HAGERSTOWN – The play, “Second Samuel,” by Pamela Parker, has just closed at Potomac Playmakers, 17303 W. Washington St., Hagerstown. Born from the rich memories of childhood stories told to Parker by her grandparents, the stage is set in a fictional Georgia town in the late 1940s. It is Parker’s first full-length play, which had an international premiere in Perth, Australia. “Second Samuel” was named Best Original Play by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1991-1992.
This thought-provoking production chips away at troubling stereotypes that continue to burden American culture. There is something prophetic about the topics of racism, gender identity and perception of those on the spectrum, which swing open doors to discuss how much and how little has changed in our contemporary society over the spanning decades.
Director Cathy James cleverly enfolds the audience into the action, with characters emerging from darkened recesses, abuzz with nitpicking criticisms, good humor and reflections on the loss of beloved church choir director and piano teacher, Miss Gertrude. The set design, by Lucas Hewitt, divides the stage into three parts, the Bait and Brew bar (a glorified man cave), the Southern charm porch of US, which contrasts the ugliness of the racism with which he must contend, and the Emporium salon, where all the town hens go to cackle. The death of Miss Gertrude shakes the town to its core and brings a shocking secret to light, with an unexpected resolution brewing under a scummy surface.
But a story means nothing without the storytellers. And in this play, there are 11 of them. The main character, B-Flat, played skillfully by Jim Zuna, is a child-like benevolent spirit whose autism lends a unique clarity of voice and vision as he struggles to awaken the whole town from its judgmental stupor.
A welcoming fixture at the local bar, B-Flat’s best friend, US, is adeptly portrayed by Brian McClinton. One of a tiny minority of African Americans in this small southern town, US delivers strength and fortitude in the face of bigotry, holding the line with grace.
The portrayal of Mr. Mozel, a spewing fount of edgy biased words, marks Tom Doty’s swan song with Potomac Playmakers. Doty is preparing to move West after 14 years of dedicated creative service. He will be accompanied by his wife and fellow Potomac Playmaker, Amy Fox. Doty’s performance as Mr. Mozel leaves us with much to think about as he exposes the dark underbelly of a bygone culture, laid stark against the X-ray scan of 2025 society.
The humor of the Bait and Brew crowd earns every laugh. Mark Perman, clad in a seersucker suit as Doc, is reminiscent of a beloved Mayberry character, standing at the crossroads where folksy charm and integrity meet. Dylan Rinker is the height of humor as Mansel, a World War II vet insistent that his disappearance from the war was due to Nazis kidnapping him and eventually returning him by submarine to the sands of Myrtle Beach. Dan Ritchey, as Bait and Brew owner, Frisky, takes a stand for colorblind loyalty to US, all the while playfully dodging every phone call from his wife. In his debut performance with Potomac Playmakers, Dalton Korrell brightly portrays June, the town funeral director, peppering hilarity in the darkest places.
The ladies at the Emporium salon are all curls and fluff and a beehive of gossip. The costume design is evenly impeccable, with one spectacular standout in the form of a red dress, worn by Lisa Hatch as Omaha. Hatch brings brassy chutzpah to the role, matching her wardrobe with flair. Susan Kleit as Marcela helps keep a moderate vibe of a town straddling balance. Heather Hughes, as Jimmy Deeanne, breaks any hope for peace with fuss budget arrogance as a conspiratorial busy bee, while Jade Harper, as Ruby, demonstrates that a bop at the right time and place can startle the worst gossip to silence. B-Flat proves wisdom can source from the simplest place when he rallies the women to remember the values of acceptance and love that make Second Samuel home.
Construction of the set by Blaine Smith and Chris Lane artfully fills the stage with 1940s memorabilia. A fishing rod hangs like a champion trophy. Old whiskey barrels are draped with an enormous stuffed catfish in a dapper hat. A Nehi sign over the bar lends a sweet nostalgia for another era. Ali Baughman lends dimension through sound and light with the ambient chirping of birds and a bubble-like wash of light on pink salon walls, seeming to compliment the soap opera antics within. The Bait and Brew is sometimes cast in boxy light patterns, as square as the mentalities of its more difficult patrons.
Potomac Playmakers spins a tale of quiet roars, salacious secrets, and heartwarming charm, landing us in an earnest hymn of truth: even small towns have the power to lead the way of change.
Photo credits: Susan Kleit and Amy Fox
A 12-year resident of Hagerstown, Maryland, Zunny has loved theater since her mom placed her in the Capitol Ballet Guild and the directors in turn kept her busy with roles in local D.C. theater productions. Learning to tell a story to an audience, be it through dance, plays or cable productions, is all the same to Zunny – exhilarating! Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., gave her a life-altering theater experience. Today she blends her love of theater with teaching history. “Incredible!” is how Zunny characterizes her 13 years with performing companies, AFRASIA & The Painted Gourd: Red & Black Voices. Zunny considers theater the greatest teacher in the world. Her New York production of “Remember the Sweetgrass” was produced by the NBC Playhouse. With three plays written and produced, cable directing and writing awards under her belt, Zunny Miller-Matema continues her theater mission as Founder of Limelight Mountain Theater Reviews.
