Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Topdog/Underdog: Or How I Learned To Stop Fighting and Love My Brother 

Going to the theater is magical.  Now, I love going to the movies more than just about anything, but there is something wonderful and special about a live performance.

I saw the Jobsite Theater’s presentation of Topdog/Underdog this past weekend at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.  The Shimberg Playhouse was the perfect theater for this intimate two-man show.  This is the story of two African-American brothers who struggle with life, finances, women, family history and sibling rivalry.

Thought-provoking and sometimes shocking, Topdog/Underdog also gives a few laughs along the way.  During the intermission, the gentleman sitting next to me asked me if I was enjoying the play, because he had looked over at me several times and didn’t see many facial expressions or hear me laughing. I told him that I’m not really a laugh-out-loud kind of person and that I had been chuckling on the inside.  I really wanted to ask him why he was watching me instead of the play and to tell him that his singing along with the intermission music was annoying, but I chose to be polite and keep my mouth shut.

The ending of Topdog/Underdog didn’t come as a surprise to me, because the heavy foreshadowing began in the middle of Act One.  Actors Derek Lance Jefferson and “ranney” did a wonderful job making these troubled characters come to life.  Whether you liked or disliked the brothers and their actions, you understood their inner turmoil and sympathized with their struggles.

Topdog/Underdog runs through February 12.  Visit http://jobsitetheater.org for more information.  The program states that this show contains adult language and content, and boy, do they mean it.  Find a babysitter for the kids and go see this play with other adults.  Or go by yourself, as I did.  Either way, catch Topdog/Underdog if you can.