The EttaGrace Black Theatre Company ends its 2012 season with the production of Marsha Estell’s “Heat.”
“Heat” tells the story of three generations of African-American women in rural Illinois as they deal with each other and life’s issues on one of the hottest day of the year.
“It’s an emotionally charged play that really pulls you in,” said Salt Lake resident Marlon Yarde.
“Heat” is performed in the Black Box Theatre, which is around the right side of the Grand Theatre at the South City Campus. The venue is small, but the play features energizing and professional performances.
“(The play was) fabulous, a lot different than I thought,” said SLCC student Jeremy Shaw.
Toni Byrd directs this production of “Heat” that features a cast of extremely talented actors who perform with engaging stage presence. The play goes back and forth with slightly comedic banter but it has an emotionally charged undertone that makes the audience truly feel what the characters are going through.
Nasheda Caudle, who plays the daughter Shelly, provides a standout performance as the youngest of the women dealing with the harsh reality that cancer has taken away her ability to bear children. Caudle gives an intense performance that is sure to bring people to tears.
The cast also includes Melissa Adams, who is returning to stage after five years and is making her debut with the EttaGrace Black Theatre. Adams plays Sharon, the responsible divorcee whose life focus is on her daughter.
The multitalented Barbara Beard White plays Sharon’s aging mom, Mudear, who reveals the secrets of her failed relationships to her daughter through her bouts of senile moments.
Chicago native Yolanda Wood gives a superb performance as the flamboyant, sexually charged Aunt Rose. The audience is sure to enjoy her outrageous behavior.
The final performance of the play is on Saturday, June 16 at 7:30. Tickets can be purchased at http://the-grand.org.
