While I Yet Live
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Cititour.com Review
If you only know S. Epatha Merkerson from her work as no-nonsense Lt. Van Buren on NBC’s long-running “Law & Order”, you might be surprised by her considerable stage resume. But even those of us who have been fortunate enough to see this consummate actress on the boards (where she has earned two Tony Award nominations) may not be fully prepared for the extraordinary combination of inner strength, outward vulnerability, and physical stamina she brings to the role of the handicapped mother Maxine in Billy Porter’s semi-autobiographical play “While I Yet Live,” being presented by Primary Stages at the Duke on 42nd Street.
That Maxine is the heart of this piece is hardly accidental. Porter (currently earning standing ovations nightly for his Tony-winning performance as Lola in the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots”) has crafted his first outing as a playwright as a valentine of sorts to his real-life mother, who struggled for many years to reconcile her devout Christian faith with her son’s overt homosexuality.
A kitchen-sink drama of sorts complete with an actual sink (the superb re-creation of a Pittsburgh home is by James Noone), “While I Yet Live” is a bit too chock-full of secrets, revelations, and confrontations—none of which I want to spoil. It’s also a bit messy, in both tone and structure. And there’s an element of preachiness in some sections of the two-hour play, especially when the Porter stand-in Calvin (Larry Powell) and his younger sister Tonya (Sheria Irving) rail against the hypocrisy of organized religion. Still, for all these minor flaws, the resulting work is often touching, frequently hilarious, sometimes upsetting -- especially when the play deals with the issues of pedophilia and child abuse -- and consistently thought-provoking.
Moreover, the excellent director Sheryl Kaller and her top-notch cast, led by the miraculous Merkerson, help mightily in smoothing over the work’s rougher spots, while letting the play’s virtue shine like polished flatware. Irving, in her major Off-Broadway debut, is quite marvelous as Tonya, who not only narrates the play, but convincingly ages from a smart and sassy pre-adolescent to an angry and determined young woman desperate to make a life for herself and away from her mother.
Sharon Washington proves invaluable as Maxine’s cancer-stricken best friend, Eva, whose own personal shortcomings allow her to provide Calvin with a friendly ear; Elain Graham is superb as Maxine’s bossy aunt Delores; and Kevyn Morrow makes a strong impression in his few scenes as Calvin’s gruff, tortured stepfather Vernon. Sadly, the great Lillias White has far too little to do as Maxine’s loving mother, Gertrude, though this singular star is always a welcome presence on any stage. Intriguingly, Calvin is absent from large sections of the play – he’s more catalyst than protagonist – but Powell handles his scenes with aplomb (and in the last sections of the play definitely evokes the real-life Porter).
I’m not sure what further life there might be for “While I Yet Live,” so catch it now!
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://primarystages.org/whileiyetlive
Cast
Elain Graham, Sheria Irving, S. Epatha Merkerson, Kevyn Morrow, Larry Powell, Sharon Washington, Lillias White
Open/Close Dates
Opening 9/24/2014
Closing 10/31/2014
Box Office
646-223-3010
Theatre Info
The Duke on 42nd Street
229 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
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