The Bluest Eye
at Duke Ellington School of the Arts

Reviewed on March 31, 2017

Aubrey Winger
Loudoun Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

The lights come up on a girl in a white dress, contorted around her swollen stomach as clutched a tattered children's book. She begins: "Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door. It is very pretty." As more people trickle onto the stage, the Duke Ellington ensemble becomes a cataclysmic force, all completely fixated on telling a story that matters, the story of "The Bluest Eye."

"The Bluest Eye" adapted for the stage by Lydia Diamond and based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize winning author Toni Morrison. Set in the 1940's, this show's narrative storyline is constructed around an eleven-year-old girl named Pecola and the prejudice and abuse she encounters as a young black girl from a broken home.

Pecola (Mahkai Carroll) contrasted the fierceness of her fellow cast members perfectly. She expertly created a debilitating sense of inferiority through her obvious worship of the blue-eyed blond girls she used to define her own beauty. Her stature was small and timid as she exemplified the innocence of adolescence and her own unbridled self-hatred.

Cobe Jackson offered immense depth in his portrayal of Pecola's abusive father, Cholly. Although he could have easily fallen into the stereotypes of a villain, he created a morally grey character susceptible to drunken rage. As the show progressed, he explored every layer of his personality, becoming increasingly more volatile while expressing a heartbreaking character arc.

Darzaya Scott as Mrs. Breedlove phenomenally personified faded romance with her prominent limp and agonizing self-deprecation. On the other hand, Eliza Booke radiated confidence in her portrayal of "six fingered, dog-toothed Maureen Pie."

Mama (Ta'Neesha Murphy) and Daddy (Roy Lightfoot) both scolded their children like true parents would. Murphy was particularly dynamic onstage; she enraptured the audience with every line, even the ones about dairy products. Lightfoot completely transformed himself into his character, never letting his posture betray his true age. He later joined the ensemble to show off his soulful singing voice.

Claudia (Madison Chambers) and Frieda (Brittani Murphy) offered hilarious, thoughtful narration throughout the show. Their quirky personalities shown through as they both fully embraced the physicality of petulant children. Chambers juxtaposed this youthful exuberance with guilt-ridden monologues regarding her hatred of "little white girls" that highlighted her powerful facial expressions and assertive voice.

The ensemble worked cohesively to create the dark and tantalizing atmosphere of the show. Their intensity was a result of their ability to accentuate moments in the show with subtle movement and vocal performance. Every character moved flawlessly, and the abstract choreography was executed beautifully, bringing the mature topics of the show to light in a tasteful way.

Violinist, Bismillah Ba'th fiddled away, using her impressive musicianship to give texture and atmosphere to every transition in the show. The use of projections exemplified Pecola's obsession with the "perfect" white girl and her misguided belief that life would be better had she been given blue eyes.

The marketing team captured the essence of the show through their video series and school events. Their "In My Eyes" campaign managed to raise about $1,000 for a charity supporting young girls.

A story of heartbreak and youth, Duke Ellington's production of The Bluest Eye shed light on our own warped perceptions and the true definition of beauty.

Charlie Parsons
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

A single violinist steps out of the darkness and begins to play with a beautiful vibrato. Suddenly the cast of characters seated in darkness leap out of silence and into fluid dance. The cast of Duke Ellington School's "The Bluest Eye" unapologetically shatters stillness and silence with its deft exploration of racism, identity, beauty, and pain.

"The Bluest Eye" is based on the Toni Morrison novel of the same name. Despite widespread acclaim, the novel continues to garner controversy for its themes confronting racism and abuse. The play adaptation, by Lydia Diamond, premiered at the Steppenwolf theater in Chicago, in 2005. It was reprised at the same theater in 2006. "The Bluest Eye" premiered off-Broadway that year as well.

Set in the 1940s, the play follows the traumatic life of Pecola Breedlove, a child who faces abuse, both by a white society that says her skin color makes her ugly and by an alcoholic father who attacks her. Pecola wants nothing more than the blue eyes she associates with beauty. Claudia and Frieda, two sisters who are friends of Pecola, narrate the show.

Mahkai Carroll played the mistreated Pecola Breedlove with profound grace. Carroll expertly navigated the character's insecurities and hopes to weave a stunning portrait of the emotions behind Pecola's yearning for blue eyes. Cobe Jackson brought terrifying derangement to the stage in his portrayal of Pecola's unhinged father, Cholly. Jackson's nuanced performance of an abuser was as tactful as it was chilling.

Madison Chambers, who played Claudia, and Brittani Murphy, who played Frieda, bounced off each other's creative energies. In their scenes together they played the dynamics of sisterhood with perfect timing, and distinct, continuously child-like physicalizations. Claudia and Frieda advanced the narrative while the audience held on to every word. The captivating ensemble inserted music and dance into transitions that built the entire ambiance of the show. The ensemble was wholly unified, moving as one powerful group.

The cast's complete understanding of the show revealed itself constantly throughout the performance, and it again showed itself in marketing and publicity. The simple, professional quality poster that features the face of Pecola smeared with white paint, captures the essence of the show. Students also used publicity as an opportunity to give back. Through their creation of the "In My Eyes" initiative, students raised money to invite young women from Girls, Inc. and similar organizations to see the show, talk to the cast, and experience a VIP treatment.

As the lights begin to dim and the violinist pulls her last note, the audience is given a brief moment of still silence before the thunderous applause. This silence is no longer filled with anticipation, but with new questions and self-reflection. Duke Ellington's performance of "The Bluest Eye" was thought-provoking and moving throughout.

Maya Hossain
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Georgetowner

A somber violinist glides on stage. The crisp, clear trill of her instrument reverberates across the auditorium. As her poignant melodic phrase rings out, a rhythmic step circle fills the stage and sends shivers down the backs of all those watching. This chilling dance is only foreshadowing of the harrowing tale of rape, racism, and adolescence that follows in Duke Ellington School's production of "The Bluest Eye."

"The Bluest Eye," one of Toni Morrison's most notable works, was adapted for the stage and first performed at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 2005. The novel was written in 1970 and tackled difficult themes that rendered the work controversial and subject to bans by public schools across the country. Set in the post-depression era, it centers around a young African American girl named Pecola who is ridiculed for her dark skin. Pecola struggles with incestual rape, pregnancy, and a low self-esteem that ultimately results in a desire to be white. The book also tells the story of Pecola's foster siblings, Claudia and Frieda, who also deal with racial inferiority complexes.

Mahkai Carroll as Pecola mastered the perfect balance between innocent childhood naivety and the emotional war raging within her. Carroll spun an intricate web out of the many stories that surrounded Pecola's life tactful gestures and a look that evoked the reverie of a daydream. Madison Chambers as Claudia and Brittani Murphy as Frieda gave Pecola's story a counterbalance, grounding it in the harsh reality of life as an African American in the 1940's. Chambers and Murphy crafted a snippy, amusing repertoire that provided comic relief to the heavy topics of the play. Both developed emotional character arcs and commented greatly on complex issues. The pure nature of childhood friendship oozed from all three actresses, and they demonstrated that no matter how difficult life may get, youthful whimsy is timeless.

The ensemble served as the unwavering heartbeat of the performance. It facilitated transitions flawlessly through dances, songs, and carefully placed whispers; their harmonies impeccably conveyed the eeriness that permeated through each scene. Since the set was fairly bare and minimal, the ensemble skillfully crafted the atmosphere of each distinctly different scene by singing songs of loss and love while dancing with acute, almost frightening movements.

Publicity for this production was both effective and emotionally impactful. The team promoted the show through a strikingly beautiful poster that depicted their school's Pecola artfully covered in white paint. They also spearheaded a video campaign in which cast members and other guests were asked to challenge the definition of beauty. To top it off, they raised over a thousand dollars for underprivileged girls in D.C. - the students surpassed all expectations by using their art for community and global good through philanthropic gestures.

Delicate shadows play across Pecola's face while she is engulfed by the cast's whispers as they encircle her. Blue eyes are projected across the back wall, and Pecola finds a twisted peace for herself in the cobalt she believes replaced her soft brown irises. Raw emotions surged through the audience as they viscerally react to Duke Ellington School's heartrending performance of The Bluest Eye.

Jess Scarano
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Current

Everyone fantasizes about being able to change certain things about their appearance so that they will fit in with the beauty standards of the time. When the desire to be "beautiful" becomes an obsession and is complicated by issues of race, it can wreak havoc on families. Such is the conflict at the heart of Duke Ellington's production of The Bluest Eye.

Toni Morrison penned the powerful piece of literature in 1970. The novel was adapted into a play by Lydia Diamond in 2005 where it premiered in Chicago. The work contains many themes ranging from liberation to segregation. Taking place in Ohio, the story is set a few years after The Great Depression and follows a young girl named Pecola. The child soon develops an inferiority complex about the color of her dark skin and yearns to fit in with the white girls in town. All she wants is a new pair of blue eyes. The story is told from multiple viewpoints including Claudia and Freida (friends of Pecola's), Polly and Cholly Breedlove (Pecola's parents), and others.

From the moment the stage lit up, the ensemble brought life and energy to the show. They created convincing relationships with one another as if they had deep, longstanding connections. They executed complex choreography with ease and added dimension to the show by being incredibly involved with the action. The entire cast handled the mature content of the show exquisitely and captured raw emotions without being over-the-top.

Playing the insecure and timid Pecola was Mahkai Carroll. Carroll embodied her young character through childish movements and innocent physicality. She created a believable sense of inadequacy and effectively highlighted the immoral beauty standards of the time period. Telling Pecola's tragic story was Madison Chambers in the role of Claudia. Chambers drove the action with her unbelievable commitment to her character. Throughout the production, Chambers' comedic timing was spot on, and she never missed a beat in the story. Pecola's father, Cholly (Cobe Jackson) dominated the stage with his animalistic movements and intimidating presence.

Cholly's wife, Mrs. Breedlove (Darzaya Scott), was another standout in the cast. Scott's dynamic contrast between her humorous and dramatic scenes was impressive. Another memorable character was Ronald Benson-El in the role of Soaphead, a "religious" hypocrite. Benson-El preached his beliefs with gusto and brought superb energy to his "letter to God" scene. Not to be forgotten is Ta'Neesha Murphy as Mama. Murphy strutted onstage sassing and fussing over her daughters and was a fantastic source of comedic relief. Murphy's counterpart, Daddy, played by Roy Lightfoot, was equally funny.

Complementing the talent were equally impressive technical areas. Bismillah Ba'th played the violin during various scenes throughout the show exemplifying the passion and poignancy of the play. Tying in with the music were compelling projections such as images from a children's book and animation of blue eyes. Another area that underlined the powerful undertones of the show was the publicity crew. The team created a message based around positivity and self-love to promote the show and draw younger audiences in to raise awareness. Other technical elements were simple yet effective, such as the minimal use of props and set pieces.

Duke Ellington connects with the audience on a range of emotions in its raw production of The Bluest Eye. Beauty, relationships, and segregation are powerfully examined from a variety of viewpoints so that the audience wrestles with both morality and human decency.