Nina Angela Mercer’s Gypsy & the Bully Door, produced by Ocean Ana Rising Inc., is a powerful play about a young woman’s journey to healing. Clocking in at 90 minutes (a long haul for any Fringe venue production), this engaging production actually left me wanting more! The stakes start out high for the characters in Mercer’s play, and she keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way to the end, weaving in humor, poetry, sensuality and political commentary along the way. Director Eric Ruffin tells the story through use of multimedia technology, song, dance and live music from the tight Pocket Roll Call band.
This production boasts the most cohesive ensemble of actors I have ever seen in a Fringe production, helmed by the magnetic Araba Brown as ‘Sara Josephine James aka Destiny,’ the dynamic protagonist of the story. Serious sparks fly between Brown and the equally commanding Kahlil X. Daniel as her love interest ‘Roy Peoples.’ Nicole Brewer, Courtney Ferguson and Kevin O’Reilly contribute standout performances and comic relief. Band frontman Matt ‘Swamp Guinee”’Miller provides interjections in Greek Chorus fashion, drawing the audience in with some fun spontaneous participation. The program note indicates that Gypsy & the Bully Door is still in the development stage, and with such an auspicious introduction, the cards predict a bright future for this play and this company!
Running time: 90 minutes.
Gypsy & the Bully Door information and tickets.
