As John Armstrong’s lighting slowly and brightly engulfs the set n a one-room dirt shack that the Peterson brothers call home n elements of contrast offered in the opening moments set the tone for Upstream Theater’s production of Athol Fugard’s Blood Knot starring John Pierson and J. Samuel Davis.
The drab quarters have the most intense illumination ever offered from a single window. An attentive audience is introduced to the characters, two brothers with skin tones that are literally night and day.
Fair-skinned brother Morris (Pierson) immediately attends to the needs and desires of darker brother Zachariah (Davis) upon his arrival home after a hard day’s work.
And so begins the play, revolving around the experience of siblings on opposite ends of South Africa’s Apartheid system in the early 1960s.
After living abroad, Morris returned home a year earlier. Zachariah is where he has always been, doing what he has always done n working hard and playing harder to deal with the harsh reality of his life in South Africa.
Morris attempts to provide structure and provisions for the future through the management of Zachariah’s wages as a laborer. In the midst of his diligent efforts at saving grace, it is later discovered that Morris’ return is more for his own salvation.
Fugard’s language, Philip Boehm’s direction and the actors’ performances make for an effectively selected trifecta illustrating the intent of Blood Knot in all of its glory.
The play manages to draw profoundness out of simplicity. Each scene is a transition from anticlimax to anticlimax. An audience waiting for the larger-than-life moment in Bloodknot with subsequent aftershock that changes the course of the characters and the play will be disappointed. But so will those who do so in life n a point that Fugard so eloquently presented.
Even in the midst of the emotional, erratic moments that are scattered throughout the play, characters are either snapped back into reality through instinct or a dissolution of circumstances.
Fugard’s absence of an “aha!” moment in particular shows the significance of what can be missed when one fails to notice the little details on a pitstop during life’s journey.
While providing no black or white answers to the pressing questions that Blood Knot raises n even among the brothers themselves n the Petersons carry on a collaborative existence and connection that creates a snapshot of life and the need for constant awareness.
Fortunately for those who attend Upstream’s presentation of Blood Knot, the strong two-man cast demands attention.
In yet another of Fugard’s elements of contrast, Morris n played by John Pierson n is the more subdued character.
Pierson’s soft delivery and understated existence offers an ideal foundation for Davis’ intense performance. His Morris creates a balance that would have led to sensory overload from a more self-absorbed performer. In each scene he innately vibes from his co-star to generate an undeniable chemistry.
J. Samuel Davis is magnificent as Zachariah. His stage presence demands attention, but Davis has the rare ability to use his own performance to draw the audience into taking note of the other actors n or, in this case, actor.
As he owns and expresses the experience of his own portrayal, he simultaneously conveys genuine interest in his costar’s perspective, and the audience follows suit.
Seeing Davis in Blood Knot is bittersweet. While it is a privilege to know that anyone in the (314) area code has access to such a talent n at the same time, it’s a disservice to the national theatre community.
Upstream’s Blood Knot is not flawless. Most noticeable is the lack of mastery on the part of the actors in delivering the South African dialect. While they manage to make up for the shaky accents with solid performances and intensity, the surplus of conversation makes for extra listening duties on behalf of the audience.
There were also more than a few line stumbles and hiccups in the production. More than likely they could be attributed to the actors’ lack of confidence in their enunciation.
The production transcends its imperfections to create a thought-provoking theatrical experience that n by Fugard’s design n posed more questions than it provided answers.
And while 1960s South Africa couldn’t be any more unlike North America in the new millennium, guests of Blood Knot will see the significance that lies within using differences as a tool to expose the underlying similarities.
Upstream Theater’s production of Blood Knot continues through November 9 at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For ticket information, you may call 314-863-4999.