Tierra Burke as Nina and DeJeanette Horne as Kenyatta. Photo by Trixie.
Part deconstruction of a fraught father-daughter relationship, part dysfunctional love story, and part homage to Nina Simone, Dominique Morisseau’s 2012 play “Sunset Baby” is now playing at Anacostia Playhouse—and this is one you do not want to miss. Morisseau’s tightly constructed story centers largely on Nina (Tierra Burke)—yes, named after the aforementioned legendary singer/songwriter. It’s a play about, among other things, her struggle to see her father as more than the deadbeat who abandoned her, her tense navigation of some poor life choices, and her attempts to untangle herself from a relationship that is in every sense of the word toxic.
…this is one you do not want to miss…’dream cast’…masterful production…
Nina’s mother, Ashanti X, a well-known figure in the fight for civil rights, has died. Beyond a complicated legacy of heroism and addiction, Ashanti X also left behind some letters. These letters seem to be the reason for Nina’s father, Kenyatta’s (DeJeanette Horne), sudden reappearance into his daughter’s life. Kenyatta was himself a revolutionary figure, and his legacy is every bit as complex as that of his former wife. The value of the letters is of crucial concern here—monetary or emotional. To whom, rightfully, do these letters belong? Behind the scenes, there is also Nina’s boyfriend, Damon (Shawn Sebastian Naar), who has his own agenda for finding those letters.
The tension in this play ratchets up scene by scene, minute by minute. In some ways, we get Morisseau at her best. These characters are wildly floating untethered in a world that is hostile to their presence, and yet mistake after head-shaking mistake, they do little to help their own cause. Are they victims of circumstances or architects of their own seeming demise? This tension is what keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. This tension is what informs the entire trajectory of this play. All the while, the haunting music and lyrics of Nina Simone encircle and all but encapsulate this tension. Simone is the emotional soundtrack of the relationships that unfold.
The parent/child dynamic takes center stage not only between Nina and Kenyatta, but we also get bits and pieces of the paternal struggles faced by Damon who is involved in a custody struggle over his eight-year-old son. The way in which Kenyatta and Nina engage, then back away, come together and then battle it out, underlines the utter complexity and near-fathomless layers of this play.
Diedra La Wan Starnes’ direction stands up to the musicality of the Nina Simone playlist at work here. The style in which Starnes frames the central action of the play with Kenyatta’s deeply heartfelt video letters to his estranged daughter is highly effective. This welcomed symmetry in a world of discord is powerfully felt.
The cast assembled by Anacostia Playhouse deserves the designation of “dream cast” as far as this play goes. As Nina, Burke comes absolutely alive through her inability to land in any one camp. She portrays a woman consistently torn, and the resulting scars serve to ever harden her to the comfortability of ascribing to any one type of life, or any one type of womanhood, for that matter. Naar’s Damon is wonderfully dislikable with glimpses of softness that make you want to root for his reform even though you know, as Nina does, he will ultimately let you down. Then, of course, there is the character of Kenyatta. DeJeanette Horne is becoming one of my favorite DMV actors. With this role particularly, Horne’s interpretation of a broken father, a regretful husband, and a proud man is as brilliantly complex as the writing demands.
The set design is simple—a stripped-down apartment in which anything could happen, a palette perfect for the vast spectrum of emotional responses these actors produce. Well-deserved kudos to set designer Sidriel Conerly along with lighting designer Jerrett Harrington and sound designer Melanie Burwell.
“Sunset Baby” is, in many ways, a deceptively simple play—simple inasmuch as it is a three-hander without a lot of smoke and mirrors. This masterful production comes with the visceral gut punches the trio of actors deliver, scene after scene.
Running Time: One hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.
“Sunset Baby” runs through April 28, 2024 at Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Pl SE, Washington, DC 20020. For more information and to purchase tickets, go online.
