by Loy A. Webb
Running time: 70 minutes with no intermission
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Rashad
Genesis
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A NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLE. LONG-BURIED SECRETS. CAN THEY SURVIVE THE TRUTH?
The Light
Summary
On the night of their engagement, long-simmering discord bubbles to the surface for Genesis, a Principal at a Chicago charter school and Rashad, her firefighterPress & Reviews
The Light by Loy A. Webb - Lyric Stage Company (Boston, MA) - Review | METRMag | Kevin T. Baldwin"Both Carter and Odetoyinbo are exemplary in their performances. Odetoyinbo, especially, has a thoroughly rich monologue which she executes with tremendous heartfelt emotion."
"Parker has given her cast the space they need to let their characters develop, but she also has a handle on the pacing of the 70-minute piece, especially when the dialogue becomes white-hot and the two characters take turns dropping bombs on each other."
"The production is buoyed by an assured performance from relative newcomer Dominic Carter, who deftly strikes the difficult balance between wisecracking alpha guy and thoughtful partner. And Boston favorite Yewande Odetoyinbo, known primarily for her powerhouse vocals and presence in a number of Boston musicals displays strong acting chops as the principled Genesis."
"The cast includes Yewande Odetoyinbo as Genesis and Dominic Carter as Rashad. 'I read the script and I cried,' says Odetoyinbo. 'I don’t think we get a chance to see a lot of stories that center around a Black couple that are truly in love with each other, and you can see how much in love they are.'"
"You have such great directing here by Jacqui Parker in a directorial debut for 'The Lyric,'" Bowen says. "At the end, I had to stifle myself from actually making an exclamation because I was so involved. I wanted to yell out from my seat — that's how powerful it was."
“The success of the Lyric production revolves around director Jacqui Parker’s emphasis on establishing an ease between her two actors. When the heated exchanges drift into slick debate points, Parker gently guides Odetoyinbo and Carter back to the challenge of a woman caught in a moment of utter vulnerability, trying to find her way to trust.”
"It is a meaningful show hinging on the strengths of its leads and Yewande Odetoyinbo as school principal Genesis and Dominic Carter as firefighter Rashad are more than up to the task. While both characters are stubborn, Odetoyinbo’s grounded and witty nature as Genesis strikes an important balance with Carter’s optimistic and playful sense of humor as Rashad. Carter is charismatically charming and leads in some of the production’s funniest moments while Odetoyinbo as Genesis is best as the tension builds."
"The story — with lovely set design from Baron E. Pugh — is a welcome one, with great performances from both Carter and Odetoyinbo. There aren’t too many love stories centering a Black couple, and the actors’ natural abilities make their romance seem believable and their pain palpable."
"The true radiance in "The Light" proves to be the chemistry between director Parker and actors Carter and Odetoyinbo"
