fan base made up of predominately African-American LGBT patrons.

I am a traditionalist when it comes to production values for a stage play, no matter if the piece is a drama, comedy, satire, mystery. The blaring pre-show music which had several tracks to skip over and over was annoying. Equally a distraction was the solo large spotlight which lit center stage but I remembered the place was still in stages of renovation so I let that slide.

When the play opened to my surprise an M.C., played by Hershey Wilson as herself, walked out and welcomed everyone. This was not the last we saw of the incredibly funny Wilson who provided commentary during many of the longer set changes. I knew I was in for something "different" when an audience member made a comment to a character during a scene, to which Wilson pointed out into the audience and asked "who said that about her leaving her shoes? Ain't she a triflin bitch?", to which the audience erupted into laughter.

As the story progresses, we find Janet, an attorney played by Jackson and her same-sex partner Toni, played by Umeki Webb engaged in the all too familiar issues most couples endure (straight or gay) with communication and spending quality time together. The chemistry between Jackson and Webb is so authentic I soon forgot both actors were women and thought I was observing a heterosexual couple, a credit to the acting abilities of both women. 

When Toni almost strays with her brother Keith's straight girlfriend Tracy, played with fantastic comedic flair by Christy Williams, we know the couple is headed for splitsville without some serious intervention.

Then something else "different" happened. A music track came on and Janet and Toni started to lip sync to each other aka a drag show at your local gay nightclub. At first this was completely disarming for me, particularly how suddenly the music started and abruptly ended, which occurred in all but one of the subsequent songs and needs to be worked out.

But I have to admit, I was swept away at the mimed performances by the actors, particularly that of Webb's. Webb is a female but her performance as a man crooning a current R&B hit with unmistakeable black man swagger left me feeling happily giddy and uncomfortable at the same time.

In the comedy corner, the night definitely belonged to Kimberly Williams as Doctor Johnson, a psychiatrist called in to save the day and Paula, a fast-talking often sarcastic girlfriend of Janet's played to the hilt by Ericka Johnson.

At a group therapy session convened by Janet to save her ailing relationship, to the dismay of Toni who wants to keep the matter personal, Doctor Johnson asks the reluctant participants who would like to open the discussion. Everyone, equally frustrated with their relationships that mirrors Janet and Toni's, starts speaking at the same time and over each other which drew bursts of laughter from an understanding audience.

Toni takes it further by stating to Janet "being in a house does not make you happy," and then turns to the doctor and orders "write that down, Doctor, in cursive", which drew additional laughs.

When the session eventually falls apart and an explosive outburst by a straight male Terry to his wife Tiffany occurs, played with shocking intensity and believeable fear by Guy Milan Dupree and Shay Jackson respectively, the all too familiar theme of domestic violence at the hands of an abusive husband is upon you.

Doctor Johnson breaks up the tension as she departs the stage in righteous indignation., Frustrated by the results of the session and needing a drink very badly, she barks to herself and then to various audience members as she exits "I ain't never seen a bunch of lesbians like yourselves. Have you?", which drew raucous applause.

In the second act, we find Janet and Toni desperately trying to connect when they receive word two of the couple's girlfriends have been involved in a car accident. The waiting room scene generated some of the most touching scenes in the play. In another lip sync, three of the "male" looking partners sing to Terry about his responsibility to love his wife and understand the ramifications of domestic violence. Their lip-synced performance was a joy to watch and moving.

After the song when Terry says "I watched my father hit my mother and I just can't believe I've turned into this person," while not excuseable in my book based on the current Rihanna and Chris Brown saga, Dupree captured so eloquently the mental confusion faced by these abusers.

However, unlike Rihanna, Tiffany does not take Terry back and informs him in yet another lip sync performance which proved to be the evening's best. Jackson brought down the house in the spirit of Patti Labelle with soul-stirring hit "I'll Find A Way" by R&B singer Blu Cantrell.

Cast members of After The Rain, The Sun Will Shine

At the end, we find solidarity in the women (and women playing men) and a commitment to remaining a family no matter what. Given the invisibility and sometimes incohesiveness of the African-American same gender loving community, that was like music to my ears.