From the start, the language of the play is beautiful, but complex. A Praise-Singer (G. Valmont Thomas) speaks in poetic riddles, and then Elesin tells a story of the Not-I bird, which is a premonition of death.
If you're somewhat lost as an audience member at this point, don't fret, an early scene between a British officer Simon Pilkings (Rex Young) and his wife, Jane (Emily Sophia Knapp), puts the whole situation in context in more plain English.
From the onset, the energy and power of the play rides on Weeden with his booming voice and raw physical presence on stage. A scene where Weeden's character gets hypnotized by Thomas' chanting and a trio of drummers is completely mesmerizing. One of the drummers, by the way, is Adebisi Adeleke, a native of Nigeria and a master of the African talking drum.
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