Emergence-See

Well - I'm a big fan of the Public Theater, as I've written here, but I have to say I wasn't terribly impressed by their newest production, a one-man play called Emergence-See. Maybe it's because I've seen a lot of one-actor shows lately (No Child comes to mind - which blew me away..and one of the first, Bridge and Tunnel, even made it to Broadway) but this one didn't stand out or really differentiate itself. Sure, there were some good points being made - but in only and hour and a half, I was a bit bored.

Daniel Beaty wrote and stars in this new production, the story of a slave ship (aptly titled Remembrance) landing off the harbor in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York City, in present-day, 2006. Daniel portrays roughly 40 characters throughout the play but focuses in on one particular family. Concerning this family, the father has just climbed aboard this slave ship and is attracting a media frenzy. His two sons, Rodney and Freddie, are in Harlem anxiously trying to get their father downtown. Meanwhile, Beaty conveys several characters at the scene of the harbor who are confused, overwhelmed and estatic about the strange happenings.

Cut to a poetry cafe where Rodney is supposed to be performing in a competition, Beaty takes the stage as several different poets, putting forth some powerful rhymes. Tension builds as Rodney shows up to perform just seconds before everyone is about to give up (as he's been stuck down by the harbor with his father).

As the play concludes, the ship disappears and we are left with the thought to always remember (e.g. the ship's name Remembrance) about our heritage and history and not to forget how the past can affect our present.

So - the story's convoluted, the set is uneventful and the lighting is distracting. Daniel Beaty, however, deserves credit for acting his heart out and putting in some great writing. I did read some other reviews that praised everything about the show, one even went as far as to call it "the most important new American drama since Angels in America." Mmm Hmm... Well for now, I beg to differ, and I say I'll choose to stay away from solo shows for just a little while.