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“Fly” Capital Rep is exciting theater that makes you think

Pictured LR: Calvin Thompson, Trevor McGhie, Jeremiah Packer, Yao Dogbe
Doug Liebig

“Fly,” a relatively unknown play about the Tuskegee Airmen, is one of the most theatrical productions Capital Repertory Theatre has offered in a very long time.

Indeed, the fact that “Fly” is such a successful piece of theater shows the potential of what can be offered at it’s new theater space at 251 N. Pearl Street in Albany.

It’s rare that you leave a local theater talking mostly about the technical aspects of a production. If you do, it usually means the acting and the material are less than memorable. That’s not the case with “Fly,” which is a well-acted, compelling tale of racism and heroism.

“Fly” tells the story of how the Army Air Corps reluctantly trained African-Americans to become pilots during World War II. They were known as the Tuskegee Airmen because of the region in which they were trained in Alabama.

The play shows the resistance of the military to accept qualified candidates to fight the war in the air. The reason was, of course, racism. By the time the war ended, the planes that had their tails painted red to identify them as being flown by Black pilots, were one of the most awarded units to fight in the war.

Playwrights Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan use four African-American actors to represent over a thousand individuals who endured shameful and discriminatory treatment. One commander, who has the ability to let racial slurs roll easily off his tongue, brags that his average failure rate is almost 70%.

The play makes clear the obstacles brave men had to overcome to risk their lives for a country who failed to give them respect. However, “Fly” is essentially a play about camaraderie. Not only did the trainees need the patience of Martin Luther King Jr. during a Peace rally, they also required the aggression of Mohammad Ali in the boxing ring.

The subtle message in the play is unity. Not only did the white superior officers use unfair standards on the men, they also used psychological devices to divide them. Overriding that manipulation was their key to attaining their goals.

With four men representing thousands, there is no way around using stereotypes. Happily, the actors avoid making them caricatures. Calvin Thompson as W.W. is charming as he plays the ultimate, self-involved ladies’ man. Trevor McGhie plays Oscar, the controlled family man who identifies as a “Race Man’ from Iowa who‘ll sacrifice anything to preserve the dignity of his people.

Jeremiah Packer is the youngest of the group, but the most accomplished as he already has a pilot’s license and a New York City attitude that wins the respect of the others. Yao Dogbe is a delightful, happy man from the Caribbean who is the most likeable man in the group.

The white actors, too, must play stereotypes, but much less likeable individuals. Shayne David Cameris and Ryan Fuchs come around to admire the men they despised, but Torsten Hillhouse is unable to make Captain O’Hurley exhibit any humanity in his character.

The most unusual device is the inclusion of a mystical figure The Tap Griot. This character appears at various times to show emotion through interpretive tap dance.

Omar Edwards is a prodigious talent with a powerful stage presence. Often his appearance draws applause on its own, he is that good.

However, director Clinton Turner Davis tends to overuse the device and though Edwards never became tiresome, a few of his appearances break the pace of the action rather than adding to it.

Thankfully, it’s the only error in Davis’s work. He uses his cast wisely, they are very good at creating believable characters, and are asked to dance, fight and work in formation.

Davis is excellent in creating visual interest, as he uses Beowulf Boritt’s brilliant set to perfection. Boritt is an abstract-realist as a squad room converts to an airplane and anything else the play demands. (Interestingly this is Boritt week in the area, as he also designed the set for “Come From Away” at Proctors. P.S. He did the marvelous design for “Chester Bailey” at Barrington Stage this past summer.)

Nathan W. Scheuer’s projections are breathtaking as they add high tension and authenticity to realistic air fights Adding to all this wonderful stuff is fantastic sound by John Gromada and superior lighting by Rob Denton.

“Fly” is great entertainment that tells an important story. It bodes well for the future of Capital Rep’s new home, 251 N. Pearl Street It continues through February 20. For tickets and schedule information call 518-346-6204 of go to capitalrep.org Proof of vaccination is required for entry to the theater and masks must be worn at all times in the building.

Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

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