subscribe: Posts | Comments

‘Stew’ chronicles sorrows, disappointments and hopes of 3 generations of Black women

0 comments

Stew by Zora Howard opens January 19th at The Laboratory Theater of Florida. This fast-paced family dramedy bubbles and simmers like the titular meal that Mama, her daughter, and grandchildren work to make one important Saturday morning. Unease and tension grow with the heat of the kitchen with a twist at the end so clever you’ll want to watch the show twice.

Stew is a hilarious and haunting drama that explores the unbreakable bond between kinswomen and reveals the power that loss holds over our lives when we refuse to share it with others. The everyday sorrows, disappointments and hopes of three generations of Black women are chronicled … along with their stamina to survive a world of economic hardship, emotional neglect and chronic violence.

“…a captivating story that’s intimate, funny, and heartbreaking in equal measure.” – The New Yorker

Director Sonya McCarter says, “Step into Mama’s kitchen and celebrate the joys and pains of multi-generations cooking together. In Mama’s kitchen, you’ll find love, laughter, comfort, and a healthy dose of ‘You’re doing it wrong!’ ‘That’s too much!’ and ‘Just let me do it!’”

“It’s clear from the fun yet haunting, fast-paced language of the play why Stew was a Pulitzer Prize finalist,” adds Producing Artistic Director Annette Trossbach. “I laughed out loud and cried the first time I read it – it’s so honest and sharp, with the conversation just crackling with old and new tensions but underpinned by an enormous love. Mama rules the house and loves everyone in it, though her memory seems to be slipping..”

Directed by Sonya McCarter, Stew by Zora Howard features Tijuanna Clemons as Mama and Calah McCarter as Nelly, Shakiya Boucher as Lillian, Bianca Barner as Lil Mama and Terroncia Simon as U/S for Mama.

Go here for play dates, times and ticket information.

January 14, 2024.

 

Comments are closed.