The Hot Wing King - Hartford Stage

Once The Hot Wing King, receiving a winning production at Hartford Stage, gets cooking midway through Act I, the show becomes a compelling and thought-provoking piece of entertainment.  The play focuses on the relationship of four gay Black men, their friendship, loves and the added weight of family obligations.

 

The cast of The Hot Wing King.  Photos by T. Charles Erickson

The comedy/drama, running through March 24, takes place in the kitchen of Cordell (Bjorn DuPaty), who is busily prepping for the annual hot wing bake-off in Memphis.  Assisting are his friends, Isom (Israel Erron Ford), Big Charles (Postell Pringle), and his boyfriend Dwayne (Calvin M. Thompson).  They laugh, sing, and banter, all the time following Cordell’s strict preparation instructions.  Enter into the controlled chaos are Dwayne’s nephew Everett (Marchus Gladney, Jr.) and his sketchy father T.J. (Alphonso Walker, Jr.).  Their involvement with the other four men prove enlightening and add a significant dimension to the bonding and complexities within the household.

 

Playwright Katori Hall has graphed a number of potent themes into her Pulitzer Prize winning work.  Her depiction of the love and kinship of gay Black characters is honest and, as Director Christopher D. Betts states, “is not stereotypical or conflict-averse.”  Ms. Hall superbly intertwines these questions and attitudes of relationships with issues of family, duty, and survival.  The Hot Wing King does take its time finding its rhythm and creating the foundation for which the remainder of the show is based.  While the initial antics and jesting is entertaining, it could have been tightened up to move more directly into the heart of the play.

Cast members of The Hot Wing King.  Photos by T. Charles Erickson

 

Director Betts has crafted a diverse set of individualized mannerisms and idiosyncrasies for each character.  He finely guides the men’s constantly ebbing affinities with integrity and tenderness.  Betts also seamlessly transitions the show from the vitality and playfulness of Act I to the more serious mood of Act 2.  He fully utilizes Emmie Finckel’s two-tier set of a kitchen/living room space, with a bedroom atop, to effectively expand the performance space.  One point – it would have been helpful if, primarily during the portions of Act I, to have the characters speak slower during group scenes.  Sometimes the actor’s enthusiasm made it hard to follow the threads of dialogue.

 

Bjorn DuPaty and Alphonso Walker Jr. in The Hot Wing King.  Photos by T. Charles Erickson

The splendid cast is a finely grouped ensemble that functions well together and within their individual characters.  Their portrayals are complex, bringing a layer of richness to their roles.  Bjorn DuPaty (Cordell ) and Calvin M. Thompson (Dwayne) both provide rewarding, multifaceted portrayals of men caught between many demands and aspirations, needs and responsibilities.  The actors Alphonso Walker Jr. (T.J.) and Marcus Gladney, Jr., (E.J.), who play father and son, initially come across as one-dimensional, almost stereotypical inner city figures.  However, as the show progresses towards its highly satisfying conclusion, the two performers have instilled their characters with depth and nuance.  Israel Erron Ford is a hoot as the flamboyant Isom.  He infuses the play with a good deal of comic relief.  Postell Pringle’s Big Charles is the ying to Isom’s yang.  Quieter and more introspective, he imbues his portrayal with a measured weariness.

 

The Hot Wing King, playing at Hartford Stage through March 24.  Click here for dates, times and ticket information.