“Family is Family” in SDA’s Production of “Kentucky”
By: Awo Jama ‘22
On September 27th, USC’s School of Dramatic Arts kicked off its 2018-2019 season with its production of “Kentucky,” a two-act play written by Leah Nanako Winkler and directed by Tim Dang. I had the pleasure of attending the show on its Friday performance, and was incredibly enchanted by both the expertise of the performers and the dimensionality of the story they conveyed.
“Kentucky” centers around a headstrong young woman named Hiro, who, after escaping from her native Kentucky and the emotional traumas it dealt her, relocated to New York City, where she has been living and working for the past 7 years. After learning that her younger sister Sophie, who in her absence has become a born-again Christian, is to be wed to a man she has only been seeing for 6 months, Hiro storms her old town to talk some sense into her. What ensues is a hilarious yet heartbreaking narrative in which relationships are rekindled and shattered, and wounds are healed and formed.
While family and the concept of “home” drive “Kentucky’s” storyline, numerous other subject matters are confronted. According to sophomore theater major Dylan Locke, who portrayed Hiro’s therapist Larry in the show, “issues of culture, race, power, and equality” are all woven into the show. In the eyes of sophomore theater major Grace Powers, who played the show’s lead, “There’s something for everyone to relate to [in Kentucky], whether that be difficulty with family, race relations, or addiction.” The director of the show, Tim Dang, shared similar sentiments as his cast, stating that, “There are so many different cultures [in the show]; it’s about diversity, interracial marriage, religion.” In order for audience members to be able to foster a connection with one another regarding these subjects, Dang made the directorial decision to split “Kentucky’s” set in half in order for the audience to be able to witness each other’s reactions in real time and “look at each other as if they were also confronting each other,” just as “Kentucky’s” characters do.
One of the most inspiring aspects of “Kentucky” was the diversity of its cast, a rare feature in most productions and the performing arts collectively. The representation brought to “Kentucky” was something that the students involved in the show not only recognized but wholeheartedly embraced, as, according to sophomore theater major Jacob Litvack, who played Hiro’s family cat Sylvie, “Diversity in theater is incredibly important, and we have that.” Powers felt the same way, stating that, “The representation in this cast is fantastic, and it’s important that we as a community support any kind of effort towards representation.” In order for the students in “Kentucky” to engage in conversations surrounding this representation, Dang had cast members discuss prevalent issues surrounding the play’s themes during table reads in the first weeks of rehearsal. According to Locke, during these table reads cast members “were all able to share our experiences growing up…. And it was so eye opening to see other people’s perspectives, and to realize that we’re so different but at the end of the day we’re so connected.” It is this very connection that lies at the heart of “Kentucky’s” message, a connection which was able to transcend the confines of the stage to envelop all in attendance of the performance, and incite much needed conversations.
Be sure to come out and support SDA by seeing their upcoming performances of Street Scene, which runs October 11th-14th, and The Penelopiad, which runs October 25th-28th. A full schedule of the season’s shows can be found on SDA’s website.
Photos by Craig Schwartz for the USC School of Dramatic Arts
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