Haroun Iretemi, Emma Grace Dunbar, Owen Roughton, Alexys Adams, Dakhir Lee, and Gracie Sciannella. Photo by Shealyn Jae Photography.
Though written in 2014, Dominique Morisseau’s “Blood at The Root” proves an incredibly timely play. Dealing with themes of racial equality, homophobia, and the crackdown on student protests, “Blood at the Root” was inspired by the true story of the Jena Six. The Louisiana case centered on six black students who were arrested for assaulting a white student. Many contend that the charges brought against the black students were unfairly severe and motivated by racist attitudes. In Fells Point Corner Theatre’s production, audiences get a deeply fleshed out sense of what life was like for the students involved in the incidents leading up to the arrests of these six, young black students.
It is the actors’ performances here that vibrantly lift the personae from the page and give them a dimensionality that makes FPCT’s production truly engaging.
Raylynn, played by Fela Langston, is a senior grappling with her place in the hierarchy of high school. Where does she fit in—a common mantra of teenagers struggling to define themselves, especially during more turbulent eras. Her best friend, Asha (Emma Grace Dunbar) is also unsure of who exactly she is in the grand scheme of things. Accused of “acting black,” Asha is ultimately torn between identities that, at least on this campus, really don’t coalesce. Raylynn’s brother DeAndre (Dakhir ‘DK’ Lee) is a football star with D1 dreams just trying to stay out of trouble.
Meanwhile, newcomer Colin (Owen Roughton) has football dreams of his own and yet fears that his secret will ultimately undo him in this small Louisiana town. Rounding out the cast is Justin (Haroun Iretemi), the school newspaper editor accused of not being “black enough,” and Torie (Gracie Sciannella) one of the paper’s writers who strives to meld her savior complex with her journalistic ambitions.
Morisseau’s cast list does read a bit static as, at times, the characters play perfectly into the stereotypes you might expect. It is the actors’ performances here that vibrantly lift the personae from the page and give them a dimensionality that makes FPCT’s production truly engaging. Tensions permeate the play as we get Black versus White, principal (Leah Young) versus student protestors, gay versus straight. Morisseau covers many a controversy in this 90-minute span. This cast keeps up. Particularly memorable is the scene during which the students protest the tree under which it has become an unwritten rule that only a “certain” type of student can sit. When Raylynn boldly breaks that rule, three nooses appear the next day hanging from said tree. The protest scene that follows is loud, in your face, and in many ways, an invitation to join them—to shout back against all of the injustices of this world. Also quite memorable is DeAndre’s rap during which the character soulfully laments the threat facing young Black men when they “forget the rules.”
Lee’s performance (and rap) is among the highlights of this play. As Asha, Dunbar skillfully conveys the dysphoria of a character who, raised by her Black stepmother, stands at an uncertain crossroads when faced with Raylynn’s pronouncement that, unlike Asha, she can’t just put on and take off her identity whenever the mood strikes. Director and movement coordinator Mari-Andrea Travis faces a fairly difficult task: not only must she bring together all of the different stories and character arcs, but she must also do right by the essence of this work. It’s not merely a play, but rather a choreopoem that melds dialogue, song, poetry, and motion in innovative and evocative ways. Travis proves herself up to the challenge as she gives this multimodal piece her own distinctive spin.
Set design is minimal. It is, therefore, up to sound and lighting to create an atmosphere rife with the kind of tension this play demands. Lighting designer Jaeden Arrington and sound designer Heiko bring a crucial overall ambiance to the production. In so many ways, the story is a difficult one. Morisseau, though, is not known for shying away from tougher topics. In bringing this play to the stage, FPCT shows that they too aren’t afraid to explore the issues and subjects that are so important to talk about in today’s uncertain climate.
Running Time: One hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.
“Blood at the Root” runs through April 13, 2025 at Fells Point Corner Theater, 251 South Ann Street, Baltimore, MD 21231. For more information and to purchase tickets, please go online.
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