The Justice

Media Credit: Julian Agin-Liebes Michael Castellanos '10 (left) and Tony Rios '11 (center) portrayed characters of races and genders different from their own, while Ben Witte '11 (right) channeled an oppresive colonial adminstrator for his role as Clive.

The Free Play Theatre Cooperative's latest endeavor, Cloud 9, is a compelling and humorous examination of the evolution of sexual politics. Written by Carol Churchill, the play takes place in multiple locations, with Act I set in Victorian-era Africa at the height of the British Empire and Act II taking place in the playwright's then-contemporary London of 1979.

The play begins with Clive (Ben Witte '11), a colonial administrator, struggling to maintain order over his estate. As an exemplar of the British empire, Clive imposes his strict values system on his wife Betty (Michael Castellanos '10), played by a man in the first act, his homosexual son Edward (Lauren Kraus '10), played by a woman in the first act, and his black servant Joshua (Tony Rios '11), played by a nonblack actor. These gender and racial reversals challenge the audience's perception of gender roles and also to indicate the characters' devaluing of themselves. Betty, sympathetically portrayed by Castellanos, is a woman defined by what men want her to be; similarly, Edward is restricted by his father Clive's rigid definition of masculinity. Betty's mother Maud (Gavi Young '09) also lives with the family, along with the governess Ellen and the visiting neighbor Mrs. Saunders (both played by Laura Lorand '09). Clive's friend Harry (David Brown '09), an explorer, also pays the family a visit.

As the dominant figure of Act I and the symbol of colonial and sexual oppression, Clive must command the audience members and convince them of his power. Witte ably navigated his role as a pompous husband who displays astonishing levels of hypocrisy in his personal life. He was also extremely funny. However, Clive's arrogance easily segued into the realistic cruelty he demonstrates toward everyone-his wife, his children, his subjects. Young was also a standout in her role as Maud, a woman who has internalized the sexually prejudiced views of her era. She imbued her lines with a subtle wit that perfectly showcased the very clever script and did so without resorting to histrionics. Unfortunately, Lorand's performance was hindered by some overacting in both of her roles, especially in that of the governess. Lorand is a gifted physical comedian, and her roles added some humor to the production, but as Ellen, the victim of love hindered by restrictive social values, she should have been less of a joke and more of a tragic character. Joshua, as played by Rios, was stiff and unconvincing. However, I must emphasize that, despite the slight character mishaps, Act I was generally hilarious, entertaining and well-done. The audience laughed appreciatively throughout the performance without losing sight of the considerable criticisms Churchill was launching against the hypocritical values of the British Empire.

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