As a writer or actor — or anyone who has to create a compelling character — there is a question that inevitably arises: Where is the line when my character crosses from authenticity into stereotype?
This question, drawn to extremes at times in Lynn Nottage’s play “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark,” finds company in other questions, the most prevalent of which is whether a black actress playing a strong but nonetheless stereotypical character is empowering black women or only strengthening the stereotypes.
It’s no surprise, coming from a play that inspires the audience to ask themselves questions time and time again about racial inequality, overcoming stereotypes and empowering oppressed minorities, all set against the backdrop of a feverish desire for fame, fortune and pursuit of the creative spirit.
This iteration of “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” is presented by iTheatre Collaborative and directed by Charles St. Clair at the Herberger Theater Center. In the play, Vera Stark is a maid for a white actress known as “America’s sweetie pie,” Gloria Mitchell. Stark dreams of a breakthrough part in motion pictures, in spite of the discouragement and cynicism around her.
The play follows Stark’s trajectory into motion pictures in the first act and recounts her life after she breaks into film in the second. Within both acts, however, the play centers on the first movie Stark ever gains a role in, “The Belle of New Orleans,” as a maid for the character played by her boss, Mitchell.
iTheatre Collaborative’s take on “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” is solid. The play culminates in a final emotional moment for the audience that, with star performances from Nicole Belit as Stark and Brenda Jean Foley as Mitchell, brings a sense of release and closure to the entire show.
Belit’s incredible performance as Stark lends an anchor to “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark,” as her character transitions seamlessly from temperamental, sassy Vera Stark to a doubled-over, crinkled-eyebrows maid who carries the burden of slavery on her back and again to a joyous, singing-and-dancing carefree young woman. Belit affects subtler changes, too: Stark as Mitchell’s maid is a different person from Stark among her roommates, who is again a very different person from Stark speaking one-on-one to a man who is flirting with her.
Belit’s ability to adjust body language, voice and behavior carry Vera Stark through the play. She is never boring and predictable — she runs the gamut and remains, whatever else may happen, undeniably authentic.
The performances were strong across the cast, if at times overwrought. Though sometimes the characters’ behaviors felt overdone or forced, it primarily served as a reminder of the analysis of show business Nottage creates with “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.”
The set, from production designers Chris Haines and Charles St. Clair, is sparse, constructed in rotating pieces that affect changes in scene and setting. The more minimal level of detail feels entirely congruous with the rest of the show, however; and the rotating set, in its own way, demonstrates the transitions Stark makes in her behavior and character from scene to scene. The costumes tell another story, presenting a clear contrast between the colorful and glamorous clothes of a white actress like Mitchell and the subdued, plain maid’s clothes Stark wears in the first act.
Through humor, drama and a dash of desperation, “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” illustrates a black woman in film who refuses to back down from her creative dream, even as it means taking roles that may support stereotypes. Thought-provoking and humorous, “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” presented by iTheatre Collaborative is well worth watching.
“By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” will be playing at the Herberger Theater Center Kax Stage through September 6, after which it will move to the ASU West campus to play until September 20. Tickets are $20.
Contact the columnist at molly.bilker@asu.edu
Editor’s note: Curtain Critic is the Downtown Devil weekly theater review.
