What I liked
I could perhaps write forever about the merits of this play, but it would be a vastly inferior experience than to simply witness it. The writing is remarkable, and the fact that Sydney wrote it herself could not be more evident in how masterfully it is performed. It is laugh-out-loud funny, full of meaning and emotion, and perfectly paced.
I enjoyed the musical aspect of the performance, not for the music itself, but for the energy it seemed to generate in the room. It felt as though the story of the Edwardses could not be told without music, from Sidney’s childhood obsession with rapping to Coletta’s pagentry.
What I didn't like
As I often find with trying to write constructive criticism, I am no critic. There is no one in the world that could have told Sidney’s story the way Sidney told it, so I don’t feel as though I could possibly provide any advice or suggestion.
If there was any element that was disappointing, it was only that the audience was usually laughing so hard that we would miss half of the school intercom announcements, which could not pause for or anticipate our response, being pre-recorded – and were difficult to understand in the first place.
However, even this feels to me exactly like how it felt in school, struggling to hear the intercom over your chattering school friends, so I don’t think I’d change it on a rewatch.
Truly an incredible piece.
My overall impression
To call Ms. Edwards hilarious would both be an understatement and do it a disservice. In the space it leaves you crying from tears, it leaves you crying for real – but it is not a comedy, nor a tragedy. It does not tell jokes, and does not wallow.
It is only funny and sad in the way real life often is, and it is hard to argue that Ms. Edwards is one of the most real possible pieces of theater out there.
Sidney Edwards portrays a half dozen members of her own, real family with stunning attention to detail. Mannerisms, figures of speech, expressions, gait, stance, accents, simple but effective costumes, and especially emotions. Sidney show you how her family have shaped her not just thematically, psychologically, but physically, with her uncanny ability to summon each one to the stage. If you couldn’t see her changing wigs in the foggy darkness between scenes, you might begin to wonder if the actress you’re watching had not been switched out backstage.
Each member is a fascinating character, no doubt exaggerated for the stage, but yet – they all feel like people you’ve met before, and they are no caricatures. The play centers around a younger Sidney interviewing each of her family members for a school project, and as each takes the stage, they command attention in their own ways. Grace (Don’t call her Gracie!) Edwards preens and reminisces, Terry (her mother) fusses over the camera until it runs out of battery, and Coletta eats up the stage with song and dance. Each feels the need to impart some grand lesson on the young girl, hoping she will learn to support her family, love herself, and feel empowered to make a change in the world.
At the end, Sidney sits with the audience to show off the project she’s made, what she’s learned from her family. What follows reveals the true emotional core of the play.
As we see pictures and videos of Sidney’s real family flash on screen, we understand that those lessons she was taught were important, but redundant. These women form the framework of Sidney’s life, and they reflect those lessons in the way they carry themselves, the way they act, the way they love and laugh.
It truly is a blessing for Sidney to share with us the joys and sorrows of her life. This play is a must-watch.
