by Talya Kingston
Cadillac Crew opens in the summer of 1963 in a Civil Rights Office in Richmond, Virginia. Playwright Tori Sampson describes each of the four activists we meet there as a “powerhouse” – but in very different ways. As the cast work with director taneisha duggan to embody the characters, I caught up with them and asked them to introduce their characters and the ways that they have connected to them.
RACHEL, played by Kyra Davis
“This cycle where we allow ourselves to be placed
in the peripheral of our fight has come to an end!”
KYRA: Rachel is important because she is real. Women like her have existed, do exist, and are often forgotten in history. That is why it is important to search for truth as I search for Rachel. Her story needs to be told truthfully, to the best of my ability, to honor her legacy. I identify with her in that she is also determined to achieve my goals and defy the odds. I love to live outside of the boxes that people have attempted to place me in.
DEE, played by MaConnia Chesser
“Every day is another battle to overcome.”
MACONNIA: One of the nicknames my best friend has for me is “Conscious Connie.” She uses it anytime I start going on about how frustrating it is to still deal with the many inequities some people have to face because of their race or gender or physical/neurological ability or economic circumstances and how I wish people could lead more with compassion and understand that just because someone is/lives/thinks differently than you do, it doesn’t make them wrong or lazy or stupid or less than or immoral. At the root of all of it is an innate belief in the common decency of humanity and in the belief that change is possible, sometimes slow and tedious, but possible because we can come together and understand each other and put the needs of others before ourselves. I think I share that optimism with Dee. A belief that people can work together to accomplish a common good. A belief that people can change for the better. A belief that if I have the right to exist freely in this world, then everyone else does too. These are values that were modeled for me by my mother, the same way Dee endeavors to model them for her daughter. My mother was also actively involved in fighting for voting rights and better education for children in our community in Mississippi, so I think it is absolutely essential that the voices and work of Black women like my mom and Dee are recognized and celebrated because they have been the ones to lead this country towards being more just and equal for all.
SARAH, played by Alicia P. M. Nelson
“Nothing will change if we don’t.
It’s time.”
ALICIA: Sarah is similar to me in ways that I don’t want to spoil for audiences who haven’t seen the show yet, but is actually very much my opposite in the things that I think are fundamental beliefs. So I find her to be a bit of a challenge. I get into her character in three primary ways: her voice (her dialect is different from mine), her physical posture, and by literally wearing her shoes. I admire her steadfast loyalty to her family and in that I think we are very similar. I think her particular story arc and perspective in this play are important because she represents a possibility of what could be, despite failing to do it with grace and humility.
ABBY, played by Cate Alston
“Just wish I could sense our future,
Could feel the air change,
‘Cause then I’d know it’ll all be worth it.”
CATE: Abby is an incredibly determined character. Though she recognizes the barriers in her way, societally and personally, she is still determined to achieve her dreams despite it. In the play she says “I want more than that. I need to know that I’m possible. That Abigail Carmichael is possible.” And that resonates with me deeply. I know that I’m possible because of the many Black women before me that have achieved varying levels success AND the barriers that existed then are still present today. Despite that, I know that I’m walking in my purpose and will achieve my dreams. In the simplest of words – Abby wants it all. And so do I.
The main thing I love about Abby is that she’s playful and loves to tease. It’s important to see a character like her on stage because it uplifts and represents Black women in a fresh way. Many pieces of media usually fail to depict the complexities of the Black people but Tori Sampson, a Black woman, portrays the humanness of a character like Abby so well. Tori is able to depict Black playfulness, Black joy, Black fear, Black anger, without it being one-dimensional and I’m so grateful to pull from who I am to fully bring that to life.
WAM Theatre’s production of Cadillac Crew runs October 13-29, 2022 at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, and October 27-27 online. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.