In the midst of a political dead heat, the Dramatic Repertory Company is staging an altogether different spin on politics with the Maine premiere of “Topdog / Underdog.”
The play, written by Suzan-Lori Parks, is a two-man production about Lincoln and Booth. Audiences can expect to see Lincoln’s trademark top hat and beard, and Lincoln does get assassinated (repeatedly, in fact) There’s also plenty of oppression, but don’t expect the abolition of slavery in the two hour-plus play.
The twist? These aren’t the Lincoln and Booth from the history books. They’re two black brothers, literally, whose names were their father’s idea of a joke.
“Topdog/Underdog” provides an intimate glimpse into the down-and-out lives of the brothers. They were only ages 11 and 16 when their father left, never to return. Their mother had already gone. The two were left to fend for themselves, with the older brother, Lincoln, supporting them by hustling cards on the street.
Now, years later, Lincoln is trying to walk the straight and narrow, working as an Abe Lincoln impersonator at an arcade where tourists pay to “assassinate” the historical figure, over and over again. His wife kicked him out, and he’s living in a one-room apartment, without running water, with his brother, Booth. Booth dreams of being a three-card hustler like his brother used to be.
The Dramatic Repertory Company delivers a passionate rendition that stars Bari Robinson as Lincoln and J.H. Smith III as Booth. It’s hard-hitting drama that, as with real life, works in a touch of humor. As the old saying goes, it’s better to laugh than to cry. And Robinson and Smith’s characters have more than their share of things to cry about.
April Boyle is a free-lance writer from Casco. She can be contacted at: aprilhboyle@yahoo.com.
Read the full review in the Maine Sunday Telegram.
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