Press Reviews

 

Psychology of Chromosome X

LA Weekly: 2/25/2005 (Erin Aubry-Kaplan)

 

Don’t be fooled by the ponderous title — the latest offering from the Towne Street Theatre company is a madcap, mostly satisfying collection of mini one-acts by Shontina Vernon that broadly examine sex and black women in the modern world. Though the themes of these six pieces are entirely universal to the gender — menopause, masturbation, regrets about motherhood — the fact that they are all more or less taboo subjects in black culture makes this show more radical and surprising than it might otherwise be. 

 

Director Nancy Cheryll Davis never really settles on an overall tone, which ranges from sitcom to the crystalline object lesson of a short story, but the fluctuations are part of its appeal, and its point. 

 

The mostly female cast is very good and versatile: Among the many notable performances are Nancy Renee as a loopy, maxi-pad-shoplifting mother, and Kila Kitu as her stoic daughter in "Ode to the Bleeding Ovarians"; Erica Tazel as a leisurely sex diva who incarnates a young, less-mannered Eartha Kitt in "The Art of Watering Wilted Flowers"; and the whole ensemble of the last piece of the evening, "Womanly Wisdamn Masquerading as Insanity," a surreal group-therapy session pitched somewhere between Oprah and The Twilight Zone. 

 

Vernon’s mostly loose script can lapse into preachiness, but she must be given credit for audacity and originality. 

 

 

Audience Reviews 

 

Nancy,

Just wanted you to know how much I was impressed with the production last night. The work was first rate! 

Farrell J. Foreman

 

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Hi Nancy,

I really enjoyed myself Saturday night at the theatre for Chromosome X; I thought it was well done, funny and different...good cast. I didn't get to see Nancy Renee after the performance but please tell her for me that she was SUPERB! She does comedy so effortlessly and I know that it is difficult. The friend I brought to the theatre was new to Towne Street; she didn't even know about you guys and she (Rosalind Goddard) is a very important person in the arts...and she was impressed with the experience! BRAVO!

Deborah Charles

 

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Hi Nancy,

The play was hilarious. I had a great time. 

Lisa