The Liquid Plain

The liquid Plain is playing at the Signature Theatre located 480 West 42nd Street. The play runs two hours twenty minutes with one intermission.

LisaGay Hamilton is known as attorney Rebecca in the ABC show “The Practice” (1997-2003).

The time is possibly 1791 and 1837, the place Bristol, Rhode Island.

Adjua (KristoylnLloyd) and Dembi Ito Aghayere) are black. They are pulling out a man from the river. Thinking he is dead they takes his clothes and shoes to sell. Adjua finds a book in his pocket, she keeps the book even though she cannot read. Craston (Michael Izquierdo) wakes up with no memory.

They put him to work. When he finally regains his memory, he becomes more assertive and superior to them. Adjua and Dembi are keeping a low profile, saving money to get back to Africa. Dembi was born here.

Bahazar (Karl Miller) informs them the ship they were going to leave on sunk. When things seem bleak Liverpool Joe (Johnny Ramey) says he can get a ship they all can go on to get to England. He tells them he remembers Cranston testified against James De Wolfe who tossed Africans off his ship still alive, because they were sick. He is the one who had some try to kill Cranston.

Before they depart, Dembi decides she not going, Adjua says she is pregnant, Dembi stabs her. Just as that happens we hear a whistle blowing, they have been discovered.

Forty years pass. Bristol (LisaGay Hamilton) is from England. She has paid for her freedom. Bristol is looking for her father.

Dembi is underground helping runaways such as Nesbin (Lance Roberts and Gifford (Robert Hogan).

Bristol is surprised when she finds out the truth. However she goes to the captain James De Wolfe (Robert Hogan) home with the intent to kill him. Her aunt was one of the people he thru over board because she had small pox. James commented he had to throw 26 people over board but they were only cargo. Bristol decides that it's not worth killing him.

This was the first performance before an audience but you could not tell. The cast was outstanding.

This is a story that needs to be told over and over least we come up with an excuse it did not happen.

Kristolyn Lloys, Ito Aghayere and LisaGay Hamilto are fantastic. Each one conveys the pain each of these women suffered at the hands of others. You feel their pain. Robert Hogan arrogance is so convincing you want to slap his face or better yet throw him overboard on a ship.

This is a show worth seeing.

I spoke to assistant director Nicole A. Watson about the sign before you enter the theater warning you about nudity in the show. She said it was Signature Theatre decision to do it. There really wasn’t much nudity.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.