The Connection

Port City Playhouse is presenting "Fabulation: or the Re-education of Undine" from July 8-22, 2017, at Gunston 2 Theater in Arlington.

The play takes a satirical look at social stereotypes at both ends of the social spectrum. Undine is a successful African-American business woman at the top of her game. When her husband disappears after embezzling all of her money, Undine heads back to her childhood home in Brooklyn's Walt Whitman projects. Her rags-to-riches-to-rags journey leads her to places like jail, the welfare office, and a reunion with her husband. Through this painful but witty journey, Undine learns about the importance of family.

Director/Co-Producer Eleanore Tapscott said Port City has been interested in producing “Fabulation” for a few years. She said it fits the theatre's mission of producing top-quality, thought-provoking plays within a diverse community that are either outside of the usual community theater repertoire or are of significant historical or human importance. "'Fabulation, or the Re-education of Undine' ticks both boxes, as the play makes satirical and incisive commentary on cultural stereotypes, single motherhood, professional career opportunities for African-American women, and a host of other issues," she said.

She added: "Assimilation into the wider society and acceptance of those societal norms of success is not unique to the African-American experience. I believe all ethnicities have their 'what price assimilation' moments. (Playwright Lynn) Nottage makes it explicitly clear that there are serious pitfalls when a person attempts to escape their past."

She said the play was written to be performed at a rapid pace because one scene dissolves into the next without blackouts, so the best way to ensure such pacing was frequent rehearsals. But that proved challenging as many of the actors were participating in summer Fringe productions and working around other performance schedules.

She added: "In watching Undine’s journey, I see myself and so many others in Undine’s story. Undine’s last line in the play is ‘I breathe!’ and I believe that’s what happens when we embrace our family history (warts and all) and come home. We breathe and we live."

Tanya Baskin plays the role of Undine, an African-American woman whose life crumbles around her forcing her to return to her childhood home where she must cope with a harsh new reality. "Through her journey, Undine faces the challenges and multiple setbacks that allow her to transform and redeem her moral compass that she discarded 14 years earlier," she said.

She said while she starts out as an ambitious social climber with little to no regard for anyone in her circle, by the end of the play you are rooting for her. "Trying to capture her complete journey as a character was a very difficult challenge because she really isn't a nice person," she said. "Hopefully (audiences) will see that this is a story about redemption and truth and perhaps see something that they recognize in their own lives."

Alex Lopez plays the role of Herve/Ensemble, who is Undine's Latin husband who walks out on her. "Although he is a well-traveled man with sophisticated tastes, something that Undine values because it gives her cache, Herve is a selfish man who uses others. He may also lack the capacity to do what is right for them as a married couple as he takes all her money and disappears," he said.

At first, Lopez thought the play was only presenting a list of stereotypes in a humorous style. "And for me the challenge is to play those circumstances provided in the script, not the humor that will be perceived as a result of those circumstances," he said.

Lexie Lounsbury plays the role of Stephie/Ensemble, the ditzy but well-meaning assistant to Undine. "She's young, spunky, and a little air-headed, but she cares about Undine a lot," she said.

As far as challenges, she said she hadn't done many comedic plays before, so it was tricky to navigate the timing. "Also, playing so many characters, it was difficult to separate their traits so the audience could understand who was who," she said.

She said she hopes the audiences will take away a positive attitude. "Even though Undine's situation looks bad on paper, it isn't really as hopeless as it seems."

In addition to playing some ensemble characters, Terry Spann plays the role of Flow, the brother of Undine who has issues with her because of how she departed from the family. "He is a very blunt, no-nonsense (and no filter) Operation Desert Storm veteran now working as a drugstore security guard," he said.

He said the author packed a lot into the fast-moving play. "However, my biggest challenge was (and is) to keep from laughing when I am supposed to be serious. This is a very funny piece."

Marcela Onyango plays the role of Rosa/Ensemble. "Rosa is an optimistic and forward-looking individual. While she recognizes that her life may not necessarily be where it can be, she doesn't despair about it," she said.

Manuel McCoy plays the role of the Father/Ensemble to Undine and her brother Flow. He served in the Vietnam War and now works as a security guard. "This honest, no-nonsense character brings love and humor to his family," he said.

The audience takeaway from the play is "no matter what happens or how much time goes by, family is family and will always be there for you," he said.

Gayle Carney plays several characters, including Devora and Allison. "Devora is a lot of fun and reminds me when I played hand games and jumped rope," she said. Allison was more of a challenge for her, "because I really had to stretch to play a person who is so phony and who mentions a well-known celebrity — Eartha Kitt."

She said she hopes the audience walks away knowing that the world is made up of so many different types of people and everyone is of value. "Most importantly, no matter how far we rise in society, we must not forget our roots," she said.

Kristra Forney plays the role of the Grandmother/Ensemble. "I play multiple characters but they're all representative of, what I think are, the lowest points of Undine's fall from grace," she said. "My characters, while colorful, are very unhappy, troubled people at heart … I wish everyone could find peace in their lives and share it with the world. It would be a much better place if that happened."

Port City Playhouse is presenting "Fabulation: or the Re-education of Undine" from July 8-22,, at Gunston 2 Theater in Arlington. Show times are July 7, 14, 20, 21, at 8 p.m. and 3 p.m. matinees on July 8, 15, 22. Admission is $20; $18 or seniors. The venue is located at 2700 S. Lang Street. Tickets are available at www.portcityplayhouse.org.