Two sisters. Ash, the elder, has a professional job with a good income. Harley, the younger sister, inherits the family home when their father dies. “Probably because he thought I’d never make a good living. Unlike you.” That little jab in the first scene sets the stage for the sometimes fractious relationship between these two women and the project they embark on to rehab and sell the house, a “Black Joy House.”
Rabbits in Their Pockets is a world premiere play by Kimberly Dixon-Mays, now on stage at Lifeline Theatre, directed by Christopher Wayland. Playwright Dixon-Mays incorporates several elements of magic or magical realism in her play, which began in Lifeline’s 2024 BIPOC Developmental Workshop. The production provides some drama and an interesting sisterly relationship but the script itself is uneven; some revisions would help fill in story gaps.
Rabbits features outstanding performances by LaKecia Harris as Ash and Simmery Branch as Harley, who the playwright describes as ‘impish” and the costume designer fits out in bright colors to emphasize that, while the methodical Ash wears “colors of soot and smoke.” The sisters don’t look alike but their conversations, whether casual or combative, are so real that we almost felt like we could join the family debates.
Later in the play Ash observes that they don’t fight as much as they used to. Harley says, “That’s because you’re not as much of a bully” and Ash replies, “And you’re not as much of a brat.”
Harley is hoping to sell the house for a sum that will enable her to fund a community arts center to focus on improv performances. She works with Jasper, an emerging improv performer, (Marcus D. Moore), to help him improve his skills, which include being a rabbit. “You still sound like yourself,” Harley tells him. “Be a rabbit.” And later, “Help me see it,” when Jasper the rabbit describes where he lives in safety.
Harley tells Ash that improv is a Black technology, always has been. “Think about it,” she says. “We were the first humans. We improvised our way into agriculture, and then into mathematics, and then into the bullshit over here ….”
Br’er Rabbit, a character in African American folk tales, is referenced frequently; he’s known for his cleverness and skill at getting out of sticky situations.
There’s a bit of magic too in the character of Ilona (Felisha McNeal), a wealthy woman, whose meetings with Harley focus on her possible support for Harley’s community center fundraising. Ilona doesn’t hesitate to break the fourth wall with a few devilish smirks at the audience.
Rabbits in Their Pockets has some interesting elements, but there are gaps in the story and it never quite comes together in a coherent whole. For instance, we know Ash must be smart because her job is “fucking hard” and it has something to do with rockets. Is she an engineer or physicist, perhaps, at the Argonne National Lab? We know she’s handy because she works in her father’s workshop with his old tools, but how does she build the “joy system” that she plans to be the hallmark of the renovated old house? Ash tells us how it works in one long paragraph but I imagine other audience members were as curious as I was about that. A few more details would help.
The workshop, separated from the main stage area by windowed doors, is part of the clever scenic design by Shokie Tseumah. The tiny writing nook, hidden behind a door under the stairs, was apparently their mother’s hideaway but we don’t know what its importance is now. The stairs lead to a balcony that is used for only one scene; it’s a nice piece of set design and deserves more use in the staging.
Ilona’s background is equally shadowy. Is she really wealthy? And what does she do to gain her wealth?
Director Wayland devises some interesting blocking and staging for his actors. Joseph Nelson is lighting and projections designer and Isaac Mandel handles sound design. Emily McConnell is costume designer; her slick method is having the characters wear a basic shirt/pants outfit and simply switch vests or jackets to indicate a new scene or time change.
Rabbits in Their Pockets continues through October 5 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $45 for performances Friday through Sunday. More information about the play here.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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