Production: What My Husband Doesn’t Know
Playwright: David E. Talbert
Theater: Paramount Theater
City: Oakland, CA
Date and Time Seen: 11/19/2011 3pm
I FINALLY got to see a live David E. Talbert stage play! So exciting.
Synopsis: Play opens inside the Pastor’s office where Lina (Michelle Williams) makes a confession to the Pastor that she had an affair and that she killed the person that she had the affair with. From there it flashes back to beginning that focuses on the relationship between Franklin and Lina. He’s a very successful business man (he’s a contractor) who’s always busy. She is about to turn 40 and not fulfilled sexually by Franklin, as well as frustrated because he’s always gone because of work – even to the point of missing her birthday party. Enter, Paul the Plumber. Franklin hires Paul (Morris Chestnut) to work on their plumbing. A hysterical scene develops when Lina’s BFF sees Paul. Anyways, because of Franklin’s no show at Lina’s bday party, Paul seduces her for which she takes the bait and they go make boom boom to close Act 1.
Act 2 opens up with a new and fulfilled Lina expecting to see Paul again, but is instead interrupted by her Mom. Her mom wonders why Lina is so giddy, and that’s when Paul enters and she suspects the affair. Her mom reflects on a story of when she was younger and how she had an affair with a person who lived across the street from her but she quickly ended it – what she suggested Lina to do with Paul. Lina, taking her mom’s advice, tells Paul it has to end. This is where the play gets turned on its ear. Paul doesn’t take too kindly with that news. He starts to call her all the time. When Franklin eventually returns from his business trip, Paul breaks in and almost blows it for Lina. He has fallen in love with Lina while she still loves her husband. When she tells her BFF about the situation, she tells Lina that Paul needs to die. Lina dismisses it, but later Paul returns and this time has a plan for them to be together – he’s going to shoot Franklin. A struggle ensues, we hear a gunshot, and we go back to the Pastor’s office where Lina is finished confessing everything him. The Pastor has something to confess too – Paul wasn’t dead… yet. And not only that, it turns out that Lina is the love child of him and his mother. He was the one who lived across the street. Knowing this info, on the night of the shooting, he went to see Lina but she was gone and that’s when he saw Paul emerge from the house all bloody. As Paul put his gun up to shoot the Pastor, Paul is shot from behind by Moonie Wilkilson, the person who rents out their guest house. The play ends with Franklin telling Lina that he’s hired other people to take care of his business so he can take care of his wife. The End.
Thoughts:
I was very excited to see this play for the major reason to feel how the audience reacts… and the most surprising thing was being surprised by MY REACTION!
– The musical interludes between set changes were really nicely done. I just wished that the drums weren’t so loud. And I’m not saying that to sound old, I’m saying it because it drowned up the lyrics sung by AMAZING singers.
– I liked how the playwright introduced the characters in Act I. Not too expositional and very well crafted. I liked how each of the character’s names were introduced. Not said too much, but enough for the audience to remember the names as the play progressed. Also, well done in letting the audience know how all the characters are related.
– Moody Willkillson. Unfortunately, I was very filled with… well, isn’t he a random character. He was only used to set up an “eh” ending. His enunciation of words would’ve helped.
– Just me, I didn’t like the message: it’s okay to cheat on your spouse if you realize that it was wrong. I hope that I got that wrong. But maybe because that’s how I read the ending, maybe it just wasn’t clear enough for me. Did Franklin know that Lena had an affair? How did he know?
– I didn’t like the reveal that the Pastor’s daughter is from a past affair. That reveal just lent to the overall message of “it’s okay to have an affair”.
– It was odd that the couple has a daughter, but we never see her.
– I loved the turn of Paul’s character. Instead of knowing that he’s the “other” person and staying away, he tries to come closer to her… and turns out that he doesn’t want to let go. I loved the scene when Lena and Franklin just got home and Paul came out of the laundry room. CREEPY! Just to hear the audience react the same way was gold!
– Lena’s BFF was hilarious!