Topdog/Underdog

By Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed by Walter Dallas
Performed in the CFA Studio Theatre

Mesmerizing dialog, tantalizing rhythms and the disturbing use of cultural icons make this Pulitzer Prizing-winning play a absolute “Must See. Brotherly love and hatred take center stage with the sardonically named Lincoln and Booth, siblings trapped in society’s racial and gender pigeonholes. Lincoln, a former con man and Three Card Monte sharp, gave up the card con and now works at a carnival, dressing up in whiteface as Abraham Lincoln, primed for fake assassinations. Booth has taken up his brother’s old vice and is attempting to lure Lincoln back to the street. Both frightening and funny, the unsettling allegory and brilliant wordplay will have you checking your stereotypes and your wallet as you leave the theatre.

Adult situations and language; for mature audiences only.