Stormy stage play weaves fascinating tale of free Black women in 1800s New Orleans

Heat can drive people to wild decisions.

On one blazing, stormy night, a family of Black women struggles with freedom, voodoo, and their fates in Plowshares Theatre Co.’s production of Marcus Gardley’s award-winning “The House That Will Not Stand,” running through June 16 at The Carr Center Performance Studio in Detroit.

It is a sweltering summer in early 19th century New Orleans, where free Black citizens enjoy privileged lives, but it is the eve of the Louisiana Purchase; when New Orleans becomes American territory, Blacks risk losing their freedom. Worse still, Beartrice Albans, the wealthiest colored woman in the city, is in serious trouble when the father of her children, a white man, dies and U.S. law prevents him from leaving anything to a Black mistress, so she and her daughters may lose their house.

Headstrong eldest daughter Agnès (played with preening sass and verve to spare by Shannon Dingle), stressfully pious middle child Maude Lynn (a fitfully funny Mycarra Whorton) and youngest Odette (brought to vivid life by Layla Lyles) dream of bigger things and escaping the stifling heat and pressure of their family home. But their steely, grasping Disney villain of a mother is hellbent on keeping them locked inside with her in extended mourning.

The play follows a shattering 24-hour period that leaves their world forever changed.

The striking Sylvia Shelby Bradley commands the stage as Beartrice, bringing gravitas, grit, and more than a little Diahann Carroll to the role. Madelyn Porter, playing dual roles, brings great energy and warm, sometimes biting humor to the proceedings. Zahirah Muhammad walks a fine line with a winning performance as Makeda, the plucky family servant who yearns for her freedom, but stumbles in Act Two when called upon to portray a second character.

Director Gary Anderson chose a quality story and assembled a terrific cast but his production suffers from pacing issues; moving a bit too slowly means a nearly three-hour runtime (with intermission) and a lot of laughs left on the floor because the comedic moments aren’t always played.

This is a big part of why Porter’s energy and winking puckishness mean such a great deal to the show; the drama is riveting to watch, but this cast really excels with the lighter moments, such as the sisters’ squabbling. (Porter, in particular, achieves transcendence during an epic scene in the show’s second half.)

Despite the length of Plowshares’ production, “The House That Will Not Stand” is a show worth seeing, for some very good acting and a kind of story that never gets told. Where else are you going to see a play with an all-female, all-Black cast that tells a story of free Black women in America in the 1800s?

Before the show, director Anderson mentions in his introductory speech that Plowshares exists to tell Black stories audiences won’t find anywhere else. That mission is well accomplished here.

An interesting parallel with the show’s plot is the fact that Plowshares itself does not have a home; the company utilizes performance spaces owned by other organizations around the region. That fact is significant in this case because it’s important that you know before seeing the show that the Carr Center Performance Studio is not being air-conditioned at this time. (Dress light and bring water and a fan. The show is still worth it.)

It’s also important because Plowshares has begun the major fundraising efforts necessary to locate its own permanent home theater.

When you see the work they put into shows like “The House That Will Not Stand,” you will understand why they deserve it.

“The House That Will Not Stand” runs Thursdays through Sundays at The Carr Center Performance Studio, 15 E. Kirby St., Detroit, through Sunday, June 16. Tickets start at $15. Visit plowsharestheatre.org for more information.

Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stormy stage play weaves tale of free Blacks in 1800s New Orleans