"Cause Play," written by Eastern Michigan Alumni Shavonne Coleman and directed by Randy M. Stewart, was full of life.
The Eastern Michigan Theatre department presented this play on April 3 and it ran through April 6. The school matinee performance was on April 8 at 10:15 am. This show had an accessible performance with ASL Shadow Sign Interpretation by Stage Hands, LLC.
This play, set in 1996 in Detroit, explores three middle schoolers who discover they have superpowers. They attend Southwest Academy Magnet Middle School. Students Zuvi, Zipper, and Aaron join a Cosplay Club in which they create costumes. When they put on these costumes, their superpowers come alive. These experiences help them grow into new friendships and face their fears.
The stage background was colorful and brought together the storyline's setting. It adequately captured the audience's eyes as the play began. The students' cosplay costumes were as expected by middle schoolers; they revealed each character's personality.
The character Zuvi (Haevin Holman) is a talented artist who creates her costume with vibrant colors. Her superpower was painting an object that could be a box, capturing someone as an example. This power suited her well. Holman’s acting was beautifully done; it was this anxious middle schooler who could be full of excitement at times. She perfectly portrayed this character's emotions and revealed her feelings of growing out of old friendships.
Zipper (Nailah Bolden) was the most entertaining character, full of happiness and humor. Bolden portrayed Zipper amazingly; she brought laughter from the audience. She had this brave emotion of her character and also lightened the mood when things became intense. She was a middle schooler who was discovering herself.
Aaron (Saif Elsherif) is the boy in their group who is afraid of looking weak in front of the other boys in his class. But Elsherif portrayed his emotions well, showing that every friend matters. He did not care that the other boys were making fun of him; he continued to do what he loved with his friends. He was the protector of the group and was healing from his grief of losing his father. There was one scene where he spoke Spanish, bringing out his character's cultural aspect.
The teacher in the play, Mrs. Kotter (Myranda Wiggins), was hilarious. She was a strict teacher, but yelling at the students made the audience laugh. Wiggins portrayed the teacher well, with authority and inspiration for the students. She helped the students discover their dreams and passions.
EMU Theatre's "Cause Play" was an entertaining play that the students portrayed perfectly. Shovanne Coleman was there during a performance, and she had this light in her eyes, full of happiness, that these students presented in her play. This was a beautiful moment to watch.
Mariam Fakhreddine is a film and theater reviewer for The Eastern Echo. She has worked as a news and features reporter for The Echo for two years.
