Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – For William Jackson Harper’s maiden outing as a playwright, the strong-boned TRAVISVILLE is exceedingly well-written and solidly structured

• By drediman
• October 23, 2018
• No Comments

The company of William Jackson Harper’s “Travisville” at Ensemble Studio Theatre. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to catch William Jackson Harper’s new play Travisville at Ensemble Studio Theatre. Over the years, EST has evolved into one of the city’s most reliable Off-Broadway incubators of fresh and exciting up-and-coming theatrical voices. Travisville happily continues this trend.

Set in 1964 Texas, Mr. Harper’s play tells the story of a young, newly-appointed African American minister who finds himself conflicted between his personal politics, the town’s progressive (white) mayor’s agenda, and his flock’s various woes. For someone new to playwriting, Travisville is exceedingly well-written, complete with carefully-wrought characters, and  a solid plotting. Indeed, the play neatly lays out the conflicting prerogatives, effectively creating a defined dramatic arc for audiences to latch on to. That the work could use just a little more heat, especially for a play set during this turbulent time of the Civil Rights Movement, is a matter of mere personal preference.

The EST production is directed with a steady hand by Steve H. Broadnax III’s, who takes his lead from Mr. Harper’s sturdy, well structured text. I particularly liked the handling of the play’s scene transitions, which utilizes an effecting “overlapping scene” technique that lets the momentum of the play gain undisrupted. Like the play, the cast of nine deliver meaty performances that are commendably workmanlike and strong-boned, allowing the writing to make its clearest case.

RECOMMENDED

TRAVISVILLE
Off-Broadway, Play
Ensemble Studio Theatre
2 hours (with one intermission)
Through October 28