THEATRE RESPONSE: DESSA ROSE

Last night I attended the final preview of TheatreWorks' west coast premiere of Dessa Rose. I was so exhausted from the school week that I really went because my beloved C. Kelly Wright was in it. Sitting through the first act was difficult not just because of the subject matter - slavery, beatings, rape, injustice, suffering or the production itself - everything was top notch. There was just way too much going on in the first act and nothing seemed to flow the way a musical should. Luckily things get better in the second act when the pace is great, the songs get better and there is some humor to help us escape the heavy drama.

The two leads Carly Hughes & Linda Mugleston are first rate and deliver wonderful performances. My dear C. Kelly has the best song in the show called "White Milk & Red Blood" and she makes the most of it. The rest of the cast also give fine performances including my pal Mary Melnick, Cathleen Riddley, and John Eric Parker.

I particularly liked the song "In the Bend of My Arm" which is a dream sequence of lovers - beautiful.

As with any TheatreWorks show, the production values are first rate especially the lighting design by Steven Mannshardt was brilliant and highly effective.

This is a very heavy, emotional musical and TheatreWorks presents a beautiful production of it.