Looking back, and looking around now
[L-R Renea S. Brown and Josiah Bania in Sally & Tom at Round House Theatre. Photo by Kent Kondo.]
A Review of Sally & Tom at Bethesda’s Round House Theatre
By Tom Navratil
As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence nears, what better time for an exploration of its principal author’s moral core, as disclosed by his private life? Sally & Tom shines the spotlight most intensively on the heart and soul of Sally Hemings, the enslaved woman who was 14 at the start of her sexual relationship with Thomas Jefferson. By also weaving in a compelling depiction of Jefferson’s choices reverberating into the modern day, this is a play perfectly suited for the present moment.
Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, winner of a Pulitzer and named a MacArthur “genius” Fellow among many accolades, has authored an ingenious intermixing of historic and contemporary life in America. Sally & Tom is a deeply-felt and adroit work, providing plenty to process. You will need to discuss afterwards.
[L-R Nicole Ruthmarie and Renea S. Brown in Sally & Tom at Round House Theatre. Photo by Kent Kondo.]
The premise is that a boundary-pushing theater group is finalizing rehearsals for a piece entitled The Pursuit of Happiness, a searing, unsparing dive into the inner depths of Monticello life at a critical juncture in 1790. Jefferson and his household have only recently returned from their five-year sojourn in Paris, where he served as the chief U.S. diplomatic representative. Then a letter arrives from President Washington, summoning Jefferson to become Secretary of State. The action pivots back and forth between the plantation then and the stage now, with Shakespeare-like parallels abounding among the historic figures and the fictional characters portraying them.
The fictional theater troupe has a social justice focus and precarious finances. It is led by Luce and Mike, who play Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, respectively. Luce is also the troupe’s playwright, and Mike its primary fundraiser. And on top of that, they are a couple, living together.
[L-R Renea S. Brown and Josiah Bania in Sally & Tom at Round House Theatre. Photo by Kent Kondo.]
Renea S. Brown delivers an absolutely incandescent performance as Luce/Sally. Circumstances require both characters to wear multiple faces, to perform differently depending on whom they are addressing, and Brown’s range is truly astounding. The roles of Mike and Tom do not contain quite as many permutations, but Josiah Bania excels in portraying the ostensibly well-intentioned actions of both men as they cope with the financial and other challenges of running a plantation and a theater production, respectively. In this rendition of history, Jefferson presents as an outwardly nice guy who is generally cognizant of the horrific nature of slavery, but who nonetheless lives off of it unquestioningly. There are echoes of this in the character of Mike. Bania’s performance of interpersonal obtuseness is maddeningly effective, emitting occasional flashes of self-awareness to show how both characters could have been better people, but chose not to be.
A major plotline in Sally & Tom is whether to cut an impassioned speech by Sally’s brother James (powerfully portrayed by Ro Boddie), Jefferson’s trusty valet, in which he explodes in his master’s face as to how he truly feels about his condition. We experience the speech in rehearsal, and it is volcanic, majestic. The production presents powerful reasons for cutting it and for keeping it, as well as the sharp costs of either choice. This depiction of a profound authorial dilemma provides one of the many “meta” delights of this production. It matters how you tell the story.
[L-R Kimberly Gilbert, Ro Boddie, and Charlotte Kim in Sally & Tom at Round House Theatre. Photo by Kent Kondo.]
Every cast member performs dual roles, past and present, and they all excel with warmth and passion. Multiple subplots play off each other, heightening the tensions and tradeoffs inherent in tackling this history. The performers convincingly show a strong sense of community and collaboration in their present-day guises, and convey the intensity of the life-and-death stakes in the historical scenes. Despite the heavy, infuriating topics it confronts, Sally & Tom is replete with wit and humor. It is high neuron-content entertainment that, in the spirit of Jefferson’s more admirable aspirations, reaches for—dare I say it?—enlightenment.
A play within a play presents staging challenges, which Scenic Designer Tony Cisek handles superbly, with smooth transitions and just enough décor and props to keep the audience clear as to which era we are experiencing at every point. The visual dialogue between formal 18th century attire and casual modern clothing enhances the impact of the performance, thanks to the outstanding work of Costume Designer Danielle Preston. Timothy Douglas, the director, deserves effusive plaudits for delivering a well-paced and deeply affecting production.
[The cast of Sally & Tom at Round House Theatre. Photo by Kent Kondo.]
The impact of Sally & Tom is to pull the audience into an engaging and necessary conversation about how to deal with Jefferson’s history, and America’s history overall. Throughout, this play highlights the nexus between money and control. Power and sex is another major focus, of course. The different-yet-similar ways that wealth and power disparities operated then versus now thrum along as a thought-provoking, lament-provoking thematic undertone. Things could be much worse, as of course they were. But they could also be significantly better, which is up to us.
The regional premiere of Sally & Tom runs through June 28 at the Round House Theatre, which is located at 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. A mic drop, an exclamation point, it closes out Round House’s season. Tickets can be purchased by calling 240.644.1100, online at RoundHouseTheatre.org, or by visiting the box office. Runtime is approximately two hours and 50 minutes, with one intermission.
Tom Navratil is a Contributing Writer and the author of Dog’s Breakfast, a comedy of international intrigue. Read Norah’s interview with Tom, covering his novel, his past career in the U.S. foreign service, and many things in between.
