How to Catch Creation is a complex and at times complicated play by Christina Anderson. It is set in San Francisco and deals with the ambition and problem of creating a legacy such as painting, writing, or getting and raising a child. All the characters are Black and the emphasis is on queer women and it is a paean to Black literature especially by Black queer women.
The play opens with Griffin (Daren A. Herbert), a gay man, announcing that he wants a kid. He spent 25 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit and wanting to adopt a child in his late forties has a sad and comic ring to it. Without financial wherewithal, a prison record and no partner, he is not considered as a suitable candidate for adoption or finding a surrogate. He is an avid reader and has read all the works of G.K. Marche (Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah), a prolific lesbian writer. Griffin is a promoter of lesbian writers and can rhyme off the names of many of them.
His friend Tami (Amanda Cordner) is a lesbian painter and an administrator in a college admissions department. She is responsible for Stokes (Dante Prince), an aspiring painter, not being admitted to her school. He has been refused admission by 13 institutions and he is, understandably, at the end of his rope. Stokes’s girlfriend Riley (Germaine Konji) makes a cold call to Tami to ask the reason for her refusal to admit Stokes. By happenstance, Tami and Riley are attracted to each other and become lovers.
Riley is a tech expert and works part time in a computer repair store. She has some musical talent as well. Stokes works in an art gallery and while suffering from painter’s block decides to become a writer.
Natalie (Shakura Dickson) is a graphic textile artist in a relationship with G.K. but they have their issues too including infidelity.
All the characters want to “catch creation.” Adopt a child, paint, write a novel, fulfill an inner craving. But the ultimate creation and legacy is probably a child. Griffin pursues that end doggedly but Riley, Stokes and Natalie achieve it despite themselves. Riley becomes pregnant by Stokes accidentally and Natalie is impregnated by a former boyfriend. I will not disclose how things are worked out.
As I said, the play is set in 2014 but there are scenes that take place in 1966, 1967 and 1988. Anderson inserts split scenes where the action takes place in two places or time periods simultaneously. Two actors converse in 2014 and another two converse in 1966. Unfortunately, these scenes proved to be confusing despite some help from the playwright in telling us in passing about the dates. We see G.K and his lover Natalie talking in 1966 (young) and in 2014 (not so young). There are numerous scenes, almost vignettes, that do not help with development with the plot strands that Anderson includes in the play.
There are head-scratching coincidences. Griffin and Stokes meet, Tami tells Griffin about Stokes without naming him and Riley calls Tami while Stokes is with Griffin.
The big timespan and the numerous complications and plot coincidences create a problem for the actors who need to jump from one generation to the next and the brief scenes.
The set by Teresa Przybylski shows an apartment seating room on the left and an office desk and chairs on the right. In the middle and above are spokes of light creating a dome and moveable structures again made of light spokes below. The light spokes changed colours but I could not follow the reason amid the complicated plot.
The play tackles the great themes of leaving a legacy and just as importantly the issue of writing by Black lesbian women. Except for Griffin having a prison sentence for a crime he did not commit, the people in the play are intelligent, erudite and talented and away from the racism and injustice that we hear about them in the news. There is considerable humour as well as dramatic scenes. I commend the six actors for their work despite difficulties presented by the plot. Director Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu keeps the action and frequent scene changes going but there is not much more she could do to provide clarity.
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James Karas is the Culture Editor of The Greek Press, Toronto.
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