THE FINAL PRODUCTION OF OUR

20TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

OF LOVE

DOT

By Coleman Domingo

Directed by Zuhairah McGill

On Stage November

7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23

Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM | Sundays at 2:00 PM

Memory is a funny thing!

The holidays are always a wild family affair at the Shealy household. But this year, Dotty and her three grown children gather with more than exchanging presents on their minds. As Dotty struggles to hold on to her memory, her children must fight to balance caring for their mother with caring for themselves. This twisted and hilarious play grapples unflinchingly with aging parents, midlife crises, and the heart of a West Philly neighborhood.

CLICK HERE TO MEET THE CAST, THE CREW, AND TO LEARN MORE

“A thoroughly entertaining comedy-drama! […] An impressive advance for Colman Domingo.”

— The New York Times

A touching play by a notable Philly-born actor

South Camden Theatre Company presents Colman Domingo’s Dot

Acclaimed actor Colman Domingo, a Philly native and Temple alum, proves his skill as a writer with Dot, now onstage at South Camden Theatre Company (SCTC). Domingo’s play follows a West Philadelphia family’s attempt to navigate the stresses of the holiday season on top of their matriarch’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Dot got its world premiere at People’s Light in 2019, directed by Domingo, who garnered historic Oscar nominations for his starring roles in Rustin and Sing Sing, among many other notable performances. Zuhaira McGill acted in the Malvern premiere and now directs Dot in Camden, bringing intimate familiarity with the play. Her masterful vision connects every element, creating a seamless, powerful theatrical statement.

Intimacy and tension

The show begins with Shelly (Tasha Holmes), the eldest child of the Shealy family, who shoulders the bulk of caring for her mother while balancing her own personal and professional issues as a mother and attorney. Shelly wails that her mom is “here but not here at the same time” to her childhood friend Jackie (Alli Smalley) over watermelon vodka. Stressed by this burden, she rallies the assistance of her other siblings Donnie (Malik Muhammad) and Avirie (Janan Ashton) as they return home to celebrate the holiday. Holmes excels, realistically portraying an overextended daughter, and Smalley is just as remarkable as the lovesick Jackie.

Next, the audience meets the titular Dotty (Nancy Marie). Illustrating the ravages of Alzheimer’s, Dotty moves from moments of impressive recall with decades-old memories to fogginess about things that happened only moments before. Marie brings fierce intensity to the role, heightened by the intimate proscenium at SCTC’s Waterfront South Theatre, where the first row is about two feet from the stage edge. From my seat, Dotty’s tension was more than palpable.

Drama and levity

While the lead performances anchor the show, the versatile supporting cast navigates both high drama and levity effectively. Muhammad shines as Dotty’s struggling freelance music critic son Donnie, while Christopher David Roche’s portrayal of Donnie’s husband, Adam, is an equal blend of grit and tenderness. His dance with Dotty is one of the more poignant moments in the show. Elsewhere, Bastion Carboni is effective as Fidel, injecting a necessary glimpse into the realities of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s while attempting to find his own way in America.

Although Dot follows a family coping with the unfunny business of tending to their rapidly declining matriarch, the show is peppered with an array of laughs. Dotty’s vivid impressions of her son’s marital life, Jackie’s quiet yearning for her married ex-flame, Donnie, and Fidel’s attempts at connection in an unfamiliar land are some of the more humorous moments of the show. Ashton’s performance is a comedic standout. Her spunk and energy infuse some of the more heart-wrenching scenes with a dose of laughter. Domingo expertly blends the right amount of jokes throughout the show, tempering the intensity of the family’s crisis.

Tenderness and laughs

Echoing the authentic moments of a family in disarray during Christmastime, scenic designer Robert Bingaman keeps the stage decidedly realistic. Audiences see the Shealy home—living room, dining room, and kitchen—decked out in holiday splendor. Monogrammed felt stockings and evergreen garland adorn the walls while a merry green wreath and cherry-red poinsettias add even more festive flair. The charming Christmas tree nestled near the corner of the stage is a joyful standout. Though the stage is more than busy, scene after scene, the ensemble effortlessly moves throughout the space.

The music, helmed by sound designer Jairous L. Parker, Sr., brilliantly evokes the Christmas spirit as the audience enters and throughout the show, with an array of classic holiday tunes that assist in seamless scene transitions. Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” provides an effective backdrop for a pivotal moment in Dotty’s journey, adding poignancy which dialogue alone could not convey. Skilled lighting design by Hunter A. Mountz includes a disco ball during this moment, creating a vibrant and dazzling visual display of light in all directions.

I appreciate SCTC’s resolute effort to mount a holiday show that is far from the typical fare. It feels festive and lively while showcasing a family tackling a set of grave and solemn circumstances. Come for the heartfelt tenderness, but enjoy the laughs along the way.

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The Waterfront South Theatre, located just a block west of Broadway and Ferry Avenues in Camden’s historic Waterfront South neighborhood, is the first free-standing theatre built in Camden, New Jersey, in more than 100 years. This gorgeous state-of-the-art theater was designed to be reminiscent of Walt’s Cafe, the bar that once stood on this corner until 1967. Thanks to the Heart of Camden, The Domenica Foundation, Ignarri Lummis Architects, and others, this grand space has been home to South Camden Theatre Company since the fall of 2010. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT USING THE WATERFRONT SOUTH THEATRE!

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