by William Crum
“Echoes of Octavia,” a play that was written by the legendary Michelle T. Johnson, a resident of Wyandotte County, is a huge success.
Michelle has written a number of plays, however, this is her best play ever. Her talents are truly superior. This compelling story is about a young lady by the name of Zora, played by Aishah Harvey, who has to make a very critical decision in her life.
As the story unfolds, the audience finds out that Octavia was Zora’s mother, who died from cancer. Zora is faced with the decision to stay with the family restaurant or to accept a scholarship to Stanford University to do research. This decision is faced with the help of her father Roscoe, played by Granville T. O’Neal, a retired Kansas City, Kan., firefighter. It is one of his best roles ever.
Milo, Zora’s boyfriend, was played by Petey McGee. Other roles include Nelly, played by Sherri Roulette-Mosley; Jessie, a young waitress, played by Alisha Espinosa; and Professor Lane, played by Donovan McClendon.
Zora is faced with a major decision in her life, whether she should go and leave the family business which is highly successful or pursue her true dream of doing research at Stanford University in California. Professor Lane informs Zora that she would get a scholarship to do the research; however, she is torn with the decision whether to stay with the family restaurant business or go to Stanford.
All of the actors did a fantastic job telling this heartwarming story; they knew their characters very well.
At the end of the play the decision has been made, with the help of her stepmother Nelly and her father Roscoe. Jessie, the server, and Professor Lane, college mentor, also help.
The acting in “Echoes of Octavia” is superior, and the technical support team also did a great job. It is a well-written play that you will want to see. The set design and lighting also were done well.
The director, Harvey Williams, did a fantastic job with the assistance of Wyandotte County resident, Lynn King, assistant director, who many know from her performances and direction of plays in the Kansas City area. She is also a middle school theater instructor at Pembroke High School.
I tip my hat to Michelle T. Johnson who wrote the play, to Harvey Williams and Lynn King, who directed the play, to the cast and the production staff as well.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Just Off-Broadway Theater, at 3051 Central, in Kansas City, Mo. The show runs through Aug. 24. For ticket information, call 816-226-8087 or go to the website www.kcmeltingpot.com.