Good Grief @ Soul Rep Theatre Company
—Chris Sanders
In Soul Rep Theatre Company’s Good Grief, playwright Ngozi Anyanwu tells a story about two best friends: Nkechi, or N, and Matthew, or M.J. The play covers their lives, and beyond, between their first encounter as children in 1992 and again in 2005, sometime after Nkechi has dropped out of med school.
This is a story of first loves and first losses, and of navigating family, friendship and some “good grief.”
Performances take place in the historic Margo Jones Theater in Fair Park, with Soul Rep’s associate artistic director Dee Hunter-Smith directing this regional premiere.
The story jumps back and forth to different points in time, focusing mostly on Nkechi and her relationship with M.J. However, you also see her interactions with her parents, older brother and her first crush J.D.
Tiana Shuntae Alexander plays the role of Nkechi. Her performance brings a level of bright joy, sensual edge, deep pain, and quiet grace to the character. Nkechi goes through a full range of emotions and Alexander rides the emotional waves, taking us on the journey with her.
Tony Willams portrays M.J., a young man who seems desperate to leave his mark on the world before his time on this planet is up. I enjoyed Willams’ performance; he brought charm and sincerity to the role.
Angelo Reid and Soul Rep’s artistic director Anyika McMillan-Herod took on the roles of Nkechi’s Nigerian-born parents, Papa and NeNe. I was particularly fond of the portrayals of these two characters because they reminded me of my Afro-Honduran father and Haitian mother. NeNe, like my mother, was a nurse. As played by McMillan-Herod, she speaks to her daughter in soothing tones, and works as an emotional mediator between N and her Papa. Papa, played by Reid, can be stern and often lacks understanding of his daughter’s choices and emotions. Yet he cares for her in his own way. Both McMillan-Herod and Reid perform with a sense of honesty, humanity, and nuance that I found quite refreshing.
Judah Agbonkhina is hilarious and caring as Nkechi’s big Bro. The sibling quips and barbs that are traded are as endearing as the jokes, advice, and blunts they share.
Karras Ian plays J.D., Nkechi’s first flame/high school crush. The chemistry between Ian and Alexander was fun to watch.
Finally, Jasmine Shanise plays a Neighbor’s Mom, M.J.’s Mom and even a wrestler who appears in what seems to be a fever dream. Shanise gave a particularly compelling performance as M.J.’s Mom in a scene with Alexander, as they discuss what to do with M.J.’s belongings.
In terms of the play itself, there was a motif, a line, which kept being repeated by Nkechi: That’s not how it happened. This was usually followed by some form of reversal or big scene shift. The revelation of the purpose behind this motif actually helps to tie the story together, and makes Good Grief all the more beautiful, and more of a joy to have seen. It reinforced the importance of storytelling as a time-honored African tradition, wonderful in its ability to keep the memory of one’s family, friends, and culture alive.
WHEN: Through May 8 (streaming tickets available on May 16 for viewing May 23-29)
WHERE: Margo Jones Theater, Fair Park (1121 1st Avenue, Dallas)
WEB: soulrep.org
