Tamara Tunie plays the role of the distraught mother, Kendra Ellis-Connor. Scott Conner, the father who is estranged from his wife, is played by Michael Hayden.
Luke Smith appears as Officer Paul Larkin, a new member of the police force, and André Ware is Lieutenant John Stokes an experienced officer. All members of the cast gave forceful, convincing performances.
Michael HaydenThere are angry interchanges between Kendra and both police officers as well as between her and her ex-husband. Their relationship is cited as part of the problem with the son who has been arrested but about whom they can get little information.
André WareMatters of race relations between police and black civilians, of the father's inability to understand the problems his son is facing, the mother's anguish at the change in her son who has been brought up in a mostly white school and environment, and of the red tape one encounters when dealing with the police, all come to a head at the very end when the Lieutenant brings the information that their son has been shot and killed.
This is the final curtain.
There is also much discussion by the Lieutenant of the fact then when an arrest is made the person being arrested should cooperate with the arresting officer. Don't run, don't sass the officer. We have seen how this behavior has resulted in unnecessary killings by police. This is not to say the police are in the right here, but they are the ones who have the law on their side and they have the guns. This is obviously an area where new and better laws must be enacted, to say nothing of stricter gun laws.
It is a lot of pain and suffering to absorb in the ninety minutes the play runs. It certainly had an impact on the audience who were left in shock at the sudden denouement.
Julie Boyd directed the play with her usual deft hand.
