It is the summer of 1862 in West Texas as the U.S. is in the midst of the Civil War. Hero is a slave on a plantation when he is told by the owner, his master, The Colonel, that if he joins him and the Confederate Army, he will be given his freedom. It is a moral dilemma for Hero to fight for a cause that keeps his people enslaved. It is the first of many challenging and awkward decisions made by the characters in Suzan-Lori Parks brilliant three act play at Quintessence Theatre,
As the dilemma confronts him, the others who live at the shack on the plantation, are betting spoons and shoes as to whether or not he will go. There is a comic tone at first. He gets advice from the old man (Monroe Barrick) who we think at first is his father (his father was hanged for trying to escape) and from the Penny (Deja Anderson-Ross), who we learn later, is his wife. On top of that is his dog, Odd-See, who has been his best friend and confidante. It has run away after an uncharacteristic kicking by Hero.
Alone in his thoughts, Hero (Kelechi Udenkwo) shuffles back and forth trying to decide, changing his mind constantly, unsure that even if he goes, will Colonel honor his promise. “I’ll be helping out on the wrong side” he says one minute before deciding to go. But then, he worries about what his life would be like with no one telling him what to do as a free man. Will it really be better? He is even on the verge at one point, of having his foot cut off, so he won’t have to go. And the decision must be made before the sunrise. Enter Homer (Eric Carter), with a complicated set of issues from when he tried to run away. He confronts Hero. They have a difficult past. If you are beginning to hear tones based on Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey,” you are correct.
The second act takes place in a forest. The Colonel has captured a wounded Northern Captain Smith (Donovan Whitney) and has him locked in a cage. Two white men discussing the morality of the war from different perspectives. Hero is off gathering wood for the fire. Will he return? In short order, he does, and the captain doesn’t understand why because both armies are within ten miles of their location.
The Colonel hopes to gain recognition from his commander for his capture. But the conversation amongst the three men is so honest, so real, that we are mesmerized by what they are saying and thinking about color, about life, about each other. I won’t attempt to repeat their talks and what happens to each as it must be experienced afresh by the playgoer.
In the third act, we are back at the slave quarters in West Texas. It is a year since Hero left. The owners are gone. There are a few runaways hiding there, planning to head north. Penny, who had been hoping to see her husband again, keeps asking the question- is he dead? She takes some comfort from Homer who wants to flee north with her and the runaways.
Once again, so much is revealed, first through the dog, who has found his master, then through the confrontations Parks has created.
Throughout the play, with the exception of the cage in the second act, the stage is bare. We don’t need any set to feel the power of the many struggles before us. The acting is so genuine. Director Raelle Myrick Hodges has expertly put together this masterpiece. If there was one issue I had with the production, it was when some of the actors, with their backs to me, talked fast with their southern dialect, and I missed the finely crafted words of Parks, a Pulitzer Prize winner for her drama, “TopDog/Underdog.” “Father Comes Home from the Wars” is a play you will be talking about for a long time.
“Father Comes Home from the Wars” by Suzan-Lori Parks at Quintessence Theatre, 7137 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19119, 215-987-4450, quintessencetheatre.org Thru June 23, 2024
Philadelphia Theater Reviews by Frank Burd 