New Bwogger Candice Choi and Returning Bwogger Solomia Dzhaman review an MFA theatre production of Dutch Kings.

Boys meet on a dirty city block, with a Bluetooth speaker and a pair of double-dutch ropes, and they feel on top of the world. Dutch Kings, written and directed by Kristen I. Spencer, is a play about four young, Black boys caught right in the confusing moment between adulthood and childhood. 

Ishmael (played by first-year graduate acting student, Joshua C. Thomas) and Nazire (played by graduate acting student Stephen L. Smith) are best friends. They finish each other’s sentences, perform complicated handshakes, but most importantly, play double-dutch. The boys hold on to what has defined their youth – double dutch, beatbox, and Yo Momma jokes – but find that the more serious issues of reality are creeping into their daily lives. Although they may just want to jump rope, they are unable to ignore the serious conversations about race, police brutality, and injustice that have made way into their lives.

Dutch Kings opens with a heartfelt monologue from Ishmael, as he explains his neighborhood, and leads us into the two practicing for the Annual Block Shop Double Dutch Competition. The duo is up against long-time enemies Kenny (played by graduate acting student Adebowale Oluwajuwon Adebiyi) and Brian (played by JayNemar Smith), so the competition is serious business. As the play unfolds, tensions between the boys surface – from issues of class, to race, to police violence, these young men have been touched by it all. As the animosity escalates, the boys ultimately find that their frustrations are not so much with each other as they are with the ways in which they have been failed by their community. 

The play was a wonderful and excellent way to spend two hours. It had a subtle, bittersweet blend between childhood drama and wonder and more serious themes of violence, poverty, and racism. Thomas’s Ishmael was energetically witty, with excellent comedic timing and joke delivery. The same goes for Stephen Smith’s Nazire, whose beatboxing and quips perfectly complimented Thomas’s energy. The audience was captivated by both actors, with laughter completely taking over the room on more than one occasion. Both actors had impressive control over their characters, switching between Yo-Momma jokes to intense soliloquies in the blink of an eye. Although Adebiyi was not on stage for long, he was able to make a lasting impression. His expertly-delivered insults and digs perfectly mimicked those of a 13-year-old boy. Finally, JayNemar Smith was able to move the audience despite only speaking a handful of words throughout the duration of the play. His single monologue was powerful and emotional, and even without words, he was engaged in every scene.  All four actors did a fantastic job portraying childhood and children, there was never a moment where they broke character and their real age came through.

Although many sensitive issues come to light throughout the play – death, violence, racism, a loud declaration of “Blue Lives Matter” – this production did a good job balancing out the serious with the playful, without losing meaning. Although one moment the boys argue over a girlfriend and the next they monologue about gun violence, the transitions never felt abrupt or forced. 

Set-design-wise, the play used the Schapiro space well. With cut-out bricks dotting the walls, a concrete riser on the ground, and clotheslines above the boy’s heads, the minimal set worked well to immerse the audience in the neighborhood. Broken bottles and empty cigarette packs litter the ground, and a pair of sneakers dangle over a power line give a city-block feel to the surroundings. The only inconsistency on the set was Ishmael’s inexplicably expensive backpack and speaker. Despite multiple plot references to not having enough money to get by, Ishamel’s expensive Herschel bag and Ultimate Ears speaker stood out on the decrepit set.

Dutch Kings runs Saturday at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday at 2pm in Schapiro (the dorm, not the computer science building). Tickets can be reserved online for free.

Image via Bwog