Shawn RiceTwenty-eight people climbed onto a yellow school bus on Friday, Feb. 20, to see the play “Pretty Fire” at the People’s Light & Theatre Company in Malvern, Pa. Diversity Initiatives funded the trip in observation of black history month.
Cathy Simpson masterfully performed “Pretty Fire,” a story written by Charlayne Woodard, as a one-woman show. Simpson plays 27 different characters in Woodard’s story. Comedy, tragedy and melancholy are all elements wrapped in the two-hour show.
“Pretty Fire” was recounted from a child’s point of view and presented the serious and light-hearted events. It was like an esteem-shattering run with the neighborhood pedophiliac and the joy of her mother’s warmth and comfort, in a powerful manner that emanated from Simpson’s body. The scenes were all cheery, profound and thought provoking for the audience.
“For me, this story is about family. It’s about the spiritual base of a family, and about the love and respect in Charlayne’s family that carries them through some difficult experiences. I think Charlayne’s family represents many families, and that’s part of the play’s appeal – people recognize their own relationships in the play and want to honor them,” Simpson said in the promotions letter from the People’s Light & Theatre Company.
In an audience discussion, a member of the audience said, “What was the hardest scene for you to do?” Simpson said, “Bonesy [scene of the molestation] was the hardest because it was so sexually overt.” Someone suggested that she go to Hollywood to pursue her acting.
Eric Campbell, sophomore graphic design major, said, “She was real talented. The audience loved it because she kept it live. It wasn’t dull or boring. There were no dead scenes or monotone.”
Dr. Hal Halbert, English and communication professor, said, “I believe that Simpson portrayed the images of the South very well and I can say so because I’m originally from the South.”
Posted to the Web by Shawn Rice
