Reviews
Review: DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA at The Black Rep At The Edison Theater On The Washington University Campus
Engaging Coming of Age Drama Closes The Black Rep Season
DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA, the current offering at The Black Rep, the 18-year-old titular hero decides just before starting college it is his duty to take a journey to meet his ancestor's spirit who perished on slave ships bound for America through The Middle Passage. Part avant-garde dream, part family drama, DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA examines the conflict between a parent's vision for their son and the coming-of-age-dreams of an adult child.
The Black Rep Goes On a Visually Stunning, Poetic Emotional Journey With “Dontrell”
The Black Rep is taking audiences on a vivid, emotional journey in its latest production. Something of visual poem as well as a quest story, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea features lavish production values, strong performances, and a mixture of drama, music, and dance to tell its engaging story. It’s a rich, intriguing portrayal of a young man’s exploration into the past, the future, and the vast unknown of the sea.
Review of Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea at The Black Rep
By Bob Wilcox, HEC
Don’t give up on Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea, the current Black Rep production, if you’re puzzled by the opening scene. Just relax and enjoy the cast’s graceful, ritualistic dancing of Heather Beal’s African-inspired choreography, the flowing gowns and elaborate hats of Daryl Harris’s costumes, the rushing ocean waves surrounding the scene thanks to Margery and Peter Spack’s projections, the lapping of those waves in Jackie Sharp’s sound design, and Jasmine’ Williams’ lights filtered through the sea. A young man not dressed like the dancers wanders among them. As they leave, he is sleeping on a small bed. When he awakes, he takes out a mini-recorder and begins with Captain Kirk authority, “Captain’s log,” as he describes “for future generations” the dream he has just had.
Regional Reviews: St. Louis
Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea
The St. Louis Black Repertory Company
Review by Richard T. Green, Talkin’ Broadway
The most visually beautiful show of the year, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea concludes the Black Repertory Company's 45th Season in St. Louis, with ravishing computer projections by set designers Margery and Peter Spack, at the Edison Theatre at Washington University. In the play, a young man is possessed by dreams of an ancestor's slave-ship crossing, in a 100-minute script by Nathan Alan Davis.