“Eden”
Yale Repertory Theatre
Yale Repertory Theatre is currently presenting a bristling and powerful production of Steve Carter’s scalding play “Eden.” First produced Off Broadway in 1976, “Eden” examines two Black families living in Manhattan in 1927. The huge difference in the play is that one family (the Barton’s) are immigrants from the Caribbean and the father of the family (a truly frightening Russell G. Jones) feels that he and his clan are above the lives of those Black people born without his heritage. The crux of the play is that one of the daughters from the Barton family falls in love with a man who is her next door neighbor, and there is fallout when the two families attempt to connect.
Terrifically directed by Brandon J. Dirden, this show can be heart-stopping, with even the smallest incident taking on a great weight. “Eden” also benefits from having a flawless cast, who are fully up to the demands of this drama. The actual set of “Eden” is the inside of two apartments, with only a hallway and staircase between the two of them. Considering that this play takes place in a bygone era, it is almost scary how relevant and up-to-the-minute this show feels. Yale Repertory Theatre has quite a remarkable production in “Eden” and it is highly recommended to catch this play before it ends its run.
“Eden” almost overflows with assets, but the strongest aspect of this show is really the superb company of actors, who work as a skilled ensemble. The first two characters that are seen in the play are Eustace Baylor (the excellent Chaundre Hall-Broomfield), who lives with his aunt in one of the apartments, and the strong Juice Mackins, as Nimrod Barton, who occupies the apartment next door. From the opening exchange between the characters, which almost results in a fight, it is clear that the tension is high between the two families. As it happens, Eustace is in love with Nimrod’s sister Annetta (the lovely and touching Lauren F. Walker), and it is quickly established that the two lovers have been meeting in secret.
As nerve wracking as this play can get, there is also a great deal of humor in the show. Eustace’s Aunt Lizzie, portrayed magnificently by Heather Alicia Simms, brings forth the most significant laughs in the play, though her character is fully aware of the problematic situation at the center of the show. Christina Acosta Robinson is wonderful as Florie, the matriarch of the Barton family, and the friendship scenes between Aunt Lizzie and Florie bring a lot of levity to the production. Also in the play are the characters of Agnes and Solomon, played extremely well by, respectively, Alicia Pilgrim and Prentiss Patrick-Carter, who are the other two children in the Barton family.
Still, if there is one person in the show who assumes authority in the play (even when he is not onstage), it is Russell G. Jones as the father, Joseph Barton. Running his life and family with an iron fist, the scenes where he reigns over his wife and sons and daughters are almost too painful to watch. Fortunately the two lovers, Eustace and Annetta, are the ones who occupy the primary focus and the audience can most certainly root for these two characters. Without revealing too much more of the plot of “Eden,” it is when the families collide that the real fireworks explode in this play.
Beyond the stellar cast, the director works fantastically with his design team. The scenic design by George Zhou is attractive and ideal and this designer’s work does bring forth the era that the play is set in. Similarly, the costumes by the fantastic Caroline Tyson also help establish the time and place, as well as the personality of each character. The lighting design by Ankit Pandey is evocative and precise and Tojo Rasedoara is the great sound designer, who is also responsible for the mood-setting original music in the play. The use of projections (courtesy of Elin Kim) also enhances the entire production.
“Eden” is one of the best shows that I have ever seen at Yale Repertory Theatre and, at the performance I attended, the tension in the air could almost be cut with a knife. This play and production bring forth the qualities that can unite families from different cultures, as well as those that drive the two apart. Filled with awe-inspiring direction and acting, this play is riveting from start to finish, with scenes of both romantic beauty and racial ugliness, and the final, closing moments of “Eden” at Yale Repertory Theatre (not to be revealed here) bring the whole production to a deeply satisfying conclusion.
“Eden” runs through February 8, 2025 at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven CT. For tickets and information, please call 203-432-1234 or visit yalerep.org.
Photo: Lauren F. Walker and Chaundre Hall-Broomfield
Photo by Joan Marcus
Reviews by Zander Opper 