The cast of John Doe don’t know they’re in a play about the effects and impacts of death on survivors; they’re all in “just keep living” mode, and, thanks to Angelle Whavers (wise playwright), their experiences form a kind of map of getting through stuff. Her play isn’t quite Act III of Our Town, but loss of people is humanity’s shared event, and the characters who most need some normalization do evolve during the uninterrupted 90 minutes of this ultimately comforting play.
Director Josh Sticklin’s scenic design consists of some of the best projections ever. The trees in the cemetery sway, the brick walls of the coffee shop appear three-dimensional (please notice the punny name of the coffee shop which connects it to another part of the setting; spoiler: see photo), and the wallpaper in Zia’s apartment looks like wallpaper. (duh) But it isn’t: it’s just color and light, as Seurat might sing. And about color and light, Doe is never without his green one (Lighting Design by Niya John)…
Keegan Theatre @ 1742 Church St. NW is a short walk from the Q Street exit of the Dupont Circle Metro station. The pedestrian route has been well-shovelled, but there is nowhere to put a car — that’s where all the snow is piled up. It’s worth the walk to stop thinking about politics for 90 minutes and think about what’s really important — life and its partner, death. Whavers, Sticklin, and the company at Keegan have it surrounded.
