My take on every tongue confess

Thanks to the wonderful discount ticket lottery at Arena Stage, I had the privilege of seeing acclaimed playwright Marcus Gardley’s every tongue confess starring Phylicia Rashad last night. Gardley graduated from the Yale School of Drama in 2004 with a Master of Fine Arts degree and has been showered with awards and recognition since. every tongue confess is the first performance on the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle Stage, a new stage built during the recent $135 million renovation of Arena Stage.

The play is set in a small Alabama town during a time of racially motivated black church burnings. On the surface, the setting seems trite for a black play, but the fact that it takes place in the 90’s adds an element of uniqueness. Most characters in the play are modern and anti-racist and one character even jams her headphones while rigidly adhering to a vegan lifestyle. This interesting contradiction of a seemingly outdated phenomenon happening in modern times ignites feelings of curiosity and confusion in the audience. (I was on the edge of my chair trying to figure out who the heck would burn down black churches in the 1990’s)

every tongue confess provides opportunities for both black and white actors to play complex roles that develop slowly over the course of the performance. A mute quietly evolves into a loud vocalist and a blues singer seamlessly becomes a savior. Phylicia Rashard’s character, Mother Sister, is a mother, preacher, widow and healer. She is by far the most captivating of the actors and eloquently displays her deep roots in live performance art.

Without spoiling the show, I’ll conclude by saying that the play really does a good job of demonstrating how hypocrisy fuels bigotry and how hate is passed down inside families. I definitely recommend this new play and hope to see it travel the country and maybe even get featured on Broadway. Be sure to use your imagination to embrace the magic realism in the show and don’t be afraid to laugh at the punch lines.