Who is Vera Stark?
She's the star of a play with her name, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, the character whom Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage based loosely on the life of Theresa Harris (1906-1985), a black actor and singer.
What I thought was going to be a drama at Rooftop Productions in Manassas turned out to be not so much a drama as a comedrama (with emphasis on the comedy), and a serious message more broadly understood in Act II.
The story revolves around a decades' long relationship between an aging movie star, Gloria (Deb Hansen), a white woman, and her maid, Vera (Olivia Royster), a black woman.
In Act II Vera magically transforms from a maid (Act I) into a vibrant star, confident in her style and luxuriating in newfound public appeal and celebrity.
Along the way, the usual Hollywood suspects enter and claim the spotlight.
Late in life Vera and Gloria meet up and exchange places in a surprise appearance on a television show,
Who do you think gets her comeuppance?
That Vera is the same person in both acts is hard to grasp since the characters are extremely opposite, but Ms. Royster's metamorphosis convinces us.
For community theatre the acting is outrageously terrific, several standout performances which almost outshine the star's.
Elijah Moshe Begab's histrionics as "Maximilian Van Oster," the director of an upcoming movie, are hysterical as he prances and dances, the target of several wannabe actors.
(Just wait until you see him in Act II as a sideshow where his eyes seem to diverge as he stares up at the ceiling and throws his head back for a big puff from a cigarette propped straight up in his mouth and perpendicular to the floor.)
And, there is Lottie (Terresita Edwards) who's got a whole lottie shakin' goin' on with a lotta voice to match. This girl belongs on the big stage!
Lottie is Vera's roommate who knows savvy, especially when it comes to unsavory acquaintances.
Ms. Hansen superbly displays her snobbery and condescension as Gloria, the movie star, unwilling to recognize the talents of others but anxious about her competitors.
Karina Kasara Jimenez as the "fake" Brazilian is a hoot. She lashes out in more ways than one.
Costumer Laura Mills's swinging 1970s men's suit for Steve Glenn as TV show host, Brad Donovan, with its light blue color and wide lapels fits right in with the comedy. In Act I, Mr. Glenn is the movie's studio head, Frederick Slasvick (rhymes with slapstick), another great rendition of an exaggerated stereotype.
Kudos to the remainder of the cast: Adrian Alleyn (Curtis Lewis, from Mar. 31 - Apr. 2), Suzette Farnun, Tia Milton, and Jay Tilley.
Melissa Jo York-Tilley's set design is realistic, from the oak furniture to the paintings on the walls. (She's also assistant director, hair and makeup designer, and more!)
With a few prop changes by Lauren Hatmaker, scene transitions go smoothly with almost no interruption in the flow of the story.
Combine this Women's History Month with last month's Black History Month, and Vera Stark makes a great take on both.
Rooftop's stacked seating makes enjoyment of the production more personable. The theatre is located in the city's historic district, in the Artfactory which reminds me of Alexandria's Torpedo Factory.
But this is the former home of the Hopkins Candy Factory which began operations in 1908.
Around 1916, it became a feed and flour mill store and by the 1980s, it was a tire warehouse.
Merchants Tire gave the building to the city of Manassas in 1998 where its conversion as an art center was spearheaded by Carol Merchant Kirby.
Wikipedia quote Ms. Harris:
I never had the chance to rise above the role of maid in Hollywood movies. My color was against me anyway you looked at it. The fact that I was not "hot" stamped me either as uppity or relegated me to the eternal role of stooge or servant. [...] My ambition is to be an actress. Hollywood had no parts for me.
In Vera Stark, Ms. Harris blossoms, producing ample boasting opportunities for director AnuRa Harrison.
Other members of the production staff are Kimberly Kemp, producer; Erin Decaprio, assistant stage manager; Jimmy Conroy, technicals; Kurt Gustafson and Rebecca Nicoletti, lighting; Matthew Scarborough, Adriane Harrison, and Pam Mahone, sound; Ivy Elizabeth, dialects; and Emily Dunn, videographer.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, Mar. 31 - April 1, 2023 with a matinee at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 2, 2023.
Tickets: $28.19 which includes fees for students and seniors, and $33.52 with fees, adults
Duration: About 2.5 hrs. with one intermission
Audience: For mature teens on up
Language: X
Where: The Artfactory, 9419 Battle St., Manassas, VA 20110
For more information: 703-330-2787
patricialesli@gmail.com
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