Birthright

It's not for a lack of trying. The material is interesting. The performances are good. The sets are simple and effective. But Birthright, a new drama by Jackie Alexander currently in performances at the Billie Holiday Theatre, does not pack the powerful punch that it is trying to deliver. But it does try very hard.Set in Slidell, Louisiana, one year after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the southeast coast, Birthright is the story of two sisters and their lovers. Sisters Michelle and Monique live together with Michelle's boyfriend, Billie. Billie's brother, Etienne, is the local preacher, married to Juanita. And Dookey is Billie's obnoxious friend.Michelle and Billie's relationship is strained, to say the least. Michelle is employed, clean-cut, neat and efficient. Billie is unemployed and unmotivated to do anything to change his situation. He would rather guzzle beer (without using a coaster) and complain about not being able to find a job than leave the house and look for one. He also has a violent streak, revealed after an argument with Michelle about his unemployment. Michelle's sister, Monique, despises Billie and lusts after Etienne. She claims that Etienne longs for her as well, despite his marriage to Juanita, naming various situations where he has paid her special attention and doted upon her. Monique's own past is painful, filled with physical abuse and drug addictions and although she claims she is clean, it is clear she has not stopped using.The mutual attractions and rejections introduced in the first half of the show escalate and spiral into a chaotic second act, filled with shouting and crying and little explanation for the character's actions. Hastily delivered dialogue clears up some of the past, but many questions are left unanswered, leaving the audience with a frustrated sense of what might have been. The cyclicality of abuse through generations is touched upon here but not explored thoroughly enough. The effects of child molestation are personified in the character of Monique, but they do not come to enough fruition to do such a horrifying topic justice. Even the hypocrisy of religious institutions comes into play here, but it is only presented, not explored.The cast does what it can with the script, which gives some of the talented performers opportunities to showcase their talents. I was especially taken by Susan Spain's Juanita, who possesses a quiet dignity and grace, depicted even through her rage at her husband. Suzette Azariah Gunn plays Michelle straightforward and strong, exactly as she is written, while Nedra McClyde's Monique needs more depth in her performance. Monique is written as a tortured woman shielding herself from the world with drugs and lies, but the woman onstage seems fairly lighthearted. Jaime Smith is not given much to work with, because Dookey is a one-dimensional character, but Stephen Hill makes Billy's conflict real and sympathetic. As Etienne, Victor Dickerson faces a great deal of challenges, and he faces them bravely, if a bit too solidly. More of his conflict should be revealed prior to his end-of-night confessional.Birthright shows great promise from Alexander. Hopefully we will see more work from her in the future.