Theatre has the opportunity to influence a person in many ways. Sometimes it moves people to tears of laughter, and sometimes it moves people because the sentiment of the play connects to a person on a deeper level. The ladies in the cast of Four Women, produced but the Wild Women Theatre Company are out to connect to the audience in both ways in this year’s Fringe Festival.
The show consists of a couple dozen small vignettes including dances, songs, scenes, and poem. Yet they all centralize around the theme of the different identities many black women take today. The show loosely followed four women in different moments of their life and how they faced them. The loose inspiration for the show is also the lyrics to the Nina Simone song, “Four Women.”
It was a unique show, and at the end you do not walk away with the knowledge of a complete story, but the overall sentiment that we all question how we present ourselves to each other, to the public, and to ourselves. These women truly bared their souls, and left the personal reflection up to you.
Some moments of the show seemed a little repetitive, but there is no doubting the talent and dedication of the women involved. The four artists involved (Jade Andwele, Margaux Delotte-Bennett, Farah Lawal, andClarissa McKithen) are extremely passionate about their art and ethnicity.
Four Women plays through July 27, 2013 at The Studio Theatre – Stage 4 – 1501 14th Street, in Washington, DC. For performances and tickets, please visit the Capital Fringe page.
