Theater review: If By Chance

by Shawn Williams of Dallas South

Editor's note: This review was written by Kristin from Because I Said So.

The cast of If By Chance.

Playwright Donnie Wilson has been “directly inspired by our society’s preoccupation with Barack Obama’s ethnicity”. If By Chance is his outstanding play which depicts many undercurrents of racial inadequacy punctuated with bursts of humor. Mr. Wilson was able to balance his play with levity while administering the heavy and precarious topic of racial identification in our society.

The play tackled numerous facets of race in America, and chronicled the psychological journey of biracial man in his search for his identity. Chance (portrayed by lead actor Cameron Law) is a tormented individual overwhelmed with his biracial ambiguity.

Mr. Wilson in his first social lesson illustrates how influential and at times detrimental parents can be in shaping the lives of their children. Chance’s mother (Lisa B. Whitefield) lived a tortured childhood in which her Blackness was always pitted against a dominating White America. She passes her racial inadequacy onto her son who struggles to accept his Black heritage while openly embracing his White heritage.

Truth (lead actress Perri Camper) gave a phenomenal performance of a young bombastic, arrogant and confident college student. Truth plays a vocal character outspoken for civil injustices raised in a healthy household, yet still unaware of how to communicate her frustration in a manner that is constructive.

Wilson’s play pokes holes and exposes a range of flawed thinking regarding race held in America and particularly the black community. I found bits of my personality in the characters of Chance and Truth and nothing is as sobering or informative as seeing parts of yourself portrayed in the words and actions of others. I encourage the Dallas South Family to plan a “Play Night” then comeback to Dallas South and share your own review of If By Chance.