Susan Granger’s review of “Amerikin” (Off-Broadway: 59E59 at Primary Stages)
Plucked straight from today’s political news, Chisa Hutchinson’s provocative “Amerikin” digs deep into the roots of racism.
Working class Jeffrey Browning (Daniel Abeles) and his wife, Michelle (Molly Carden) – who suffers from postpartum depression – live with their newborn son in segregated Sharpsburg, Maryland, which was Confederate territory during the Civil War when the bloody Battle of Antietam was waged nearby.
A Trump supporter in 2017, Jeff is so casually bigoted that he’s named his dog after a racial slur, taking pleasure in shouting the N-word to summon him.
Invited by his racist pal Dylan Hoffenberger (Luke Robertson), socially ambitious, yet insecure Jeff applies to join a Ku Klux Klan-like white supremacist organization called the World Knights and is told that – in order to qualify – he must provide proof of his genetic heritage.
Problem is: Jeff’s DNA indicates that he has 14% Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Although his tech-savvy buddy Poot Spangler (Tobias Segal) alters the test results, word gets out, prompting retaliation.
As Washington Post reporter Gerald Lamott (Victor Williams) frames it: “White Supremacist Hopeful Becomes Target of His Own Hate.”
In Act Two, Gerald, a compassionate Black correspondent, is curious about Jeff and arrives in rural Sharpsburg, accompanied by his outspoken, college-age, aspiring journalist daughter, Chris (Amber Reauchean Willams), delving into the Facebook backstory posted by Jeff’s neighbor/ex-lover Alma Tillery (Andrea Syglowski).
Alluding to Will Smith’s zombie thriller “I Am Legend,” Gerald tells skeptical Chris: “If it were you who turned rabid and violent and lost your humanity, I hope someone would have the heart to capture you and cure you…That’s the point.”
As directed by Jade King Carroll, this often humorous play challenges the audience to acknowledge that they feel uncomfortable and think about where the discomfort comes from. Basically, Chisa Hutchinson zeroes in on how the ‘normalization’ of hate can warp an entire community.
“We will not comply” – is what the flyer inside the Playbill notes, recognizing the current uncertainty about federal funding.
Kudos to set designers Christopher & Justin Shader, Jen Caprio’s costumes, Carolina Ortiz’ lighting, Lindsay Jones’s sound, and dialogue coach Deborah Hecht.
Running 2 hours, 15 minutes with one intermission, “Amerikin” is at 59E59 through April 13. For tickets and information: primarystages.org.