BoarsHead Theatre has raised the bar for performance.
The cast of "The Story" at BoarsHead Theatre, 425 S. Grand Ave. in Lansing, presents the highly explosive issues of race, First Amendment rights and journalistic integrity, with style and tact that create a fluid, but in-depth plot.
The mix of comedy and drama finds an equilibrium as Yvonne, a young black woman, starts her new job at a big-city newspaper. Yvonne feels sidelined at the paper because she is assigned to "Outlook" - a section devoted to the happenings of the black inner-city community.
Her goal is to climb to higher levels in the newspaper - a dream her white, trust-fund boyfriend Jeff hopes to help her achieve.
Yvonne's chance rises as she stumbles upon the story of a lifetime - a lead to the person responsible for the recent random murder of a white school teacher.
Race is the foremost issue in this show, and the actors handle the topic exquisitely. Casaundra Freeman, who plays Yvonne, shows off her acting abilities, alternating between an educated black woman and the stereotypical rough street urchin.
The frustration Yvonne feels from being classified at work by her race (by white and black people) and her inability to transfer desks as quickly as she would like creates an almost visible tension shimmering between her and Pat, the editor of "Outlook."
Charlotte Nelson, who plays Pat, does an excellent job preaching as the older and experienced black woman who has fought for equality and resents the younger generation's easy manner in the work place.
This play is applicable to today's students, from career aspects to inner-city activity. The director must have tried to encourage college student's to enjoy a theater experience.
Snippets of music play between scenes ranging from light jazz to Usher's "Yeah!" in an attempt to attract the younger crowd. The plot aids this goal with the young, just-out-of-college career woman to whom students can easily relate.
The plot of "The Story" rises from the increasing concern about journalistic integrity. It plays off of real-life cases of fabricated sources and false interviewing with journalists such as Jason Blair.
But the volatile nature of the play is not tip-toed around as other venues might have done. Instead, the actors embrace each issue and shed the mask of society's political correctness - showing what problems really exist in the world.
Jason Richards shows the simple, hardly calculated duality of human nature in his character Jeff's relationship with Yvonne. Richards conveys inner conflict and the audience glimpses him mentally wrestling with this attraction to Yvonne and his fear of society's judgment.
But Jeff's politically correct speech sometimes slips - alerting the audience and Yvonne to his inner thoughts - a pertinent issue in a world where racism is more often thought rather than spoken.
With each word spoken, each thought and feeling painted on the actors' faces, it is easy to forget "The Story" is a play because every movement and utterance is so genuine it's like watching real life.
Tickets for "The Story" range from $12-$29 and can be purchashed by calling (517) 484-7805. The show runs this Friday through Sunday, and March 9-13.
