‘The Light’: A blaze of emotion and a message

The impactful Portland Center Stage production roars against the sexual oppression of Black women.

Portland Center Stage’s fiery 75-minute production of The Light, deftly directed by Chip Miller, is full of surprises, but the meaning of its title isn’t one of them. Before the play begins, a voice states that the show is dedicated to every Black girl or woman who’s been through darkness. How this theme is worked into the story, which seems like a romantic comedy before it bursts into becoming an exposé, is a breathtaking feat of burn-down-the-house acting by its two stars.

The story centers on its two appealing characters, Genesis (Andrea Vernae), the principal of a Black charter school, and Rashad (La’ Tevin Alexander), a firefighter who once dreamed of being a professional football player. Together they make a smart, sexy and playfully sparring couple who are celebrating their second anniversary. They don’t agree on everything – Genesis, for example, won’t concede that she was first attracted to Rashad because he was “ripped and tight,” as he claims – but their commitment to each other is clear. Until, that is, the evening takes a turn that threatens to immolate their loving relationship.

With the entire play taking place in Genesis’s condo, set designer Alex Meyer creates the perfect foil for the emotions that will eventually be unleashed. Bathed in the light of small stylish lamps and swathed in soothing brown-toned textiles, the tasteful space is a sanctuary for Genesis after a stressful workday. Even before she comes onstage, we can see she’s a woman who has meticulously chosen pleasing minimalist shapes, such as the curved chairs at her table, which surround her in sophisticated comfort. At the same time, her home breathes with the details of her daily life, including the tray of lotions, scents and other personal products in her bedroom and the jewelry stand where her luminous necklaces hang.

As the play begins, Rashad is in the condo alone and endearingly nervous as he checks himself out in the mirror, pats his pockets and hides an engagement ring between the couch cushions. When Genesis gets home, she’s stressed, but before too long the two of them are laughing and exchanging anniversary gifts and a smoking kiss.

“If I want people to care about my characters, they have to fall in love with them,” Webb said in an interview with The Berkshire Eagle. Done and done: The warmth and chemistry between Alexander and Vernae make it easy to do just that. Amid the couple’s banter and displays of physical affection, the delightfully audible audience at the March 14 opening night performance spontaneously responded with laughter and, at one point, even applause.

Still, there are tiny signs of the tension to come. Rashad, for example, grouses about being a grown man who’s bossed around by his 5-year-old daughter. His tone is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, with a hint of a formidable temper. Since the story unfolds during the fall of 2018, the couple also talk about Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings, which are taking place at this time. One of Genesis’s white employees has posted an “I stand with Brett” message on social media, and Rashad wonders how female students can feel safe around a teacher who doesn’t listen when a woman says she’s been assaulted.

Watching The Light is a potent reminder that the #MeToo movement was actually started in 2006 by the activist Tarana Burke, a Black woman who also created a nonprofit program called JustBe, Inc. to empower brown girls.

As an absorbing play revolving around this issue, Miller’s production is worth every second of its taut runtime. Even if the couple’s reminiscing about the first days of their love feels just a tad contrived, there was never a moment when I wasn’t fervently rooting for these two people to have something akin to a happily ever after. The fact that the show also implies a universal message also gives the production extra power, especially when an escalating argument demonstrates how hard it can be to hear what someone else is saying, let alone truly empathize with people whose experience is so different from our own.

With the audience wrapped around the four sides of the set, Genesis’s home could be our own, and it’s not comfortable to sit so close to the emotional conflagration that occurs in the intimate Ellyn Bye Studio. The Light, however,  also offers a sense of hope: It shows that sometimes a relationship has to be burned to the ground before it can be rebuilt.

The Light will continue at Portland Center Stage’s Ellyn Bye Studio (128 N.W. 11^th Ave., Portland) through April 20. Find tickets and schedules here.

***

Fertile Ground Preview: ‘Great White Goes Down’ at Fuse Theatre Ensemble

Part of Portland’s Fertile Ground Festival of New Works and the first play in Fuse Theatre Ensemble’s 2025 season, the premiere of Great White Goes Down brings a note of new life after the loss of Ernie Lijoi, a board member for the queer-focused company, as well as an actor, playwright, composer, singer, lyricist, and recording artist, who died on February 9, 2025.

Great White Goes Down, a play about the connection between two gay men, is the final work in Ajai Tripathi’s Great White trilogy, which includes Great White Gets Off (which Bobby Bermea wrote about in a 2023 ArtsWatch feature) and Great White Gives It Up.

The trilogy follows Snakecharmer (Tripathi) and Great White (Patrick Hilton) – aka Sandeep and Bert – who meet on a hookup app and then, as their relationship expands, try to navigate the deep waters of an interracial relationship.

For the third play, Tripathi has co-written the script with Hilton. In an email exchange, he told ArtsWatch about their process for creating the new story … and what the future might hold for Sandeep and Bert.

What was it like writing with Patrick Hilton this time around?

It is a prosperous and creative kinship. We improvised a lot, as Patrick’s background is in improv. It’s been a fluid and loose process. We spent half a year exploring every possibility and scenario, walking around town, dreaming up situations Bert and Sandeep might get into. It’s a bit surreal. During the first play I realized Pat had a remarkable insight into the character, so for the second he contributed major story elements. It made sense for him to write the third with me, as he knows the character best. He digs deeply into the complexity of his role, and this has challenged me to dig deeply into the complexity of mine. We have contrasting but complementary sensibilities, which is also true for our characters. The third element is Rusty [Tennant, Fuse’s artistic director], who’s been our guru from the beginning. They see the big picture from outside and bring their mastery and insight to the grand vision. 

What themes does Great White Goes Down explore? Does it continue the conversation about interracial relationships?

Connection through time. What endures in a relationship? What is lasting? What keeps us connected to each other? Navigating relationships can be a challenge, and this is very true for gay men. The three plays have looked at three levels of connection — the first physical, the second intellectual and emotional, the third spiritual. Spirituality can be a difficult thing for queer people, as it’s been traditionally weaponized against us. Can we reconcile our spirituality and sexuality? The sacred and profane? 

I recently visited India, after almost two decades away. This play is set in Prayagraj during Maha Kumbh Mela. I wanted to give Sandeep that same connection to his spiritual heritage that I found. Previous assumptions about race and identity have been upended. Bert and Sandeep are more familiar; they say and do things they couldn’t in the first play. It begins with two men who aren’t comfortable in their skin, but hope to find something that remedies their woundedness and gives them insight into each other and themselves.

Your husband wanted to read the script for Great White Gives It Up before he saw it. Has he read this new script, and if so, how did he react?

Yes, he laughed a lot while reading it, and was moved by its conclusion. 

How does it feel to be completing the trilogy? Will it be hard to let go of these characters?

A big theme in the play is letting go, and finding that line between connection and attachment. If attachment is counterproductive to spiritual progress, what does that say about the loving connections we make? I’ve been incredibly lucky to get to do three plays to explore these characters, and we’ve brought them to a satisfying place. Their journey has opened them up to infinite possibilities, so I feel they will live on in one universe or another. There could be a whole series of them exploring different worlds together. What started as a casual sexual encounter has become something greater — like the tales of old, the legend of Snakecharmer and Great White. 

How important is it to tell this story now, with everything that’s going on in our country?

These plays are of their time – the first mired in the loneliness of the pandemic and the unraveling of identity politics. This one deconstructs identity altogether, in a world that is losing its human connection. We need stories that connect us. Fuse Theatre Ensemble is a creative sanctuary and a hub for people who have been targeted for their identities. It has created a space for this queer brown man in a predominantly white community, but I am one of many voices this theatre makes space for. Our stories connect us. Through our differences and our similarities. Through our love. They help us understand and navigate our worlds. Theatre keeps us human.  

Is there anything else you want audiences to know about the play and/or your experience of writing it and acting in it?

These plays are from the heart, and it’s been cathartic for me. I hope it may be so for others. Our world is experiencing a deep sense of grief. Our local queer community is grieving the loss of Ernie Lijoi, may they rest in peace. My wish beyond the play is that we continue to find ways to support each other through our grief and celebrate our unique and creative spirit. 

Great White Goes Down – as well as the first two plays in the trilogy – will be onstage at the Back Door Theatre, 4319 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., in Portland, April 3-27. Find tickets and schedules here.

***

The Temperamentals at Twilight Theatre, March 20–April 6.

Jon Marans’ 2009 play explores the hidden world of burgeoning gay activism in postwar America. As part of a secret language that gay men used to communicate, “Temperamental” was code for “homosexual” in the early 1950s. The play tells the story of Harry Hay and Rudi Gernreich, who fall in love while building the first gay rights organization in the pre-Stonewall U.S. Their group, which Hay first called Bachelors Anonymous and then Society of Fools, was eventually dubbed the Mattachine Society, which refers to a medieval French term for masked dancers. In Italy, a mattachino was also a court jester who dared to tell the truth to the king.

Hay knew too well the perils of a secret life. An ardent communist, he married a female member of the party because the group rejected gays. One August night in 1948, though, he wrote his manifesto for the society he wanted to create while his wife and two daughters slept.

As Hay told Jonathan Ned Katz, who published the interview in his book Gay American History: Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A. (1976): “The anti-Communist witch-hunts were very much in operation; the House of Un-American Activities Committee investigated Communist ‘subversion’ in Hollywood. The purge of homosexuals from the State Department took place. The country, it seemed to me, was beginning to move toward fascism and McCarthyism; the Jews wouldn’t be used as a scapegoat this time — the painful example of Germany was still too clear to us. The Black organizations were already pretty successfully looking out for their interests. It was obvious McCarthy was setting up the pattern for a new scapegoat, and it was going to be us — Gays.”

The play, which stars Derek Johnson and Matthew Sepeda and is directed by Roy Arauz, previews on March 20 and opens on March 21.

Also Opening

Worry Dolls, a staged reading at Milagro on March 19.

Maya Malan-Gonzalez’s new play-in-development follows two best friends, Luz and Sonia, who are trying to navigate middle school together. Both girls are bombarded by the anxiety of growing up as well as the lingering trauma and grief of the COVID-19 pandemic. While Sonia struggles with the grief of her mother’s passing, Luz’s world changes when a set of Guatemalan worry dolls come to life and battle her Worry Monster.

Tootsie, Stumptown Stages at the Winningstad Theatre, March 21-April 13.

Based on Sydney Pollack’s 1982 romantic-comedy film, this Tony-nominated stage musical features music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Robert Horn. The show is directed by Emily Alexander and Steve Coker and choreographed by Jeff George, with musical direction by Barney Stein. It also features Stumptown’s producing artistic director Kirk Mouser as Michael Dorsey, the role that Dustin Hoffman created in the Oscar-nominated film.

Big Fish at Pentacle Theatre in Salem, March 21-April 12.

Based on Daniel Wallace’s novel and Tim Burton’s film, Big Fish focuses on the relationship between Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman, and his adult son Will. Shifting between two timelines, 60-year-old Edward faces mortality in the present day as Will prepares to become a father himself. In the storybook past, Edward meets a witch, a giant, a mermaid, and the love of his life, Sandra. The stories meet as Will discovers a secret from his father’s past. Directed by Jill Sorensen, the play features a book by John August and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa.

Marjorie Prime at Ten Fifteen Theater in Astoria, March 28-April 12.

In the age of artificial intelligence, 85-year-old Marjorie has a handsome new companion who’s programmed to feed the story of her life back to her. A 2015 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Jordan Harrison’s 75-minute play, which The New York Times called “elegant, thoughtful and quietly unsettling,” explores the mysteries of memory and human identity, while probing the limits of technology. Directed by Markus Brown.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Super Live at Keller Auditorium, March 29.

The 2.5D musical based on the popular manga series by Naoko Takeuchi will be in Portland for one night as part of its North American tour. With book, lyrics and direction by Kaori Miura (Musical: The Prince of Tennis; Tokyo Revengers The Musical), choreography by Satomi Toma, and music by Go Sakabe and KYOHEI, the show promises to be visually stunning as it follows Usagi Tsukino, a teenage girl who transforms into the heroic Sailor Moon. The show will be performed in Japanese with English subtitles.

Next to Normal at Greenhouse Cabaret in Bend, April 4-May 3.

Debuting off-Broadway in 2008, this rock musical went on to win three Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for drama. According to its press, “Next to Normal is an intimate exploration of family and illness, loss and grief. At its heart is Diana Goodman … a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar disorder and haunted by her past.” Featuring a score by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey; directed by founder John Kish and Greenhouse returnee Josh Curtis (Proof); music directed by Natalie True (Sweeney Todd). Recommended for ages 14+.

Continuing Shows

The Antipodes at Shaking the Tree Theatre through March 22.

Samantha Van Der Merwe directs Annie Baker’s play that blends realistic dialog with magical elements. ArtsWatch reviewed the production here, declaring it “a show about everything, including storytelling and gender imbalance, all told with a beguiling blend of realistic dialogue and theatrical magic.”

Hamilton at Keller Auditorium through March 23 and continuing at Eugene’s Hult Center, March 25–April 6.

There are still a few performances of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mega-hit show in Portland, but if you can’t make it to one of them, the touring musical’s next stop is just a few hours away in Eugene. ArtsWatcher James Bash, who saw the Portland show twice, describes the songs as an “intoxicating mashup of musical styles – ricocheting from hip-hop to pop to R&B to soul, and to Broadway show tunes.”

Bitter Herb at the Multnomah County Central Library through March 23.

Speculative Drama’s devised and immersive production of Bitter Herb uses movement, acting and costumes to create tableaux that re-tell the Grimm brothers’ tale of “Rapunzel.” ArtsWatch previewed the show here. For ages 10+.

Sapience at Artists Repertory Theatre through March 23.

Diana Burbano’s play explores love and communication through the eyes of Elsa, a primatologist, who is studying the language abilities of orangutans. ArtsWatcher Brett Campbell wrote about the production, which is directed by Melory Mirashrafi, and its collaboration with PHAME, a fine and performing arts academy serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. You can also read the ArtsWatch review here.

Notes from the Field at Portland Playhouse through March 30.

Anna Deavere Smith’s 17-character, one-actor play, which Dmae Lo Roberts previewed in her ArtsWatch Stage & Studio podcast, exposes a world where young Black men are systematically pushed out of the education system and into the criminal justice system. But amidst the darkness, dedicated educators, activists, and community leaders fight to make a difference in the lives of these vulnerable young people. Directed by Jackie Davis and starring Ramona Lisa Alexander. Darleen Ortega reviewed the production here.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Portland Center Stage through March 30.

In Edward Albee’s absurdist drama, things go dark when George and Martha invite a young couple over for a nightcap. Marissa Wolf  directs the play, which won a Tony Award for Best Play, and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play, 1963. Read Darleen Ortega’s review here.

The Cottage at Gallery Theater in McMinnville, through March 30.

This sex farce by Sandy Rustin features Sylvia and Beau, who find themselves in an English countryside cottage for their yearly rendezvous. While Sylvia thinks they’re finally beginning a new life together, Beau demurs, and their spouses unexpectedly show up. According to the show’s press, “With a tip of the hat to Noël Coward and sex comedies of the past, The Cottage offers a perfect showcase for six actors with endless laughs, hilarious twists, daring physical comedy, and a happy ending for lovers everywhere.” Directed by Steve Cox and starring Holly Spencer, Erika Fox, Delaney Sump, Ben Lapp, John Hamilton and Jared Richard. Recommended for ages 11+.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe at 21ten Theatre, through March 30.

Directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe and starring Brooke Totman, Jane Wagner’s one-woman play, which was originally written for Lily Tomlin, blends humor with big questions. Among the play’s characters are Trudy, a bag lady tapped into humanity’s collective consciousness; Paul, an iron-pumping gym rat and wistful sperm donor; and a trio of women whose lives have diverged since their early days in the feminist movement.

Northwest Children’s Theatre presents Pete the Cat — A Live Rock Musical at The Judy, through April 13.

Pete the Cat rocks out in this “fast-paced, globe-trotting musical adventure” as he helps his best friend, Jimmy, embrace the power of imagination. It’s based on the book series by Kimberly and James Dean, with script and lyrics by Sarah Hammond and music by Will Aronson. Among the weekend shows, there will be an ASL interpreted performance on March 22 and a sensory-friendly show on March 23. There will also be weekday performances over spring break. Most enjoyed by ages 4 and up.

Noises Off at Lakewood Center for the Arts through April 6. 

Lakewood Theatre presents this rollicking spoof of English bedroom comedies. Written by Michael Frayn, the play follows the backstage antics of a touring theater troupe who find themselves caught in a sex farce of their own. The title, in theater terminology, refers to commotion offstage, which, in this case, makes for lively onstage entertainment. Directed by Don Alder. 

The Mousetrap at Experience Theatre Project through April 6.

Artistic director Alisa Stewart directs this classic Agatha Christie murder mystery, which is the longest-running play ever, having opened in London’s West End in 1952. The story features the guests of the remote Monkswell Manor House, who are trapped in a snowstorm when they discover a murderer is in their midst. This intimate, immersive production is limited to only 45 people per show and is being performed in Experience Theatre Project’s new space at ​18850 S.W. Alexander St. in Aloha.

Theater News

Change of venue and dates for Triangle Productions’ DARCELLE: That’s No Lady.

Triangle’s encore performance of DARCELLE: That’s No Lady in June has switched venues and will now be onstage at The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza (1785 N.E. Sandy Blvd., Portland.) For those who already have tickets, the dates will change slightly. For more information, email boxoffice@trianglepro.org.