By John Quinn
Chicago playwright M. E. H. Lewis demonstrates a flair for mystery in her 2004 drama, "Burying the Bones." The play is unconventional from the get-go, but by the middle of the second act it's afire with "I did not see that coming" moments. The Detroit Repertory Theatre production, under the thoughtful direction of Leah Smith, sparks cause for reflection on some very current events.
As a typical American, I was aware of the South African system of apartheid and the brutal, repressive tactics by which it was enforced. Newspapers (remember those?) and television kept us abreast of the insurgency fostered by the African National Congress (ANC), and the imprisonment of resistance leaders like Nelson Mandela. We were shocked when Steve Biko, leader of the Black Consciousness Movement, was murdered in custody. We were relieved when, after years of negotiation, apartheid was dismantled and wounds could heal.
We didn't hear much about the aftermath, and some wounds can't heal. Lewis sets her play in 1996, two years after the dismantling began. We find a nation still broken and raw; long-divided peoples are struggling for both justice and reconciliation. Mae Mxenges (Monica J. Palmer) spends sleepless nights, unable to achieve "closure." Just as an aside, the "x" in her surname indicates the unique "click" in some African languages. Mae's sleepless nights are caused by the ghost of her husband, James (Lynch R. Travis), a high school teacher who was abducted five years earlier. James asserts he can't rest until Mae carries out her spousal duties: find his body and give it proper burial. "Death is a foreign language," he says. "I want you to translate it."
Mae is in denial, doesn't accept James is dead, and attributes the haunting to her lack of closure. She goes to the Reconciliation Commission, which is assessing amnesty for those responsible for violence under the old system. There she hears the testimony of Afrikaner Gideon Kroeg (Seth Amadei), the police lieutenant who interrogated her husband. Kroeg has done terrible things – a witness (Nelson Jones, Jr.) gives his personal account of torture. Nor is Kroeg repentant – he exhibits a casual contempt for the new order represented by the commission and for its advocates (Terri Andrews and Nicole Michelle Haskins). Act I ends with his claim that he did not murder James Mxenges. So, what happened to him?
"Burying the Bones" is full of emotions, ranging from gentle loving to brutal hatred. Smith and her ensemble hit just the right balance. Monica J. Palmer shines, and shines even brighter opposite Lynch R. Travis. These actors play silence as meaningfully as dialogue. A less likely, but very effective pairing is Amadei with Madelyn Porter, who plays Cassandra, Mae's elder sister. A registered nurse thrown out of work by terrorist attack, Cassie falls back on her herbalist training to earn a living for herself and Mae. She meets the still racist Kroeg while working for the Commission. Their mutual contempt oddly bonds them.
There is a pleasing unity of design in "Burying the Bones." Harry Wetzel's set does not change, its multiple playing areas are defined by Thomas Schraeder's tight lighting. As a result, the direction is very fluid. Judy Dery's costumes are in subdued earth tones. In all, the designs reflect the bleakness of the script.
Bleak it is. Can reconciliation occur when the meanings of "police," "terrorist" or "freedom fighter" can blur, depending on who is using them? Closure doesn't imply resolution, but there's hope. There's always hope.
REVIEW:
'Burying the Bones'
Detroit Repertory Theatre, 13103 Woodrow Wilson, Detroit. Thursday-Sunday through March 18. $17-20. 313-868-1347. http://www.detroitreptheatre.com
