*** Recommended Court Theatre’s first production of the fall season, East Texas Hot Links is a difficult play to describe or categorize. Although it has some funny moments, drawing some loud guffaws from the audience, the story ends on a tragic note which definitely drew gasps. It is well acted but it was very difficult to understand the dialect, especially if English is not your first language. 3 Spotlights.
Food is no longer on the menu since Charlesetta Simpkins (AnJi White) inherited the Top of the Hill Café which is deep in the woods of East Texas. Her regulars don’t seem to care, as long as they can come in every night for beer and companionship. They know each other so well they have fun pushing each other’s buttons.
Roy Moore (Kelvin Roston, Jr.) never quits trying to get a kiss, a date, even a rise out of Charlesetta, but she’s just not interested.
Columbus Frye (Alfred H. Wilson) makes a nice living from several rental properties. Adolph (Willie B.), his best friend, is blind. They have opinions on almost everything and they’re glad to share them with everyone else.
Although Columbus rents one of his houses to XL Dancer (Juwan Lockett), who is related to his wife, he doesn’t like or trust him. XL likes to brag about his good standing with his rich, white boss and the fact that the boss trusts him enough to let him use a new truck.
Someone shares a new nickname for a regular, but he’s warned to never let Buckshot hear him say it. In fact, a little later, after Buckshot (Geno Walker), a large, strong man, who obviously works with his hands, does come in, someone uses the nickname and is nearly throttled!
A young man, Delmus Green (David Dowd), keeps coming into the café to use the pay phone, but he never gets an answer. As he’s dialing, everyone stops to watch, as soon as he turns around, they start moving.
Each time he comes in, he drops hints about a great new job, a new girlfriend, and his plans to get out of East Texas. Then Boochie Reed (A.C. Smith), who is known for his visions, sees a dark cloud over Delmus.
When XL learns that his boss has offered Delmus a special job paying $65, he calls his boss to smooth the way, but when the regulars learn the identity of Delmus’ new girlfriend, however, they really get scared. They warn Delmus in no uncertain terms not to take that job because XL’s boss is very involved with the Klan, and several young men who hung around that girl have disappeared recently.
1955, East Texas, African Americans, the Klan … tragedy will surely follow!
East Texas Hot Links runs through September 29th at the Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago. Parking is free in the adjacent garage, exit gate will open ½ hour after curtain. Running time is 90 minutes, no intermission.
Performances are Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 and 7:30 pm. Tickets range from $58-$90. FYI (773) 753-4472 or www.courttheatre.org.