We’ve heard the old proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” But what are you supposed to do if you don’t have the money for a rod, line, or bait? That is the provocative question behind Fish, a world premiere play by Kia Corthron currently running at Theatre Row on 42nd Street in New York.
The story revolves primarily around Latricia, known as Tree, a sharp 18 year old senior attending a typical urban high school that is short on funds and long on drop outs. The teen has much more on her plate than 100 word essays. With her mother incarcerated for a minor drug violation, she is responsible for running the household and overseeing her high-energy asthmatic 11 year old brother, Zay. To add to her burden, her best friend LaRonda has won a spot in the Peak and Pinnacle Academy Charter School. While only on the 6th floor of the same building as the rundown public school, with its gleaming computer lab and health center it might as well be on Mars. English teacher, Jasmine Harris, can see Tree’s intellectual curiosity and capability below the layers of tough talk and anger. But she’s so overburdened by the “teach to the test” requirements of Common Core she doesn’t have the time or tools to draw them out.
Director Adrienne D. Williams does a brilliant job of incorporating the posture and movement of today’s cellphone obsessed youth. Scenic designer Jason Simms has divided the small stage into three sections with smudged walls, mismatched chairs, and familiar posters, so that the action can move seamlessly from classroom, to project, to the streets. The sound design by Michael Keck incorporates the thumping beats that greet us at the theater door. Nic Vincent’s lighting design includes flickering fluorescents, an illuminated metaphor for the overall decline. Scenes are cleverly titled overhead with the names of typical high school classes, for example “Speech and Debate” for a heated argument between teacher and student.
Torée Alexandre makes a very believable Tree. Even though she captures the cadence of a typical teen, with the guidance of dialogue coach Xavier Clark she takes the speed of delivery down just enough to make every impassioned word come across to the oldest of ears. Equally good is Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew as best friend LaRonda, especially with dialogue that emphasizes the girls’ genuine caring for each other. Acting as a worthy foil in her exchanges with Tree is Rachel Leslie as Jasmine Harris. The cast also includes Josiah Gaffney as a sweet and playful Zay and Morgan Siobhan Green, Margaret Odette, and Christopher B. Portley playing multiple classmates and teachers.
This scathing portrait of a failing system and the magic of having a teacher see the value within a student would have been enough to satisfyingly sustain the 105 minute runtime. Instead, the storytelling becomes defused in the last 20 minutes, with several tangential issues introduced. It’s unfortunate that after all the times she is let down, Latricia doesn’t get the full attention that she deserves from the audience either.
Fish — a co-production of Keen Company and Working Theater — is playing in Theatre 4 at Theatre Row through April 20. The script contains mature language and tough themes and is most suited to those over 10. Running time is 105 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are being sold on a sliding scale starting at $0 and can be purchased online (https://bfany.org/theatre-row/shows/fish/), by phone (212-714-2442 ext. 45,) or in-person (410 W 42nd Street). You can learn about how to pick the price point that suits your budget by visiting www.keencompany.org/tickets.
The Unforgettable Line 