In the dark of night, a man is digging a hole. Once the hole is deep enough he drops a bundle into it and covers it with dirt. Behind him a little girl looks on. After re-filling the hole, he walks off.
Scene.
It is early morning. We are in a well-appointed home. In fact, it is an updated Brooklyn brownstone. Brooklyn is my home. I would know it anywhere. The exterior stands stately and proud. The interior is right out of Architectural Digest magazine. There is a floor thru kitchen leading to a dining area. Behind the dining area is a slide away door leading to an office. Scenic Designer Regina Garcia did a fantastic job conveying not only this apartment, but also the street where it lives. This is the home of Nadima (Jessica Dean Turner) and her lover Rachel (Sydney Charles). Theirs is a happy, solid home, at least it is staged that way. Rachel is a New York City school teacher and Nadima, is a real estate agent, she’s used to staging homes for sale.
When Nadima answers the front door and sees Monique (Ayanna Bria Bakari), her lover’s sister, she practically shuts the door in her face. There is history between these two and it creates much needed tension in this play. It is Rachel who invites her sister Monique and Sam (Kylah Renee Jones, Aliyana Nicole alternately), her niece, into the house. After negotiating with her lover, Rachel allows Monique and Sam to stay, only for Monique to create a convoluted story and leave without Sam a few days later in the middle of the night.
“Last Night….” takes us back to those nights before life spiraled out of control for this family. We meet Reggie (Namir Smallwood), Monique’s boyfriend, and Sam’s father. We see the love between Reggie and Monique before Sam’s birth. We see Reggie and Sam playing hand games, games meant to calm as well as teach Sam about life. Whose memories these flashbacks are isn’t quite clear. Through conversations with Nadima we learn of Rachel and Monique’s upbringing. We learn of generational traumas they had to bear, and the guilt Rachel has for her escape... We also start to see this once solid relationship show signs of weakness.
Director Valerie Curtis-Newton has assembled an excellent cast whose major job is supporting the child character of Sam. Sam is the raison d’ étre of “Last Night….” It is a lot to put on a child, but Jones (on opening night) shows she has the acting chops to not only play this role but to shine in it.
In my opinion, Donnetta Lavinia Grays’ “Last Night….” suffers from a lack of a clear antagonist. There are some beautiful lines and certain scenes are precious, but it lacks a certain dramatic immediacy. Other than Sam, we never spend enough time to truly care for these characters. They seem to have it all figured out anyway, after all, the real problem is buried. The rest is just life.
When: Through May 14
Where: Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.
Tickets: $48 - $88
Info: steppenwolf.org
Paramount Theatre’s smash hit Million Dollar Quartet, a “roof-rattling…rapturous celebration of early rock ‘n’ roll” (Daily Herald), won’t stop rockin’ anytime…
See Chicago Dance, the dance industry's nonprofit service organization celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, is proud to announce organizations…
Broadway In Chicago announced today that individual tickets for Disney’s The Lion King, are now on sale to the public. Tickets ranging…
I’ll just say it - Cats is going to blow your mind. Now running at the Paramount Theatre, this spectacular…
“Galileo” written in 1938 by German playwright Bertolt Brecht, tells the straightforward story of the 17th century physicist and astronomer’s…
The adage goes that you can’t choose your family but you can choose your friends. Throughout our lives, we meet…
Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to conclude its 2024/25 Season with the world premiere of QUEEN FOR A DAY written by…
If our day-to-day lives were a collective color, it would probably be the color blue. Whether you are feeling blue,…
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to present Noah Diaz's whimsical, wild, unpredictable and deeply moving Chicago…
A fool and their money are soon parted as the old expression goes, but what do you do when that…
Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that HADESTOWN, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best New Musical and the…
Definition Theatre is proud to present the world premiere of Black Bone, a bold new satire by Chicago playwright Tina Fakhrid-Deen…
Stories that explore the emotional lives of men—especially Black men—are still far too rare on the American stage. Outside the…
Chicago Opera Theater (COT), Chicago’s foremost producer of new and rarely staged operas, proudly presents the world premiere of She Who Dared by…
Something extraordinary happens on a street in Huntsville, Alabama. Mr. Woods (Keith Randolph Smith), a hard-working Black man in the…
The Den Theatre today announced upcoming June 2025 shows at the theatre's Wicker Park stages at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., including "Anatomy…
I reviewed TITUS ANDRONICUS in mid-February, so I was eager to see the sequel! In TITUS, Shakespeare tells the story…
BrightSide Theatre, Naperville’s professional theatre company, has announced the cast for the final show of its 13th season – the…
Eight Chicago artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines have spent the last eight months in residence at the Chicago Puppet…
“Spring Awakenings,” now playing at Chicago’s Greenhouse Theater Center, is not the Tony-winning 2006 Broadway musical “Spring Awakening,” but an…
Rosemont's Parkway Bank Park entertainment district (5501 Park Place, Rosemont) will turn up the volume this summer with the return of its…
Lisa Sanaye Dring’s play “Kairos,” which just opened at The Edge Off Broadway theater, is one of the most thought-provoking…
It was a night of celebration, reflection, and breathtaking talent at the Civic Opera House. Fifty years of song echoed…
Court Theatre’s world premiere of Berlin, adapted by Mickle Maher from Jason Lutes’ monumental graphic novel, is a breathtaking achievement.…
Chicago's Rivendell Theatre Ensemble continues to celebrate its 30th Anniversary season with the World Premiere co-production of Keiko Green's GORGEOUS, directed by Kirsten Fitzgerald. The co-production…
Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that its free SUMMER CONCERT will return to Millennium Park on August 11,…
The Joffrey Ballet concludes its 69th season with two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's enchanting and family-friendly Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Set to…
“Henry Johnson,” David Mamet’s new play running at the vintage Biograph Theatre, is like many of his works, enigmatic and…
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents the Chicago premiere of Artistic Affiliate Charles Smith's Golden Leaf…
The critically acclaimed Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC), a Chicago-based company whose internationally-celebrated versatility and percussive power have been hailed…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at info@buzzcenterstage.com.
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.