The script doesn’toften reach beyond the most obvious older-woman/younger-man scenarios. But DebrahNeal is charming as Jo Billie Massey, a hospital administrator whopainstakingly designs a non-marital relationship between herself and a janitorat the hospital. And Diana Patterson is enjoyable as a woman who offers ayounger man a deeper intellectual connection than he would receive from ayounger woman.
Director WillieAbney does an impressive job of making these two stories interesting, though Sassy Mamas is at its best with thestory of Wilhemina. Equity actress Marvette Knight plays a White House cabinetmember who falls for a younger man named Wes (Jason Townes), who happens to bea journalist. The difficulties of a burgeoning romance between an older womanand a younger man are further complicated by their positions in the machineryof Washington, D.C., and careers that sometimes force themto leave town (or even the country) on very short notice. The complexity ofWilhemina and Wes’ relationship, aided by the chemistry between Knight andTownes, is captivating enough to carry the play. If the other two stories hadbeen as solid, Sassy Mamas would beeven more satisfying.
Hansberry-Sands’production of Sassy Mamas runsthrough May 16 at the Marcus Center for the PerformingArts.
