Harbinger Theatre’s In The Blood Tackles Societal Hypocrisy with Heart and Grit

Harbinger Theatre’s In The Blood Tackles Societal Hypocrisy with Heart and Grit – by Joanna Palladino.

What happens when institutions with a mission to help and support others are responsible for creating so much pain and trauma?  “In The Blood”  written by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks explores the shortcomings of personal relationships, education, social services, and religious organizations in this 1999 play produced by Harbinger Theatre.

“In the Blood” is a classic American tragedy that explores societal expectations of women and mothers and the institutions that are responsible for helping these women while simultaneously keeping them poor.  Directed by T.J. Collins-Gutierrez, “In the Blood” updates Nathaniel Hawthorne’s American classic “The Scarlet Letter.” Hester Prynne is transformed into Hester La Negrita (Nicole DamaPoleto) an illiterate homeless mother of five who creates a home for her family under a bridge. Instead of wearing an emblazoned scarlet “A,” on her chest, she continually writes the letter “A” because it is the only letter of the alphabet that she has learned.

The play doubles the rest of the cast members as both Hester La Negrita’s children, and also as representatives of the institutions that continue to fail her, and her children, as she attempts to transcend her conditions.

Throughout the play, Hester ensures that she can feed her children, even while she goes without food herself.  But it gets harder and harder to make ends meet, and she is forced to start looking for the fathers of her five children to see if they will provide some assistance.   Hester’s first love, Chilli (Zach Kaiser), with whom she had her first child, Jabber (also Kaiser), has been seen around town by her sex worker and entrepreneur friend, Amiga Gringa (Aaliyah Al-Fuhaid). There’s also the duplicitous Reverend D. (Tyler Cardona), father to her youngest, Baby (also Cardona), and the vile community Doctor (Dalton Russell), father to Trouble (also Russell). Even the welfare system, set up to help someone like Hester La Negrita, finds a way to exploit the situation through the unethical manipulations of the welfare caseworker (Monet Thompson-Young).

Despite all of life’s challenges, Hester’s maternal and positive spirit prevail for much of the play.  She’s looking forward to when she can “get a leg up.”  The shame that surrounds her, someone graffities SLUT on the “wall” of her “home”, fails to penetrate the love she has for her five “bastard” children who she continually refers to as her “treasures.”  Nicole DamaPoleto’s honest performance portrays Hester as an unapologetic sexual being and a struggling and loving mother.  DamaPoleto successfully delivers a performance of a flawed and fully realized woman that elicits sympathy from the audience and leads the audience to explore their own prejudices and role in a society that hinders the advancement of poor women, and especially those with children.

The play uses the actors who comprise the chorus that speaks the ugliness that prevails just under the surface of so many Americans.  Hester La Negrita “got no skills, ˜cept one” and is a “burden to society…. Bad news in her blood.”

Eventually the pressure catches up to Hester and the devasting impact is realized at the end of the play.

The ensemble cast did an excellent job doubling roles as portraying Hester’s children and representatives of failed institutions.  Aaliyah Al-Fuhaid was electric as Beauty/Amiga Gringa.  Zach Kaiser’s Jabber was portrayed with such kindness and care that he transforms himself into a young teenage boy in front of your eyes.  Monet Thompson-Young’s transformation from Hester’s child Bully to the Welfare Caseworker was marked and exquisite.  Tyler Cardona’s portrayal of Reverend D was absolute in its earnestness and steeped with perfect insincerity.  Dalton Russell’s Trouble lived up to the name and his about-face as the Doctor was an astonishing performance.

The crew should also be acknowledged for their great contributions:

Lauren D’Annibale (Stage Manager), David Caso (Lighting Designer), Cheryl Hussey (Lighting Assistant) John Schnurr (Light Board Operator), and Bob Dawes (Set Construction).

Andrew Deitch was the sound designer and crafted original pieces for the entire production. Because this show is so intense, Deitch wanted to make sure that the sound complemented the performance of each of the actors – especially during their monologues or confessions.  Deitch shared, “I wanted to harken back to the time of which this show was set. I used old school underground hip hop instrumentals as motifs as transitions, editing each one to fit the mood of the next scene. In the confessions, I matched the tempo of each sound effect to the material of the monologues, as if the sounds heard were being controlled by their prose. You’ll hear themes throughout the piece, one in particular being the reverend’s theme, which I wanted to sound like churches, but slightly off, almost tinny and fake. Lots of detuning piano chords and such.  I wanted to put careful attention to the intention of each sound and along with the direction of director T.J. Collins, I hope we created a world of sound that reflects the pain and triumphs of Hester and her five children and allows the audience to be immersed in her world.”  Deitch did just that and the sound design of the play was exquisite.   This should be no surprise though.  Andrew Deitch is a Billboard chart topping recording artist and remixer.  In the early 2000’s he started experimenting with electronic music, and by the 2010’s he had released his first EP.   Currently, Deitch is a resident DJ and has experience with a social justice eyed consulting firm.   To check out some of Deitch’s own work, you can find him on various music streaming platforms under the name Synes (picture a little electronica music tinged with a hint of Depeche Mode).  Check out the songs “The Man I Am”, “It’s Over”, and “Something’s Got to Give” when you get the time.  It’s worth a listen.

While “In The Blood” explores some challenging adult material, it’s a treat to watch these actors embody their work so fully and a delight to watch the transformation from  child-like innocence to the ugly side of our humanity.  As Synes’ says, “Reach out – something’s got to give.” – and this play is a reminder to all of us to do just that.

“In The Blood” by Harbinger Theatre is located at the St. Rose Theater and performances will be held on March 16, 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m. and March 17 and 24 at 2 p.m.

The Saint Rose Theatre is located next to William Randolph Hearst Center for Communications and Interactive Media at 996 Madison Ave, Albany, NY 12203.

Tickets are available on Harbinger’s Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-the-blood-by-suzan-lori-parks-tickets-803423831307?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

All photos by

David Quiñones Jr.

Photo 1: Dalton Russell, Nicole DamaPoleto & Aaliyah Al-Fuhaid

Photo 2: Monet Thompson-Young

Photo 3: Zach Kaiser

Photo 4: Nicole DamaPoleto

Photo 5: Zach Kaiser, Monet Thompson-Young, Aaliyah Al-Fuhaid

Photo 6: Zach Kaiser, Monet Thompson-Young, Dalton Russell, Nicole DamaPoleto, Aaliyah Al-Fuhaid, Tyler Cardona

Photo 7: Monet Thompson-Young & Dalton Russell

More from Joanna Palladino…