CheekyChicago

The world premiere of Magnolia hit me like a rock to the gut. I haven’t seen a play this moving in a good long while, primarily because of two strong suits. One was the cast – an amazing mix of talent, both young and old, Chicago natives and bi-coasters. And, secondly, was Regina Taylor’s original and daunting script.

Set in Atlanta in 1964, during a time when the lines of segregation were disintegrating and the “separate but equal” philosophy wasn’t sitting well with most, we are taken into the story of a magnolia plantation and the two families that emotionally claim it. It was once lived on by the bitter, middle-aged, black real estate businessman Thomas (played by spitfire John Earl Jelks), who was the grandson of a slave and watched his brother get hanged upon one of those very magnolia trees. Having made his way up in the world financially, his rage gets streamlined when he finds out that the 42-acre plantation, owned by the affluent white Forrest family, is up for foreclosure. The middle aged matriarch of the family, Lily (the bawdy and spot-on Annette O’Toole), has just returned from a sabbatical across Europe, only to find her mother is dying, her young daughter is coming of age and, worst of all, her family’s estate is slipping through her hands.

The play’s first act is a back and forth of scenes between the two worlds of whites and blacks, at their own respective cafes. With 12 characters, there is a lot of wordy dialogue as we learn the back story to each of these character’s lives and the stage is set for how they will eventually collide. Mechanically speaking, it was a lot of information to swallow at once and director Anna Shapiro does her best to help the audience digest it all. Playwright Regina Taylor has plenty of worthy words to say, yet I found myself wishing for less prose and more action. However, the second act is when the collision explodes and we discover that Thomas has indeed purchased the land and the Forrest family must reexamine their livelihood and identity. It is an incredibly poignant turning of the tides coinciding with this incredible political and social climate in our country’s history.

Standout performances came from Roxanna Reese as Carlotta, the aging black actress who provides the best comedic moments of the night, and is the silver lining a play this heavy always so desperately needs. Northwestern University junior (as in junior in college), Caitlin Collins, who plays Lily’s daughter Anna, proved that she had more than enough gusto and sparkle to stand amongst these fine actors, on this great stage, under the direction of Tony Award-winning director Shapiro. The most subtly heartbreaking performance of the night came from Tory O’Toole, who plays Meshach, the young black college student, working three jobs in an attempt to win the heart of the girl he so deeply loves, who does not love him back.

The social relevance of this show, as well as the truly outstanding acting is reason enough to venture to the Goodman this month. But really, it the final moment of the play (that sparked a standing ovation from the entire house), that should truly implore you to see Magnolia.