REVIEW: Clybourne Park

It amazes me how much watching a play can really make you question the reality you live in. This is not the first time I have attended a performance by the Department of Theatre and Drama that had me leaving in deep contemplation. It’s one skill that our drama department seems to have mastered.

Admittedly the play started out rather slowly. It was hard to catch on to the comedy at first, and there did not seem to be much of a plot until 15 minutes in. However, as more characters joined in, and more jokes were told, the audience started catching on to the story. There was definitely some very dry humor that takes a certain type of person to appreciate, but if you understood what they were going for it was very comedic.

The first half of the play took place in the 50s, discussing the possibility of a black family moving into Clybourne Park. The characters argued and argued about the implications of integrating black and white families into the same neighborhood, and passion flared high. The second act picked up in 2009, with Clybourne Park now an old neighborhood that is beginning the process of gentrification. A white family was attempting to buy the house from a black family, and with their lawyers present they battled over a variety of issues, all related to the same problems that were present 50 years earlier.

The play is genius in how it integrates old and new themes of race relations into one depressing picture of how little we have truly evolved in dealing with these sensitive issues. I felt very impassioned listening to the absurd disputes on stage about how essential it is for us to learn how to love everyone, regardless of their background or identity. The play consisted of so much shouting and anger and resentment, that it reminded me how much we need to be turning away from confrontation and towards caring and communication. The very last seen touched on this same note, depicting the underlying story of how a young veteran killed himself after coming back from the Korean War. It was haunting and sad, but so important to tie the play together. Over all this yelling and hatred, it was impossible to focus on the sadness of the true issue at hand. And that is the importance of loving each other and taking time to notice each other’s troubles. Overall, this play was a perfect way to examine our world today in a comedic and entertaining way, and I hope everyone who went to see it was as moved as I was.

Clybourne Park

One thought to “REVIEW: Clybourne Park”

  1. after being told that two of my children ( 50 and 38) had really enjoyed the play in New York; I was surprised at my reaction in Ann Arbor. In fact, having seen so many u of m productions over the years, this was a probably the biggest disappointment I have experienced.

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