Went to see a new play at the Lyric Stage, Superior Donuts. Liked it very much.
Will Lebow was affecting as a disillusioned Chicago donut maker who gets a different perspective on life when a young African American with big ideas applies for work (Omar Robinson). Funny and touching production.
This post is not a review. Rather it is “What I did on Saturday when not doing work I brought home from the office.”
In the morning I was editing an article about Venturing Out, a program that helps ex-offenders tap their street skills to set up legitimate microenterprises. Watching the play, I had a shock of recognition, thinking at first that the story would be about an ex-offender. It wasn’t.
There certainly are plays about such topics. Venturing Out produced one of its own in December, The Castle. And my friend Mary from playwriting class is gearing up for a similar production: “Generational Legacy integrates music and dance and centers around the life of one woman and her son, both of whom have been incarcerated for non-violent offenses, … and the challenges and barriers they face as they re-enter their communities.”
I haven’t seen the plays, so I don’t know if they are didactic. Superior Donuts wasn’t. Here’s a scene from it.
Photograph: Mark S. Howard, Boston Globe
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 