Let’s take a break from your regularly scheduled SoBros Network sports content and vulgar viral video commentary to introduce ourselves to some fine civilized culture for once. It is right in our backyard here in Nashville, after all. I had the invigorating opportunity to take in the Nashville Repertory Theatre’s production of Topdog/Underdog, starring Joel Diggs and Eddie George, last Friday night at TPAC’s Johnson Theater.
Take in the brief synopsis of the play courtesy of the Nashville Repertory Theatre’s official website:
A play about two brothers juggling work, women, money, racism, and cards. While Lincoln and Booth cannot change their names or upbringing, they can change their paths in life. Oscillating between supporting each other and disagreeing about everything, these two bothers will find out what it takes to come out on top.
“The meaning of the play isn’t just confined to a man’s experience,” says the playwright, Suzan-Lori Parks. “It’s about what it means to be family and, in the biggest sense, the family of man, what it means to be connected with somebody else… The play speaks to who the world thinks you’re going to be, and how you struggle with that.”
The Johnson Theater is TPAC’s smaller room, so it made for an intimate setting almost by default. No matter where you were in the theatre, you felt a strong connection to the performers. It felt like finally earning the chance to be the fly on the wall.
But, the tone of the production compounded the setting, and made for a lively and immersive viewing experience. The set was designed and lit with an old soul/blues type of vibe, making it as if the stage itself was a character in the larger story. The music, the ambience, the setting – it all gave the interactions between Lincoln (George) and Booth (Diggs) a certain heart. Raw and emotional.
Also, quick shout out to the Johnson Theater for having larger, more comfortable seats. I’m 6’2″ 275 pounds. You should have seen my fat ass trying to squeeze into one of the seats in Andrew Jackson Hall for The Sound of Music…
This show was performance-driven – it had to be with only two characters cast. But, the depths to which Diggs and George drew to convey the hardships of Lincoln and Booth were impressive. These were two simple men who didn’t fully address or understand the events that significantly altered their lives. That made them complex characters. Diggs and George were tasked with conveying layered emotions – sorrow disguised as anger, frustration disguised as excitement, pain disguised as contentment. It wasn’t enough to simply be angry – both men demonstrated the ability to sneak in that light crack that made the audience see how the anger was masking a vulnerability. It was a stroke of brilliance.
Both men were up to the task. But, particularly, Diggs’ ability to radiate insecurity through braggadocious bravado was on point.
Now, fair warning – the scenes in which George has to change clothes did cause several women to faint. At least, that’s what it sounded like upon seeing George in a pair of boxers. Nobody seemed to check on them, either – which seems rude in hindsight.
But, between the atmosphere and our two characters gravitating towards each other with conflicting, yet magnetizing, energy, Topdog/Underdog makes for a well-spent and engaging evening.
I left the show thinking, “how often do relationships go this way for no real reason?” I mean…listen…I’m sure they don’t all end up the way they do in Topdog/Underdog, but to a less dramatic extent, I’m sure it’s prevalent. We just don’t really think about it. It’s not on society’s collective mind.
I felt uncomfortable (in a constructive way), thinking of our society’s dilemma concerning mental health – how the signs of trouble are usually there, right in front of us, but we don’t act until it’s too late. Many of us grew up being discouraged from sharing our feelings, and when we can’t keep our emotions in check, we take it out on those closest to us.
Topdog/Underdog is a testament to the importance of simply dealing with our shit.
Folks, I can’t encourage you enough to check this show out. They’re running through February 24th, 2019. Get tickets here.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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