The Great Privation: Unearthing Shame and Resilience on Stage
Directed by Evren Odcikin for Soho Rep, The Great Privation is a bold and unflinching theatrical exploration that uncovers the dark and painful history of the United States. The play delves into the tainted soil of American history, Calling forth the ghosts of injustice and imbalance. From the moment the lights rise, however, a sense of defiance and hope pierces through the shadows, as humor and unease coexist in a powerful dance. At the heart of this emotional complexity are the warm, dynamic performances of its leads, Lucas-Perry and Vickerie. The latter, a Juilliard graduate student making her Off Broadway debut, brings a memorable energy to the stage, pairing perfectly with Lucas-Perry’s nuanced portrayal. Together, they anchor the story, offering audiences a deeply human lens through which to view the play’s weighty themes.
A Haunting Historical Landscape
The play is informed by the harrowing history of Black bodies being exploited in medical research without consent—a chapter of American history that remains deeply shameful. The Great Privation unfolds on the same plot of land, but across two vastly different centuries. In the 1800s, the setting is the burial ground of the African Baptist Church in Philadelphia, a place of sacred rest that sits uncomfortably close to Jefferson Medical College. Here, the past lingers in the air, heavy with the weight of unethical practices and stolen dignity. In the present day, the same land has been transformed into a sleep-away summer camp, where Minnie Chillous (played by Lucas-Perry), née Freeman, and her daughter, Charity (Vickerie), work as counselors. They are joined by John (Miles G. Jackson), a camp colleague whose dramatic flair adds moments of levity, and their stern supervisor, Cuffee (Holiday). Together, they navigate the complexities of their present, unaware of the dark secrets buried beneath their feet.
A Quest for Heritage and the Unearthed Legacy
Charity, a sharp, irreverent, and deeply curious young woman, drives much of the play’s narrative. She is on a quest to understand her matrilineal heritage, hoping to unearth stories of strength and courage that might inspire her college application essay. Yet, as she digs deeper into her family’s past, she uncovers not heroes, but a legacy of violence and pain. This revelation arrives with the jarring force reminiscent of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Appropriate, where the past disrupts the present in unexpected and deeply uncomfortable ways. The way Charity and Minnie respond to this unearthed history is both heartbreaking and profoundly beautiful, their journey taking on a deliberately Shakespearean quality. Together, they grapple with the weight of inherited trauma, seeking not only to understand it but to find a way to move forward.
Echoes of Disruption and Legacy
The play’s structure and themes are layered with echoes of other works, creating a sense of continuity and conversation with the broader theatrical canon. Early in the play, a grave robber named John (also played by Miles G. Jackson) intrudes upon Minnie and Charity in the cemetery, his presence as jarring as the white interloper with the picnic basket in Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over. This moment of disruption serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing legacy of invasion and exploitation, both in the past and the present. The inclusion of such echoes highlights the timelessness of these issues, drawing audiences into a larger conversation about race, justice, and resilience.
Time, Memory, and the Set’s Silent Narration
The set, designed by Mariana Sanchez, plays a crucial role in grounding the story while also hinting at the surreal and non-realistic elements of the play. A massive tree with thick, interwoven roots stands tall next to Moses’s grave, its bark a visual metaphor for the interconnectedness of past and present. Above the stage, a digital time clock counts down the hours of the safeguarding of Moses’s body, starting at 72:00:00. This seemingly abstract element adds a layer of urgency to the narrative, though its significance may not be immediately clear to audiences. The clock serves as a silent narrator, reminding us that time is both a healer and a revealer, and that the past is never truly buried.
A Story of Resilience and Light in the Shadows
Despite the heaviness of its themes, The Great Privation is ultimately a story of resilience, hope, and defiance. The warmth and complexity of its performances, combined with its thought-provoking narrative, create a theatrical experience that is both challenging and deeply rewarding. Through the journey of Minnie and Charity, the play reminds us that even in the darkest corners of history, there is a light that persists—a light that guides us toward healing, understanding, and the possibility of a better future. Evren Odcikin’s direction and the stellar cast ensure that this story is not only told but felt, leaving audiences to grapple with the echoes of the past long after the curtain falls.
