By Nicole M. Robertson
Melanie has two close friends: Her lifelong best friend, Blair, a lesbian who would do anything to protect Melanie; and the wise Cyrus, a Black man who sticks by her.
But Melanie’s not taking her meds, as Cyrus points out. If she did, Cyrus might leave. Because it’s not clear if he’s really there, or a figment of her guilty imagination. Melanie and Cyrus have a birthday in common — but “one of us is dead,” Cyrus reminds her early in Quinn D. Eli’s new play, “In Common,” having its world premiere at the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea.
Set in New York City two years after Barack Obama’s presidency, it’s an exploration of social privilege and prejudice that reveals truths the characters keep hidden. Melanie is haunted by the memory of her friend’s death at the hands of police; she ran from a mob and didn’t see what happened.
Blair (Rachel Keown of Ann Arbor, who here is a force of nature) has an apparent drinking problem and serious doubts about Hal (Purple Rose veteran Rusty Mewha of Plymouth), which she’s willing to overlook for another night of fun. She fixes him up on a double date with Melanie, played with empathy by Caitlin Cavanaugh of Chelsea, who animated the Purple Rose Stage earlier this season in Jeff Daniels’ comedy “Pickleball.”
Hal is a charming narcissist who has a mysterious sexual history with Blair’s wife, Vivian (Olivia Miller of New York City), and his own ex-wife, an Aryan Goddess named Ingrid, who does not appear in the play. Over drinks, he tells a hilarious story about their trip to Cuba and a dust-up that landed Hal in jail while that nation mourned the death of its leader, Fidel Castro. And he makes racist remarks referencing Vivian’s Asian heritage.
Only Melanie can see Cyrus (Dez Walker of Center Line, a newcomer to the Purple Rose), who hangs around her apartment for laughs and serious talks. He doesn’t like Hal moving in on his friend. Melanie admires Hal’s washboard abs, and tells Cyrus she doesn’t care. She does wonder, however, what Hal sees in her.
Cyrus quotes Ralph Ellison’s “The Invisible Man,” and tells Melanie that the privileged Hal could never really see either of them. “He sees a white woman and he sees someone to f—-,” he says. “He sees a Black man and he sees someone to fear. So you and me are the same — invisible.”
Her own doubts crash in when Hal proposes marriage too soon. His lies exposed, he loses control.
Scenic designer Sarah Pearline and props designer Segrest’s nifty set serves the fast-paced play with moveable wood panels in deco patterns and platforms that slide chairs on and off the stage for frequent scene changes. Sound designer Matthew Tibbs fills the theater with a hip-hop soundtrack that welcomes theatergoers then narrows down to emanate from Melanie’s apartment.
A play with adult themes and sexual content, “In Common” deals with drug use, psychological trauma and abusive relationships. But playwright Eli, of Bronx, N.Y., brings mystery and dark humor to a story that could otherwise feel crushing. Director Rhiannon Ragland, a resident artist with the theater who previously directed “Pickleball,” wrings a balance of light and dark from this play.
• “In Common,” by Quinn D. Eli, directed by Rhiannon Ragland, runs through June 3, 2023, at the Purple Rose Theatre Company, Chelsea. Call 734-433-7782 or visit purplerosetheatre.org.
MAIN PHOTO: Melanie (Caitlin Cavanaugh) and Cyrus (Dez Walker) are like best friends, but there’s a problem with their relationship in the Purple Rose Theatre production of “In Common.” © 2023 Sean Carter Photography
