If you think they don't write black family television sit-coms any more, you obviously haven't been to the Ensemble Theatre where Douglas Lyons' Chicken & Biscuits plays through October 15. With minimal updates we could be in front of our dusty TV set watching a more adult version of The...
If you think they don't write black family television sit-coms any more, you obviously haven't been to the Ensemble Theatre where Douglas Lyons'plays through October 15. With minimal updates we could be in front of our dusty TV set watching a more adult version ofLyons' family comedy is both snappy and sappy. Snappy in its quick-witted dialogue, but sappy in its Hallmark card sentiments and obvious plotting.
Sisters Baneatta , the proper daughter who's married to the next preacher, her husband Reginald Mabry , and Beverly , the improper daughter whose bitch-slap persona cries out for attention and always gets it. It doesn't help her case with Beneatta that her ample pushup bosom enters the room before she does. Beverly's the life of the party, and if you know what's good for your sanity you'd best get out of her way.
The conflicts are mostly played for laughs, but Lyons has a deft touch when confessions pop up, as they do in this type of play. There's a final secret revealed at the funeral which threatens the family structure, but we know how everything will end. This is a sit-com after all, and there's got to be a happy ending for everybody. You will not be disappointed.
Neil Simon made a fortune with this sort of writing, but Lyons isn't there yet. His comedy sprawls all over the place. It's much too long and unnecessarily padded. This needs split-second timing and no pauses. Even a beat or two throws the comedy off balance. The testimonies at the service go on endlessly without any sort of bearing to the knotty plot. Yet the play catches needed fire when Reginald delivers his eulogy as if channeling a tent preacher at a revivalist chautauqua.
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