In a Seattle government agency, middle-aged conservative, white Haddie (Susan Greenhill), backward socially and on the job, newly shares a small office with younger, black, well-spoken and suited Alvin (Lelund Durond Thompson), a college graduate. In Los Angeles, the police who beat up Rodney King are on trial. Racism is the topic of the day. Haddie faces hers first when she meets a temporary new neighbor, Sylvia (Celeste Ciulla), a writer on sociology and economics. Sylvia specializes in how both relate to differences between blacks and whites that foster racial attitudes, expressed or implied, covert or unrealized.
Worried about an imminent evaluation, Haddie believes she's been put behind assertive women's libbers and now faces unfavorable comparison with Alvin, whom affirmative action will help. He thinks that aiding her to make her monthly report will prove him a team player while showing his greater ability. Greenhill's Haddie is a stitch trying to get past her prejudices and even more so when she misinterprets Alvin's friendly gestures, like sharing a sandwich or correcting her transposed letters and numbers. (Thompson evidences Alvin's exasperation with her plodding but quickly surrenders to his better nature.)
When Haddie bumps into Sylvia at a market and gives her wacky views on reports of the L.A. incident and trial, the writer figures Haddie's just what her book needs: a character who gets all her notions from television and colors with prejudice all but her favoring of "The Cosby Show" and its characters. As Sylvia shares coffee with her or accompanies the dowdy Haddie shopping for "orange-is-the-new-black" clothes, she thinks it's from friendship. Of course, she'll find out differently, just as the others will face the motives behind their own interpersonal relationships. None are free of prejudices. Some involve things (e.g., TV) as well as people.
Thanks to Y York's well-placed humor, the play makes its serious points without burying them in gloom and doom. The finale challenges plausibility yet without being completely impossible, a mark of canny direction.
Kate Alexander makes sure all the characterizations are even. Thompson is both an assured Alvin and uncomfortable with the circumstances of his employment. Celeste Ciulla's smart professional Sylvia speaks with confidence yet shows a weighted face when encountering doubts. She tenses when surprised.
Director Alexander and Susan Greenhill appear to be becoming an FST team bringing out the best in women characters who are deeper than they seem on the surface. One may disapprove of Haddie but understand and pity her. Thanks to Greenhill, she evokes not a little laughter, but of the gentle kind.
The technical work is adequate; the set, undistinguished, with awkward scene changes. Marcella Beckwith's costumes help with the characterizations, however.
