When we think of revolutionaries who fought for the rights of Black people in this country, many names may come to mind. We know people who took on roles in the Black Power Movement and who often faced arrest and imprisonment for taking a stand. There are people on whom books are written, and while we may know about their commitment to the movement, what about their personal lives as partners, fathers, and mothers do we truly know?
Dominique Morisseau gives audiences a penetrating look into the back story of a revolutionary, Kenyatta, who served time as a political prisoner, leaving his lady, Ashanti, to raise their daughter Nina in “Sunset Baby,” playing at the Signature Theatre on West 42nd Street.
Once Kenyatta is imprisoned, Ashanti is left to face life without him physically being there. Ashanti was also involved in the movement, but after Kenyatta was incarcerated, she realized that life without him was too difficult. Morisseau gives us Kenyatta, a revolutionary member of the Black Panther Party. While he was incarcerated, they wrote letters to each other; Kenyatta’s letters demonstrated his continuing commitment to the revolution, but lacked the same amount of passion for his family. With the death of Ashanti and his release from prison, Kenyatta comes to East New York to see his grown daughter Nina and ask about letters her mother wrote that he did not get to see. The letters have a great deal of monetary value, as Ashanti was a force in the movement. Nina harbors a great deal of anger towards a father, who left her life at a very young age, an action she believes led to the death of her mother.
From the time the play starts, Kenyatta is recording videos for Nina. He explains the problems one can face during fatherhood, the fears, the worries of abandoning one’s family. Kenyatta often makes these videos to speak to his daughter, something he has great difficulty doing when they are together. He and Ashanti were devoted to the revolution and were loved and respected by many. But being part of the revolution came with a huge personal price, as he shares.
The scenes between Kenyatta and Nina show that they are both strong-willed people and that Nina has a lot of reasons to despise her father, since he played no real part in her life that she can recall. He comes to her as a stranger, and she does not hesitate to tell him where he can go. Nina and her boyfriend, Damon, are doing what they have to do to survive, living in a rundown apartment in East New York. Nina is angry and quick to tell Kenyatta about his lack of rights to have any part in her life. Kenyatta, meanwhile, is on a mission to get the letters that Ashanti wrote him, which she willed to Nina. Damon is a hustler and a drug dealer who tries to control her, but she is not someone to be underestimated. Nina goes on a painful journey of self-discovery, which is incredible to witness.
The three actors deliver explosive performances. “Sunset Baby” is sensational! For 100 minutes, it packs a tremendous punch. Russell Hornsby is stunning as Kenyatta, a man trying to understand what being a part of the movement has resulted in for himself and his daughter. Long ago, he decided that being a force in a movement meant putting the movement first and separating yourself from your family for their sake. He had not weighed the negative impact that this decision would have on their lives.
Nina is powerfully played by Moses Ingram. This young woman is angry, and rightly so. She consistently lets her father know he has no right to even utter her name. She also blames him for her mother’s decline while he was in prison; she was heartbroken. Ingram lights up the stage with a spirited performance that makes you respect, understand, and sympathize with the life that she has had to lead. This character, though she despises her father, is actually like him in many ways. Both keep up their guard and don’t want to be vulnerable with anyone. Damon is played beautifully by J. Alphonse Nicholson. His character is a manipulative, money-hungry user, but he also has a vulnerable side. Nicholson is always a pleasure to see.
I love how this production spotlights the importance of the Black Power Movement, but also lets the audience consider the personal sacrifices families inevitably had to make during that time. I love how the title represents a tender moment shared by Kenyatta and Nina. Morisseau shares in the playwright’s note in the program that her father was part of the revolution and he raised her to believe in our people.
This is a play that will move you. I felt such a great deal of pride as I sat in the audience at the Signature Theatre. Steve H. Broadnax III’s direction is spot-on. Everything about this production is fluid, including the costume design by Emilio Sosa, scenic design by Wilson Chin, lighting design by Alan C. Edwards, and sound design by Curtis Craig and Jimmy Keys. For tickets, visit signaturetheatre.org.
