Karamu’s ‘Weathering’ offers hope to those suffering deep loss

As you enter The Cleveland Foundation Jelliffe Theatre at Karamu House for the production of Harrison David Rivers’ “Weathering” you are struck by the elegance of the stage set. It is an upscale kitchen with all of the modern amenities. On the walls are framed panels of exquisite wallpaper. What you also see on closer inspection is that some of the wallpaper in the frames is cracked and wrinkled. The same observation can be made of the various well portrayed true to life characters in this dramatic presentation.

Lena (CorLesia Smith) and her husband Nathan (Quincy Brame) have recently lost their baby. One day at her regular appointment everything seems fine, the next day at the emergency room the couple is informed. For young parents it is the most horrible and numbing of news. Soon, a florist shop of flowers fills their house while descending casseroles fill the freezer and refrigerator. E-mails and Facebook IMs clog their computers and the phone is constantly ringing with offers to help “in some way”.

When these peripheral friends soon depart it leaves the couple to deal with their grief in a private manner, except Lena and Nathan are luckier than most. They have a group of true friends and family who do not believe for a minute that “everything is FINE unless that is to mean F’d up, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional”.

Fact is Lena is not sleeping, bathing, eating or leaving the house. She spends her days cleaning and polishing until the house glows in the dark and at night stands in the fenced in back yard looking up at the sky. She is doing the best she can at “weathering” the storm but without much success. Instead, her grief is wearing her down. It is when her core of true friends and family show up unannounced (since nobody is answering the phone) with solid, abet in some cases misguided ways of dealing with deep grief that Lena is able to take hold of her life once more.

Lena’s Mother, Easter (Christina Johnson) arrives with 500 count Egyptian Cotton Sheets whose color matches the bedroom wall color (they were on sale). Margaret Wilson (Pamela Morton) the perennial church lady brings yet more casseroles. Jo (Courtney Black) brings much appreciated wine and gin as well as some personal news. Nikko (Diwe Augustin-Glave) brings her sister an unfiltered barrage of straight talk. Lastly, Lena’s neighbor Turtle (Jailyn Sherell Harris) brings yet more flowers.

In between the various visitors, Lena goes on a plate smashing spree which nobody seems to notice upon their return. It is only when the grieving mother has a seismic breakdown of epic proportions during a thunderstorm (panels begin to shake on the walls) that she is finally able to face her loss, communicate with her husband and open a dialogue with her friends and family (some of whom have experienced the same tragedy).

This cast is so well suited together it makes the work totally believable. The interaction and dialogue between Christina Johnson as Lena’s Mother, Easter, Diwe Augustin-Glave as Lena’s Sister, Nikko and CorLesia Smith as Lena is so welled timed there is no doubt in the audience’s mind of their relations. Pamela Morton as Margaret Wilson (aka church lady) is comfortably suited in her role and an excellent dancer besides. Courtney Black as Jo is the off kilter friend we all love to have around as well as Jailyn Sherell Harris as Turtle who has that convincing soccer mom vibe going for her. Lastly, Quincy Brame as Nathan expounds true empathy as he is dealing with his own brand of pain but unable to talk it out.

The show is smartly directed by Nina Domingue who keeps the action moving at a brisk pace. Cameron Caley Michalak does a superb job as scenic designer. The costuming by Inda Blatch-Geib is colorful and topical. Michael Boll designed the bright and airy lighting that is turned down at times for effect. The sound design by Richard B. Ingraham adds just enough background noise to give a realistic feel.

Ask any mother (no matter how old) how she still feels about her “grown children” and you will get the same answer…“You will always be my child. Care does not shut off like a faucet. It is always on whether you want it or not. That is simply the way it is.” This is the gist of the play “Weathering”. It combines loss, laughter, tears, rage, dancing and some good common sense (or as we oldsters call it old school philosophy). Well worth seeing.

The Karamu House production of “Weathering” will be on stage in The Cleveland Foundation Jelliffe Theatre located at 2355 East 89th Street, Cleveland, Ohio through March 30, 2025. For more information and to purchase tickets go to http://www.karamuhoouse.org or call (216) 795-7077.