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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. The Word Begins Also see Susan's review of tick, tick ... BOOM!
The performers, Steve Connell and Sekou (tha misfit), rage on an industrial-looking set designed by Myung Hee Cho, which consists mostly of mesh panels and video screens showing many faces of contemporary life. Their purpose in the 90-minute performance is to "take back the word" from the ways language has been misused —as propaganda or disinformation, spreading hate, clouding the issues it should illuminate —because "to stay silent is blasphemy." With percussive rhythms of speech and counterpoint between their voices, Connell and Sekou take as their inspiration the biblical statement: "In the beginning was the word ... and the word became flesh." As they explain, "People would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Now I know that I want to be for a living," offering "antibiotic poetry" to heal the problems of society. By turns abrasive, hilarious, and shocking, Connell and Sekou take on the culture of war between nations, religions, and individuals. Few taboos go unexplored, from an evocation of blackface minstrel shows to the idea that only indiscriminate breeding between the races will lead to the end of prejudice. The language, obviously, is raw. Some of the sentiments seem a little shallow or pre-packaged: "Words of love without acts of love are not enough," for example, or "Until you can imagine a better world, you cannot have it." Still, director Robert Egan has calibrated the performances so that the work builds to a tidal wave of emotion and release. Signature Theatre
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