From Turning Off the Morning News to Gloria, the Chula Vista-based theatre company brings the San Diego premiere of Bruce Graham’s White Guy on the Bus. A no-holds-barred examination of white privilege, racial injustice, and the deeply flawed American system.
Roz (DeNae Steele) is a teacher in a disadvantaged school district in Philadelphia. She is married to Ray (Steve Schmitz), who made his fortune through his work in finance. They do not have children, but they took Christopher (Geoffrey Geissinger) under their wing since he was little, as he was their neighbor and his parents traveled constantly. Christopher is working on his doctorate, focusing on the portrayal of black men in advertising for his dissertation. He is married to Molly (Greta Chan), who is a teacher at a private school. Shatique (Taylor Ashley) takes the bus every day to her job and school, and she coincidentally meets Ray during the route. What seems like an innocuous encounter escalates beyond all bounds, fueled by anger and a thirst for revenge. Teri Brown’s costumes are fun and fitting for the women in the cast, with colorful dresses as well as Shatique’s pink scrubs. For the men, the pieces are stylish, ranging from business to casual attire.
Duane McGregor’s stripped-down set design is divided into four sections involving the homes of each couple, two bus seats, and Shatique’s apartment. Ginger Chody’s lighting gives each section its own space and breath, so both actors and audience can navigate. Jaden Guerrero’s sound carries the intensity of the dialogues while harmonizing with ambient sounds or background that involve music, sound effects, and, I believe, a cameo as one of Shatique’s neighbors.
Charles Peters directs the piece with a clear connection between the four sections of the design, framing each scene with various movements from the cast as they move through the stage for each sequence, having some intersections. Within the plot, each character is going through their struggle. Geoffrey Geissinger embodies the thirst and hope for a definitive move in his career by exposing mega-conscious, intentional bias in the marketing industry. At the same time, Greta Chan fuels Molly’s naivety and, yes, privilege, crossed with a newfound love that brings legitimate concerns. DeNae Steele is spot on as Roz, who, while having good, sincere intentions, struggles to overcome her self-doubt and navigate the spaces she works in. And here is where a series of brain-twisters, head-spinners are put in by the playwright, who, at the same time, I believe is questioning it all: the privilege, the injustice, and the flawed system. Steve Schmitz and Taylor Ashley have powerful, charged, and chillingly intense exchanges. Schmitz is the only actor who interacts with the whole cast, and Ashley only interacts with Schmitz, delivering strong, truthful lines that go to the core.
This play is not for the faint of heart, but it is painfully necessary. Now more than ever.
Currently playing until June 22. The Stage manager for this play is Jenn Peters. For more information, please click Here.
