The Guthrie Theater’s production of “Skeleton Crew” is in its last week, and the cast and production team are steamrolling into their closing night show on June 9.
With just under a dozen shows left, audiences are in for a treat as the talented cast and crew behind director Austene Van’s latest production for the Guthrie perform a story set in the not-too-distant past.
The play, written by the award-winning playwright and Detroit Native Dominique Morisseau, follows four auto workers whose lives are upended when rumors of their plant’s foreclosure begin to swirl, testing their friendship and sense of security.
“Skeleton Crew” is Morisseau’s Detroit trilogy’s third and final installment. In it, she explores the financial impact of the Recession-era economy and gives the audience insight into the lives of Detroit’s working class. Her previous works in the trilogy, “Detroit ‘67” and “Paradise Blue,” took similar approaches to the city’s history through the lives of Morisseau’s rich characters and dialogue.
Audiences who frequent the Guthrie may see some new and familiar faces in this latest production.
Darrius D. Dotch portrays Reggie, the no-nonsense foreman. Stephanie Everett portrays Shanita, the diligent and prideful line worker. Jennifer Fouché is Faye, the union representative who does as she pleases, and Mikell Sapp portrays Dez, the often misunderstood yet well-meaning crew member.
The play marks Dotch and Sapp’s return to the Guthrie, but it also marked the debut performances of Everett and Fouché.
With a run time of 2 hours and 15 minutes, with an intermission, the play finds itself in the sweet spot of not overstaying its welcome yet making you miss the characters once they exit stage left.
Throughout the play, audiences are pulled into the tense exchanges between colleagues where hierarchies and job titles bump up against loyalties and trust in the background of a failing auto industry in Detroit’s once bustling “Motor City.”
Dotch’s performance showcased an incredible ability to capture Reggie’s indignation towards the employees in his ascension to his role as foreman while also leaving room for his vulnerability in his affinity for his former colleagues.
Dotch’s ability to navigate a mother-son relationship alongside Fouché, whose character is a friend to his late mother, further demonstrated the depth to which he was able to immerse himself in the character.
Fouché, whose credits span several plays, television shows, and films, stole nearly every scene as the chain-smoking 29-year veteran and union representative who balks at the idea of a free lunch.
Everything Faye wants, she works for, and when she finds herself down on her luck, she refuses the help that is offered. Fouché showcased this bitter-tasting pride that Faye was consumed with but balanced it delicately with the motherly affection she had for Reggie and the sense of protection she had for the crew.
One of the most magnetic storylines of the play was the love affair between Shanita and Dez, whose relationship began as a one-sided admiration but blossomed into a relationship built on trust and shared passion. Everett and Sapp enveloped the audience in their performance, and an audible gasp was heard in the theater the moment the two locked lips.
The push and pull of their love story created a rhythmic will they or won’t they sway of emotions as the slow-burn romance fully ignited halfway through the show.
Their individual performances were just as captivating. They both commanded the McGuire Proscenium Stage throughout the performance, capturing the spirit of Detroit residents whose passion, pride, and identity came from the hard work that they fashioned into the vehicles they constructed.
Guthrie’s Director of Community Engagement, Amanda White, discussed how the production of “Skeleton Crew” provided the theater with the opportunity to connect with communities whose stories parallel the lives of those depicted on the stage.
White and her team organized several events during the show’s run to reach a broader audience, including BIPOC Community Night on May 17. They also hosted Detroit Night on May 30, which welcomed individuals to celebrate their connections to the city and enjoy Motor City-inspired music. Both of these events provided audiences with the opportunity to see the productions at a reduced cost.
“These events that are coming up are really rooted in the idea that plays resonate best when communities for whom those plays are written or for whom those plays best speak are in the audience,” she said.
“Part of community engagement’s work is really rooted in that principle. What does it look like when the house is full of people for whom a piece of theatre sings?”
The Guthrie will host the Black Artists Pop-Up Market on Saturday, June 1, from 2 to 7 p.m. in the Target Lounge, where they will host several artists ahead of the Saturday evening production.
Artists participating in the pop-up event include Magical Hour Candles & Co., CB Custom Designs MN, Off The Hook Crochet MN, Chantico MN, Thomasina’s Cashew Brittle, Creative Mezzo, Durant DeSignz, Sweet Tooth By Cara J, Made by Miku, Afrodiziac Arts by Dizi and artinnoface.
Those interested in catching “Skeleton Crew” at the Guthrie Theater can purchase tickets at www.guthrietheater.org.
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