17th Play - Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau
Joshua Boone (Dez), Brandon J. Dirden (Reggie), Phylicia Rashad (Faye), and Chanté Adams (Shanita) in Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway Production. Photo: Matthew Murphy
Okay, I have a HUGE talent crush on Dominque Morisseau. I was lucky enough to listen to her speak at the ATHE conference in Detroit a couple years ago. Seriously, everything that comes out of that woman’s mouth is clever, well-put together and brilliant. I don’t know why I hadn’t read this one yet, but … oh, wow.
Summary: “At the start of the Great Recession, one of the last auto stamping plants in Detroit is on shaky ground. Each of the workers have to make choices on how to move forward if their plant goes under. Shanita has to decide how she'll support herself and her unborn child, Faye has to decide how and where she'll live, and Dez has to figure out how to make his ambitious dreams a reality. Power dynamics shift as their manager Reggie is torn between doing right by his work family, and by the red tape in his office. Powerful and tense, Skeleton Crew is the third of Dominique Morisseau's Detroit cycle trilogy.” From Concord Theatricals.
Laura’s thoughts in brief: This play started a little slowly for me in the first few pages, but then all of a sudden it grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. As soon as we find out that Reggie, the manager knows the plant is going to close (not a spoiler, this is the plot), but he asks Faye not to tell everyone yet, you start to feel the characters being pulled in different directions. Morisseau has created four very interesting characters who all just want to keep working to survive. None of the characters is perfect (although Shanita is closest), and we learn that some of them have secrets. Here’s another play about corporate greed - okay, that’s not what it’s ALL about, but there are some great lines pointing out how the company is shutting down plants, forcing people to work under conditions that aren’t always safe, and downsizing to cut expenditures, without thinking about what that means for the human beings who are being downsized. And the people at the top are making millions and not thinking about the workers as humans, just merely costs that lower profits. This is my LEAST favorite part of capitalism and I, personally, and so many people for decades have been hurt by this phenomenon. Dominique Morisseau really nails that feeling in this play. What we see in this look at Detroit in 2008, is that for some, being downsized can truly be the beginning of the end. The relationship between Faye, the oldest worker, and Reggie is so lovely and real - almost mother/son, since Faye was close to his mother. That relationship allows him to ask Faye to keep his secret about the plant closing, which she finds very difficlut, especially since she’s the union representative. And the fact that she also happens to be a lesbian just makes me like her and the play even more. Dez seems a bit like a player, but Morisseau gives him a chance to be deeper than that, despite some shady goings on he might be involved in. And Shanita is the “good girl” of the group, but doesn’t take shit from anyone. However, she’s hugely pregnant and about to turn down another job offer. This makes Faye’s position that much harder. Everyone in this play is looking at almost impossible choices in different parts of the play - it’s hard, but so is life for a lot of people. Not too far into the play, we are rooting for ALL of them and mostly just pissed off at the company that has put them in this situation, without caring. Yay capitalism, sigh. I want every fricking CEO/CFO to watch this play to remember the humanity behind the employee “costs” at their company. This play is truly heartbreaking, the first play I’ve read this summer that broke me a little, but in a good way. It’s also quite funny in moments, in true Morisseau fashion. Not my play to do, but I would go see any production. It will be done again soon - the need for this lesson will not go away.
READ MORE! Here’s what others had to say about productions:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/theater/skeleton-crew-review.html
https://variety.com/2022/legit/reviews/skeleton-crew-review-broadway-phylicia-rashad-1235164240/
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/article/2024/jul/08/skeleton-crew-review-donmar-warehouse-london