It's hard to imagine drinking coffee, changing clothes, or having a serious conversation in the break room at this factory. But in this one set show, that's where the action is.
Faye, superbly played by the almost unrecognizable Phylicia Rashad, is the shop steward. She has a big secret she can't share with her friends. Her boss Reggie (Brandon J. Dirden) has confided that, like a great many businesses in Detroit 2008, theirs is about to be shut down. This will cause great financial hardship for the others: Dez (Joshua Boone), a hothead with a good heart; and Shanita (Chante Adams), a beautiful young pregnant woman who is lonely but has big dreams. They are, we are told, a family, and like most dysfunctional families; they have their own secrets and pasts. Faye is a lesbian who dearly loved Reggie's mother. Dez has a gun in his bag. But they love and depend on each other.
That Ruben Santiago-Hudson directed is a great draw for the show. Many audience members were there because they follow his trajectory; RSH has devoted groupies! Dominique Morisseau, who dedicated this play to her deceased working class dad, has done him proud with her graceful and powerful dialogue.
