Denise Lee and Quintin Jones star in Uptown Players’ we are continuous.
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RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Family matters are heavy in playwright Harrison David Rivers’ we are continuous, and those family matters unfold at Uptown Players beginning Friday, Feb. 7.
The drama centers on Simon, who comes to terms with his devout mother, Ora, while tempering the situation with his husband, Abe. Directed by Natalie King, Rivers’ story details the struggles of acceptance and forgiveness through the lens of Black perspectives.
The show runs through Feb. 23 at Theatre Three’s Norma Young Arena Stage.
Actor Quintin Jones (he/him), who plays Simon, says that while he can’t speak for all families, there can be some commonality among the coming out experience.
“In most Black families, there is at least some connection to faith and religion, and when I came out, that was certainly brought up,” Jones said. “Now, growing up, we loosely practiced and could be considered Easter Christians. It certainly wasn’t my parents’ favorite thing though.”
His costar Denise Lee (she/her), however, agrees that while there are the similar experiences, it’s not monolithic.
“While we can have a lot of common experience, there also has to be a true understanding for the individual perspective,” Lee said. “For Ora, she’s a mother faced with choices she hoped she’d never have to make regarding this child she loves and gave birth to.” we are continuous is a heavy show, and as Jones approaches the role, he’s working through the drama with a positive outlook so as to not get emotionally weighed down.
“I’m focusing on gratitude the whole time. I’m able to find moments that Simon is grateful for as well, and if I can focus on those things, I won’t get moored by the heavy stuff,” he said.
“I’m trying to have a healthy separation from the show when I’m not in rehearsals,” Jones added.
But he’s also thrilled by the challenge of we are continuous
“There are so many Black gay men like myself who had this process of coming out, and to explore that has been really exciting,” he said. “The story is written so beautifully. I feel oddly connected to Simon in some ways. We had similar coming out experiences, and he lost a partner as did I. For me, this is an opportunity to honor him as well.
“So yeah,” he continued, “I love Simon. He’s flawed and funny and driven, which I think are all admirable qualities.”
Jones touched on the parallels this show has with his own relationship with his mother. He found similarities but also some realizations.
“I grew up obsessed with my mom. She was my favorite person,” the 34 year-old said. “In coming out, I think things got in between my feelings for her. Then I wanted to pursue theater as a career and that was another thing.
“The show touches on those moments when the rift begins to develop and how both make assumptions about the other person. I feel that,” Jones explained.
For Lee, she can understand Ora’s conflict, but says the conflict wouldn’t exist for her. She’s been a perpetual ally to the local LGBTQ community. In real life, she’s almost the opposite side of the same coin as Ora. Her daughter and Jones are similar in age; she has a strong faith.
But unlike Ora…
“I wouldn’t care how they identified. I would love them no less,” she said. “There’s never been that challenge for me. But in this role, I have to find that conflict and align with my husband’s ideals. But this has its funny moments with very real moments. Ora sounds a lot like my mom. I knew she loved me.”
Jones described working with Lee as exciting. He felt a familiarity with her just in the parallels with her daughter, and he said his mother is close in age to Lee.
But there is also the fact that Lee is a longtime professional, and the honor of sharing the stage with a local icon isn’t lost on Jones.
“It’s funny because she and I have known each other for years, but we never got to work together. Being paired with Dallas royalty is incredible. I feel that maternal energy from her, and, in some ways, the things I get to say to her onstage as Simon feel good, because I can say the things I didn’t know how to say to my own mother.”
If there’s one parallel that Jones doesn’t quite find between the play and real life, it’s in Simon’s marriage to Abe, played by Micah Brooks. Being in a relationship again — even if it is just onstage — could have been a daunting task. But Jones credits King with helping him develop an easy working relationship with Brooks.
“Natalie did a lot of table work with this, and I think, because of that, Micah’s and my relationship worked itself out naturally. Micah’s kind and warm and so present, and, of course, he’s this tall, gorgeous guy. So it’s very easy being married to Micah,” Jones said.
Jones isn’t shy about his hopes for a change in relationship status, suggesting, “Maybe this article can find me a husband!”
But Jones knows what his priorities are, and he is invested at the moment in this show and what it means in the bigger picture of celebrating Black History Month at a time when DEI policies are being stripped away at a rapid pace.
“Getting this opportunity to tell queer Black stories is important right now — this very minute,” he said. “As a queer Black man, I see these shows, and it helps me with introspection.
“We have such a heightened level of fear that we’ll just be erased and that these stories won’t be told,” Jones added. “So, as a Black gay man and actor, it’s important to me that I take these opportunities where I can and put this out in the world.”
For tickets, visit UptownPlayers.org.
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Theater chat
After we are continuous performances on Sundays, throughout the run of the show, Denise Lee will host talkbacks about the show with her organization, Visions for Change, of which she is executive director. The mission of Visions is to create equitable spaces and dynamic programming that disrupt systemic and social biases and to foster a community where diversity is foundational, and all voices are empowered to contribute. Audiences are invited to stay after the show for the talkbacks.
“The show speaks to our mission, and we want to have these conversations where people can come into a safe space and leave stronger or with their minds opened to new ideas,” Lee said.
The organization began in 2016 in response to police shootings of Black citizens. But after a prolonged tenure as “accidental executive director,” Lee was considering dissolving the organization — until recently.
“I’m not in this for anything, and I was just tired of fighting. People had asked me to begin our Community Conversations again, but it was hard,” she said. “Then James Williams gave us this large donation, and, really, I had to take that as a sign that there was more work to be done.”
The organization connects arts with social justice usually through cabaret performances. For Lee, music is a meeting point for everyone. For Uptown Players’ show, Visions for Change connects theater to today’s topics on race, justice and equality.
“We are more separated now than ever, but I think art hits everyone in the room, and we can start there to maybe be respectful and mindful of others,” she said.
For more information, visit VisionsForChange.org.