Gee's Bend -- Too epic for our tastes

By Bob and Karen Isaacs

BOB:  We saw two new plays in Connecticut recently and unfortunately neither will make a lasting impression on the dramatic canon.

KAREN:  Up at Hartford Stage is another newer play, Gee's Bend which is running through February 14.

BOB:  This is one of those epic plays that tries to cover too much history by making sure a character is at the scene of major events.

KAREN: The play tells the story of one family of women -- a mother and her two daughters and later a granddaughter -- in Gee's Bend, Alabama. You may know the town because there's been a lot of media attention to the quilts these women have created.

BOB: The play begins in the late 30s and continues almost to today. It really follows one young girl -- her marriage, her awakening to the Civil Rights movement and her daughter.

KAREN: This is supposed to be an up-lifting piece, but I didn't really feel the emotion. It all seemed "too pat." And the quilts shown on stage did not look that interesting.

BOB: What was interesting was the set by Scott Bradely. The stage had a look of a quilt and there was the curving river towards the rear.

KAREN:Gee's Bend seems more like a history lesson than a play. But you may enjoy the music and fine performances.

BOB: It's running at Hartford Stage through February 14.

This review originally aired on WNHU 88.7FM & WNHU.net