“The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963” reminds us that the heat and struggles of family life and growing up happen simultaneously with disturbing events in the world around us. No matter how smart or nice Mom, Dad, and Grandma are, they can’t necessarily make those big monsters disappear. But they can show us how to cope with them.
Phase one of production of “The Watsons,” adapted by Cheryl L. West from Christopher Paul Curtis’ award-winning novel for middle-aged readers, opened Friday at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Brandite Reed and Jeff Frank co-directed the show.
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Children’s roles are double cast; I’ve seen the cast of Birmingham.
Black parents Mama (Krystal Drake) and Daddy (Sherrick Robinson) raise three children in Flint, Michigan: rebellious teenager Byron (Michael Loomans); clever but fearful Kenny (Zephaniah Singh Ponder), the narrator and point of view of the play; and sister Joetta (Paisley Luna). After Byron gets into trouble again, the parents decide he needs a long summer visit to Grandma Sands (Cynthia Cobb) in Alabama.
Their road trip will be familiar to many of us: a cool box full of sandwiches and snacks, arguments over whose music to listen to, a sing-along with the family, a father who wants to go as far as possible.
But this is also a black family driving through the segregated south. Mom has used the Green Book to map out safe places for their pit stops. Sensing their fear of police and encounters with racists, these protective parents constantly calibrate how much they share about these dangers with their children.
Surprisingly but realistically, Byron relaxes into a better-behaved childhood under Grandma’s roof (Loomans gracefully embodies this transition). It’s Kenny endangering himself with a challenging choice.
I don’t think it’s a spoiler to note that their lives come together emotionally with the white supremacist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, which killed four little girls and injured many other people.
First Stage recommends this show for those 8 years and older. If you’re considering this show for your kids, think about their willingness to discuss racism, segregation, and death, and think about your willingness to respond to their probing questions. (Download an enrichment guide to this show from First Stage’s website.)
At a time when many people in public life are trying to eliminate education about painful racist episodes in American history, these are important discussions for families.
Contact Jim Higgins at jim.higgins@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @jhiggy.
if you go
First Stage will perform “The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963” through February 13 at Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. Proof of vaccination or recent COVID-19 test is required for anyone 12 years of age and older. Masks required. First Stage has limited the number of tickets sold for each show to allow for social distancing between groups. For tickets go to firststage.org.