I had the pleasure last night of going to Richardson, TX and seeing A Debt That Led To Home at The Core Theatre. This original play by James Hansen Prince (Founder and Artistic Director of The Core Theatre) is about two homeless men and the young journalist who visits them for an interview and gets much more than she bargained for.
The play is witty, sad, heartening, and heart-breaking. My favorite parts were the humor; the witty dialogue between the two main characters, Lamont and Stevie. The pacing occasionally pulled me out of the play, with some scenes a little too short and one scene in particular standing out as too long after all of those quick, sketch comedy style vignettes. I also found it surprising that the last several scenes dropped most of the comedic aspect. I would have liked to see the main characters return to comedy in the face of the changes and tragedies of the play's ending. However, these details are my only complaints. I found the acting and the dialogue wonderful, and the set fascinating (kudos to scenic artist Jim Finger - I loved the depth and artistry of the graffiti). Brandon Bradfield Sr. played a magnificent Lamont, the brains of the operation, and James Prince was alternately hilarious and gut-wrenching in his portrayal of Stevie, a clownish tramp who uses humor to battle with the ever-present ghosts of his past. The supporting cast was lovely. I particularly remembered Phil Mendoza's portrayal of Slow Mo as packing a lot of interesting detail into a small handful of lines.
I found it odd at first that Hanson chose to double Garry Nation as the Pastor with the sexually predatory Dance Instructor, the verbally abusive Major, and finally the kind Doctor. However, as the play went on, the characters sort of gelled together in my mind, and I imagined that Stevie may have a dreamlike sense of all of his father-figures being aspects of the same person. I decided that the Doctor at the end may represent Stevie coming to terms and forgiving the other father figures for their crimes against him.
I agree with director Eric Hanson's interpretation that "the invisible among us... have experienced things just as we have." This play uses humor and compassion to remind us that the homeless are, in many ways, just like us.
A Debt That Led To Home runs August 18th-September 17th at The Core Theatre in Richardson, TX. For more information, visit TheCoreTheatre.org or call (214) 930-5338 for tickets.
The play is witty, sad, heartening, and heart-breaking. My favorite parts were the humor; the witty dialogue between the two main characters, Lamont and Stevie. The pacing occasionally pulled me out of the play, with some scenes a little too short and one scene in particular standing out as too long after all of those quick, sketch comedy style vignettes. I also found it surprising that the last several scenes dropped most of the comedic aspect. I would have liked to see the main characters return to comedy in the face of the changes and tragedies of the play's ending. However, these details are my only complaints. I found the acting and the dialogue wonderful, and the set fascinating (kudos to scenic artist Jim Finger - I loved the depth and artistry of the graffiti). Brandon Bradfield Sr. played a magnificent Lamont, the brains of the operation, and James Prince was alternately hilarious and gut-wrenching in his portrayal of Stevie, a clownish tramp who uses humor to battle with the ever-present ghosts of his past. The supporting cast was lovely. I particularly remembered Phil Mendoza's portrayal of Slow Mo as packing a lot of interesting detail into a small handful of lines.
I found it odd at first that Hanson chose to double Garry Nation as the Pastor with the sexually predatory Dance Instructor, the verbally abusive Major, and finally the kind Doctor. However, as the play went on, the characters sort of gelled together in my mind, and I imagined that Stevie may have a dreamlike sense of all of his father-figures being aspects of the same person. I decided that the Doctor at the end may represent Stevie coming to terms and forgiving the other father figures for their crimes against him.
I agree with director Eric Hanson's interpretation that "the invisible among us... have experienced things just as we have." This play uses humor and compassion to remind us that the homeless are, in many ways, just like us.
A Debt That Led To Home runs August 18th-September 17th at The Core Theatre in Richardson, TX. For more information, visit TheCoreTheatre.org or call (214) 930-5338 for tickets.
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