Tatiana Scott (left) plays Sable, Christopher Woodley is Lil T, and Simone Black performs Debra in Reginald L. Wilson’s new play, Scrambled Eggs, directed by Fulton C. Hodges.
Reginald L. Wilson pulls no punches when it comes to tackling the subject of domestic violence in his new play, Scrambled Eggs. Directed by Fulton C. Hodges, and coinciding with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the work explores this major public health problem in all its terrible guises. Set in Tallahassee, Fla., the family drama centers on Terrence (Wilson), a construction worker in his 40s who has trouble holding down a job because of alcohol and marijuana. He’s married to Sable (Tatiana Scott), a college graduate with a degree in education who left her teaching job after Terrence persuaded her to stay home and devote her time to family and their primary schooler named Lil T (Christopher Woodley).
Reginald L. Wilson (left), as Terrence, is about to be decked by Steven Strickland, who plays his friend Shawn, in Scrambled Eggs, Wilson’s new play about domestic violence. Photographs by Jonathan Slaff.
Sable’s best friend, Janice (Ria Alexander), a psychologist and counselor for abused women, serves as the voice of reason in the story. Janice is also CEO of MAAM, an acronym that stands for Mothers Against Abusive Men, and she first alerts Sable to the red flags in her relationship with Terrence. She starts by pointing out that Terrence already is exercising power over her.
Girl, he is trying to control the finances. … I see this all the time in my field. You have your degree, and he doesn’t. You see, in a way, you have the upper hand on him, and he is trying to get it back. Some men feel inferior when their woman makes more money than them, so they would rather she not work and trust that he can provide for the family.
Instead of confronting the truth and developing a plan to regain an economic foothold in her marriage, Sable immediately grows defensive, accusing Janice of trying to counsel her. To avoid any further dissection of her marriage, Sable changes the topic to Shawn (Steven Strickland), Janice’s new flame and Terrence’s generous-hearted co-worker. Janice, a single mom with four children, can’t help dreaming about dating Shawn, who was recently dubbed “one of Tallahassee’s Top Bachelors.” But before Janice can start thinking about having a ring on her finger, she feels compelled to warn Sable about another red flag in her marriage to Terrence: isolation abuse. Janice explains this toxic phenomenon by using the homespun metaphor of putting scrambled eggs into a bowl:
Next time you scramble eggs, I want you to think about how the eggs are isolated into the bowl. It’s the same way that isolation abuse happens. He doesn’t want you to go out, and he doesn’t want anyone to come in. You are being his perfect little egg.
Strickland as Shawn and Ria Alexander as Dr. Janice Thatcher renew their acquaintance in Scrambled Eggs at the Gene Frankel Theatre.
The turning point in this two-act drama happens in the closing moments of Act I, when Terrence crosses the line from mental to physical abuse of Sable. Strangely, Sable is reluctant to tell anybody about this nightmarish episode that happens on her birthday, even when her mother Debra (Simone Black) suspects the worse and her father Woody (K. Sidney) is ready to go to the mat with his son-in-law for stealing from his daughter.
Wilson’s scenes gradually reveal all the different forms of domestic violence: emotional, verbal, sexual, economic, and, of course, physical abuse. That said, there are moments when the script seems a little too schematic and tidy, as if the playwright had a checklist in hand, making sure that he had adequately dramatized each form of domestic violence. But this is nitpicking; Wilson’s purpose is to incite discussion on a thorny subject that afflicts many Americans. What’s more, the author manages to humanize both victim and perpetrator, which is no easy task.
The acting is mostly serviceable, although Wilson does have a breakout moment in Act II when Terrence reveals his own personal history with domestic violence. Wilson delivers his tragic monologue sharply spotlighted (by Lucky Pearto) at center stage, with the rest of the actors fittingly cast into the shadows.
A special shout-out to Christopher Woodley, a pint-sized actor with big-screen credits who plays Lil T with remarkable poise. Based on his performance in Scrambled Eggs, this youngster has a bright future on New York stages.
Scrambled Eggs, which takes one into the darkest corners of the human psyche, is not a feel-good play. But it can be a life-saver for anybody who is struggling—or knows somebody who is suffering—with this serious societal problem and needs to get to higher ground.
The Faith Steps Productions and 24 Bond Arts Center production of Scrambled Eggs runs through Oct. 29 at Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond St.). Evening performances are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; matinees are at 3 p.m. Sunday with an added 3 p.m. matinee on Oct. 29. For tickets and more information, visit genefrankeltheatre.com.
Playwright: Reginald L. Wilson
Director: Fulton C. Hodges
Sets: Marlon Campbell
Lighting: Lucky Pearto
Costumes: Ria Alexander
Sound: Thomas Gordon
