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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Fremont Ave. Also see Susan's review of The Inheritance, Part Two
The play follows three generations of a Black family living in a Southern California suburb, beginning in 1968 and shifting to the 1990s and ultimately the 2020s. Bradley Gibson gives a thoughtful performance in which he plays three different but related roles and, with the assistance of Brown's nuanced direction (as well as LaShawn Melton's wig and hair design), makes each of them unique. In 1968, Gibson is George Plique, a music therapist who works at a hospital and meets Audrey (Jerrika Hinton) when she applies to become his housekeeper. After matters become personal, she and George raise Robert (Gibson), the child of her first marriage, and even later support grandson Joseph (Gibson again). White covers a lot of historical and political ground without becoming preachy, touching on everything from Clarence Thomas joining the U.S. Supreme Court to the Rodney King verdict and subsequent unrest, while also incorporating the growing normalization of Black gay culture. That sounds like a lot for one script to handle, but the playwright never pushes too hard and leans on humor and absurdity. (The card game Spades becomes a major issue in Acts 2 and 3.) The main theme of Fremont Ave. is the importance of family. All three acts (with a single intermission after Act 2) are set in the same single-level house, which scenic designer Tim Mackabee uses as a canvas to show how individual details may change over time but the basics–especially the upright piano where George plays and composes–remain the same. Hinton seizes focus whenever she appears: a woman who knows what she wants, who becomes a family legend in her own lifetime. Speaking of legends, the final scene features Washington favorite Doug Brown as the older George and noted New York and D.C. actor Kevin Mambo as the older Robert. And, as one might expect, the family circle expands to include Robert's boisterous friends, Frank (Wildlin Pierrevil), Tony (Jeffrey Rashad), and Tony (Stanley Andrew Jackson), and ultimately Joseph's life partner Damon (Galen J. Williams). Costume designer Jos N. Banks has created signature, authentic-looking styles for each character in each scene, most notably in the 1990s scene with its message T-shirts and an amusing use of an Obama shirt in the 2020s. Kathy A. Perkins' lighting design echoes the general warmth of the locale, with exterior windows sometimes showcasing vivid skies of plum, pink, and pale blue. And Andre Pluess' original music and sound design plays up the importance of music to this family. Fremont Ave. runs through November 23, 2025, at Arena Stage, Kreeger Theater, Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW, Washington DC. For tickets and information, please call 202-488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org. By Reggie D. White Cast: |
