Word: difficult
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...which, in typical Newsom style, she fits perfectly into this country song—and as the song proceeds, dramatic harp and guitar cadences alternately build up and descend. Haunting vocal harmonies and forceful drum beats later give way to an Asian-inspired melody, rendering the song difficult to classify by conventional standards, yet still easy to listen...
...understand them,” Stewart N. Kramer ’12, who plays Clive, says. “I think this play encourages us to step back from our judgments and try to understand people who see the world in a different light, even though it is difficult...
Portraying a relatable human story through the vehicle of a minority family, without overly racializing the content, is a delicate and difficult task. Lydia R. Diamond’s “Stick Fly”—a Huntington Theatre Company production which plays through March 28 at the Boston Center for the Arts’s Calderwood Pavilion—rises gracefully to the challenge. The show provides a snapshot of the wealthy, African-American LeVay family as it starts to head over the edge of an unseen precipice, while wittily examining class, race, gender roles...
Despite the abundance of talent in the play, however, not all of the acting resonates. Salter’s performance as Taylor is particularly grating. She has the difficult task of playing an awkward character with many psychological and personal issues whose behavior annoys nearly everyone in the play, and she overacts the part. Her lines are occasionally too forceful, her emotional reactions too choppy, and her gestures barely contained within the bounds of the set. In the first scene in which she drunkenly verbally spars with Benton, Salter is uncomfortable to watch, gesturing dramatically, speaking too angrily, and overacting...
...Stick Fly” is an emotionally charged production with a beautiful set, a talented cast, and a script that forces deep consideration of difficult issues. Diamond is excellent at building up emotional tension, diffusing it with humor, and then continuing to build it again to nearly unbearable levels. Unfortunately, the ending of the play leaves a bit to be desired, as this final tension fails to culminate in a satisfying conclusion; instead, the show simply fizzles out. The play’s greatest strength, however, is that it makes the story of the LeVays universal, inviting audience members...