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Triangle Downtowner Magazine

Stick Fly, don't bother me

Feb 02, 2022 11:26AM ● By Lamarr Fowlkes

The dynamics of family and relationships are explored in “Stick Fly”, director’s Kathryn Hunter-Williams debut at the Paul Green Theater stage of Playmakers Repertory Company. At the Levay family beach home, brothers Flip (Khalil LeSaldo) and Kent (Anthony August) are reunited, bringing in tow their respective romantic partners: Kent’s opinionated researcher fiancé Taylor (AhDream Smith) and Flip’s White Anglo-Saxon Protestant partner Kimber (Tori Jewell) to meet family patriarch, Dr. Joseph Levay (Oscar Best). Golden son Flip’s stretching of the truth regarding Tori’s racial and ethnic background as well as the status of their relationship is juxtaposed by less-favored son Kent’s clearly established engagement with Taylor. Dr. Levay is attended to by young Cheryl (Omolade Wey), a long-time family friend who keeps herself busy with studies and maid duties as a distraction from her off-screen mother’s illness.

Tensions arise as Taylor’s rougher upbringing and Tori’s more privileged background fail to align them in their shared practices of aiding and empowering minority communities, culminating in a verbal joust over drinks. Cheryl also manages to find herself in conflict with both women as their attempts at helping around the house and including her in the group’s activities are met with aversion and hostility. The brothers differ both in their approaches to life and people as well as their level of kinship with their father. Their mother Mrs. Levay’s absence and Dr. Levay’s gradual unease with conversations pertaining to his past leads to a startling revelation that rivets the family and impacts several relationships’ future.

Ripe with dialogue, the actors’ delivery of their characters' words is seamless yet impassioned. An expose on how living one’s truth doesn’t always resemble telling the whole truth, penetrates social taboos and internal reconciliations. Despite a run time of 3 hours, there is rarely a down moment and the production leaves viewers wanting a continuation of the story. "Stick Fly" runs on stage at PlayMakers Repertory Company through February 6, 2022. For more information on the show and to purchase tickets, call 919.962.7529 or visit https://playmakersrep.org/show/stick-fly/.