LCC’s Black Box stage is home to a powerful play by Dominique Morisseau. Sunset Baby is dedicated to her father “who dreams of revolution” and deals with Black activists of the past, and the cross purposes of fighting to change the world while also building (neglecting?) a family and home. “How can a generation be so brilliant and so self-destructive at the same time?” she asks in her illuminating author’s note.

Director Deb Keller has added evocative music along with the Nina Simone songs indicated in the script to be played as recordings — but Deb has them sung live by the soulful Ny’kieria Blocker. She has also designed a bold set of lighting projections with Ashray Dravidian that add an overlay of a world out of control to the distressed Brooklyn apartment setting. Her Director’s Note reads like a prayer. Do not miss it.

Ndegwa McCloud is a sympathetic but frustrated father trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter, the hardened and unforgiving Nina (Miah Nash). Trvyn Friar plays Damon, Nina’s partner in crime and more. Creative Consultant Bria Watkins steps into a pivotal role at the end. The intensity and energy of this play is impressive, though there were times it went so fast it was hard to understand all the words.

This is not a show for the faint of heart; it includes a lot of potentially offensive language, including "the N word" and sexual references. It runs about an hour and a half, with no intermission.

Sunset Baby continues Saturday and next week October 4-5 at 8pm at LCC Black Box Theatre
Room 1422 Gannon Building, 411 N. Grand Avenue, Lansing 48933
Cost    $10 general admission, $5 students, at the door. Tickets available for purchase online at 
http://www.lcc.edu/showinfo.
LCC Performing Arts Production Office, 517-483-1122

Peppermint Creek has opened its first season at the Central United Methodist Church next to the Capitol, downtown with a fabulous show that takes full advantage of the new space. Bright Star, by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, is a new musical inspired by an old, true, story of a baby, lost and found. It is, as billed,  "a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South.” The show vacillates smoothly between 1923-34 and 1945-46. It combines tragedy and redemption and pays tribute to adoptive parents and our universal longing for love and family.

Director Chad Swan Badgero and Choreographer Karyn Perry deftly manage the 16 bodies onstage to magically change eras and locales with versatile rolling set pieces and choreography that is a beautiful and evocative expression of the bluegrass music (under the direction of Seth Burk on keyboard leading his six piece band. Kudos to Bill Bartilson, sound engineer for miking/balancing it all.) The blocking, set-moving and choreography are all the more demanding and remarkable when you consider that the audience is on two facing sides of the space and there is no “front.” 

Amanda Dekatch is sensational as Alice. Her singing voice would do both Broadway and Nashville proud — and she breaks our hearts with her acting, as well, spanning the demands of her “time/age travel” and the emotional demands of this role. The entire cast and ensemble are a worthy frame around her. It was great to see (and hear) Matthew Bill back onstage as a worthy foil for Amanda. Ben Cassidy and Sally Hecksel were adorable, as usual; Grace Rosen and Taylor Jeffers added comic flair. 

Note - this is a “hit” and was — and probably will be — sold out soon; there are only about 80 seats available; so make your reservations asap — and arrive early. The new venue has street parking and a parking ramp around the block north of the church (215 N. Capitol) 

Saturday Sept 21 - 2pm (*please note this is a matinee performance)
Sunday Sept 22 - 2pm

Thursday Sept 26 - 8pm
Friday Sept 27 - 8pm
Saturday Sept 28 - 8pm
Sunday Sept 29 - 2pm

http://www.peppermintcreek.org/bright-star-tickets.html

The Wolves hit the stage running, kicking, stretching, training and talking over each other in a cascade of teen-girl soccer team spirit in this unusual new play by Sarah DeLappe. Director Jacquelyn Marks has gathered an excellent ensemble of young actresses and lit a fire under them to energize this adolescent slice of life. 

Sommer Bouknight, Liz Croff, Katherine Hawthorne, Emily Hermann, Heidi Kowynia, Katie McArthur, Neysa McGarrity, Rachael Steffens and Sarah Wietecha are the players, and Sara Frank-Hepfer makes a heartfelt but small cameo appearance as a Soccer Mom.

It is a short show — about an hour and a half — and rolls on with infectious momentum keeping us on the edge of our seats trying to sort the players out and effectively eavesdrop on their overlapping discussions of everything from world affairs to personal affairs. It’s a little PG, with some f-bombs and sexual topics.

While the script seems more of a portrait of this team than a linear story, there is a plot where unexpected events challenge them all — and maybe define what it is to be a team?

The Robin Theatre was almost full for this performance. It is set up “in the round” with the soccer area on the floor, surrounded by chairs, with some chairs elevated on the usual stage area. The show starts at 2 Sunday, and again at 8 Saturday and 2 Sunday. Come at least a half hour early to make sure you get a seat.

Tickets ($15) can be purchased at the door or via eventbrite, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-wolves-by-sarah-delappe-tickets-70345137199. 

The Wolves performs at the Robin Theatre in Reo Town, 1105 S. Washington Avenue
http://www.ixiontheatre.com