I went in expecting to hate every second of the one hour and fifty minute (without intermission) Eclipsed.
The play looks at the end of the Liberian Civil War from the perspective of some of its female victims, by focusing on the imprisoned wives of a Liberian rebel army camp general.
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The topic of the play flirted with being a sensationalized preach-fest, trying to hammer home the point that women really suffered during a protracted Civil War in which, let’s face it, almost everyone suffered. Or it could have become sensationalized titillation, a la Mandingo.
Gurira’s play, though, completely avoids the latter and mostly avoids the former pitfall, and is surprisingly poignant even when performed by a cast with little formal training. Gurira, a Zimbabwean by birth, went to Liberia and interviewed women affected by the war. This may be what helped keep the focus of the play on individual stories instead of broadly drawn types.
The action largely takes place in the cabin that the wives of the C.O. of that LURD (Liberian’s United for Reconciliation and Democracy) army base share. The three women are known by the number wife they are. Number 1 (Jessica Davie) is the leader, practical, and the best actress of the lot. Number 3 (Eboney Hutt) is pregnant with the C.O.’s child, vain and conflicted about the nature of the attention that she gets from him. Number 4 (Vanika Spencer) is the newest “wife” at just 15 years old, who is discovered by the C.O. despite Number 1’s attempts to hide her.
There is an absence of hand wringing or lamentation, even after Number 4 is made a wife. The women are focused on day-to-day tasks and finding joy where they can, including reading a biography of Bill Clinton that they’ve found. There are even moments of levity in the play, especially when they discuss Bill Clinton or the plot of Coming to America.
When wife Number 2 returns (Eboni Sharp), the play starts to sag. Number 2 recruits Number 4 to join her and fight in the rebel army, while in a parallel scene one of the women peace workers, Rita Endee (Yasmin Boakye), tries to convince Number 1 to leave the camp and pursue an education.
The “message” of the play—that there is a wrong path to freedom (picking up a gun) and a right path (getting an education)—becomes intrusive. Just as Gurira’s depiction of the West as all prevalent in the conversation of the women and the source of desired goods, but absent in offering help or aid, grows a touch heavy-handed.
But the play also doesn’t cop out by celebrating the end of the war as a solution. Instead, peace is greeted with ambivalence by Number 1 and full-fledged resistance by Number 2 and 3.
Though the novice cast still had some bad acting tics, like self-consciously waving their hands, or occasionally forgetting their cues (opening night jitters?), there were still some stand out performances. Jessica Davie (Number 1) was convincing, and kept her Liberian accent the most consistently. Vanika Spencer (Number 4) had a long monologue, which she pulled off with surprising aplomb.
The entire cast was nothing if not brave. They took a risk not only with the material but with their characterizations of it, and approached the play with a sincerity that allowed them to pull off their performances despite their lack of training.
Eclipsed continues next weekend at the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre in the Mallinckrodt Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd, 314-935-6543. April 8-10. $15, $10 students. Time: 8 p.m. Fri & Sat, 3 p.m. Sun.
