‘Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower’ – Created by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon; Co-Directed by Eric Ting & Signe V. Harriday;Music and Lyrics by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon; Music Direction by Toshi Reagon. Choreography by Millicent Johnnie; Scenic Design by Arnulfo Maldonado; Costumes by Dede M. Ayite; Lighting Design by Christopher Kuhl. Presented by ArtsEmerson at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St., Boston through April 24.
by Mike Hoban
As the U.S. and the rest of the world appears headed for a slide into a 21st century version of the Dark Ages, propelled by corporate greed, a warped interpretation of the Bible and willful neglect of the planet, at least it’s fodder for some terrific music in the form of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower. The post-apocalyptic sci-fi rock opera returns to the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre after a workshop concert version wowed audiences in 2017, and powered by a luminous cast, the show again delivers sustained brilliant musical moments.
The titular work that it’s drawn from – written in 1993 but set in the year 2024 – tells the story of Lauren Oya Olamina (the mesmerizing Marie Tatti), the 15 year-old daughter of a Baptist preacher (the golden-piped Jared Wayne Gladly) who lives in the walled-off community of Robledo, a suburban community of L.A. that is suffering from the effects of whatever has befallen the country (I didn’t read the book and the storyline is far more impressionistic than literal). We know it’s not good, however, as pair of women (Shelley Nicole and the elegant Helga Davis) who serve as backup singers to the guitar-playing creator of the show Toshi Reagon (who co-created the show with her mom, Bernice Johnson Reagon of Sweet Honey in the Rock fame), simulate sunny-voiced newscasters who tell us something along the lines of, “It’s July 21st, 2024, and it’s the worst day in history. Now a message from our sponsors!”
Lauren is at odds with the teachings of her father and his devoted followers, in part because she is “hyper-empathetic” – she feels the pain of others in a palpable way. In one of the evening’s most beautiful songs (there are many) she, and other folks from the community slowly begin to defy her preacher father with a passively defiant song about learning to fly on their own (the program lists no individual song titles). What we do know is that it’s not safe to go outside the walls of the community, as her brother, fed up with being walled in (sound familiar, pandemic survivors?) bolts the safety of the compound and returns battered and bloodied. Her father also leaves the safety of the community and disappears, setting up the evening’s highlight number, “Has Anybody Seen My Father?” which serves a tour de force vocal exhibition by Tatti.
The community collapses, sending Lauren and her two companions on a quest for safety and a life in northern California. Along the way, they encounter violence as well as joy, and the cast and the Toshi Reagon and killer band unleash some of the evening’s most compelling blues, folk, and gospel numbers in solo, duet and full ensemble pieces. There are some musical numbers that are a bit repetitive and the show itself drags at times (it’s two hours without an intermission and could stand some trimming), but one only needs to wait a few minutes to be enchanted again. I highly recommend this show, but it would probably be a good idea to read at least a summary of the story to avoid feeling lost at times, but that’s my only quibble.
One can only hope that like Parable of the Sower, there’s a joyful and spiritual future in store for all of us, but in the meantime, we should uplift our spirits with works like this. See it. For tickets and information, go to: https://artsemerson.org/events/parable-of-the-sower-2022/ . Proof of vaccination or a negative test is required for entry
