Nothing is as it seems in Black Cypress Bayou at Definition Theatre.
Written by Kristen Adele Calhoun and directed by Ericka Ratcliff, the play dives into the lives of the women of the Manifolds, a Black family whose reality unravels as a murder mystery forces them to face generational trauma, family dynamics, and historical racial tension in the middle of COVID-19. While this is its Chicago premiere, the play was first produced in 2024 at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Definition Theatre’s production of Black Cypress Bayou, which runs through March 15, is an intriguing ride from start to finish as the play slowly peels back several layers to reveal the secrets of the Manifold family. The story takes several twists and turns, causing the viewers’ expectations to change as they can never get a firm grasp on where the story is headed—much like one of the buzzing mosquitoes in the sound design. The set itself is dreamlike: moss and fern hang from the ceiling with mist swirling through the air, courtesy of a fog machine, and dim lighting.
The scene opens on youngest daughter LadyBird Manifold (Michelle Renee Bester), whose anxiety and irritability grow by the minute as she’s unsure why her mother has suddenly reached out to her for an emergency night fishing trip. Bester fully inhabits LadyBird by showing her high-strung attitude and Type A personality—she continues to readjust her disposable gloves, almost as a nervous tic, and wipes her equipment with Lysol repeatedly as she mutters about COVID guidelines. Throughout the play, Bester makes exaggerated facial expressions and gestures when her character disagrees with someone.
The story picks up the pace once mother Vernita (RjW Mays) enters the scene. In Mays’s hands, Vernita bounces off LadyBird and others with ease, even if Mays stumbles through a few of her lines here and there. Their chemistry is palpable as the two characters bicker about the reasoning for the sudden fishing trip and COVID restrictions—“We’ve gotta stay three feet apart!” LadyBird cries at one point when Vernita attempts to hug her. However, the lighthearted tone shifts into something more sinister once LadyBird notices the blood on her mother’s hands, and the suspicious laundry basket at her feet.
With an audible gasp, LadyBird discovers the head of Clayton Rutherford, the richest man in town, buried at the bottom of Vernita’s laundry basket. The atmosphere continues to grow increasingly ominous while LadyBird panics, peppering Vernita with rapid-fire questions that she has few answers for. The only thing Vernita stands by is that she has nothing to do with the man’s untimely demise. The police, repeatedly referred to as the “death squad,” are out of the question because of the power of the Rutherford name and their deep historical prejudices and trauma inflicted toward the Black community.
The family’s youngest daughter, RaeMeeka (Rita Wicks), hilariously stumbles onto the scene, partially high with a bag of Hot Cheetos in one hand, after LadyBird calls her for help. Wicks’s delivery is charming—her raspy voice and side quips depict her as the comic relief. As the Manifold women continue to argue about what to do next, secrets are revealed left and right, leading to the mysterious arrival of Taysha Hunter (Jyreika Guest).
The play ping-pongs between different tones—from comedy and hijinks to true crime and family drama. The moment when RaeMeeka uncovers the decapitated head is followed by a joke, and then, only a few moments later, the characters dive into the history of racial tension in the town, and the haunted souls of their ancestors. While at times it can be somewhat jarring for the viewer to keep up with these shifts, the script and directing keep the audience engaged.
At one point, the light pans to RaeMeeka, and the actress captivates the viewers as she launches into a fantasy of picking up arms and avenging the unjust deaths of her ancestors. Vernita responds to her daughter’s speech by explaining the power the bayou holds from the blood of their descendants, and the themes of mysticism and spirituality take over the plot. I was quickly reminded of movies like The Skeleton Key and The Gift—as if stories based in the Deep South are, by law, supposed to have some element of the occult. The dialogue does the heavy lifting here as Vernita goes into details about the use of nature to create charms and mystic protections. Overall, the acting and dialogue pack an emotional punch, clearly resonating with the audience as they laugh and applaud.
Calhoun went back to her roots to create a play that follows a Black family forced to face the secrets kept buried for generations. In an interview with Broadway World, Calhoun recounted the inspiration for the play, saying, “What existing power structures must be eradicated for humanity to carry on? And to what degree does our survival depend on things we have forgotten? I wrote Black Cypress Bayou to wrestle with these questions and to celebrate the people and places that made me.”
The energy of the play reverberated even after the curtains fell. Audience members buzzed among themselves, saying how surprised they were at the twists and turns of the production.
“I loved the themes and the characters. They reminded me of people in my own life,” one audience member said.
Black Cypress Bayou is not entirely perfect. There are times when the story feels disjointed, and the pacing of the third act is drawn out. At more than one point, the story seemed as if it was about to end but suddenly, characters would say a line, and the scene continued.
But, in the end, the chemistry of the actors and the different themes pulled the play together. The production was the icing on top—from the set and props to the sound effects and lighting. Viewers are completely immersed into the story, and once the curtains fall and the cast takes a final bow, you’re left blinking back the dazzling experience.
Black Cypress Bayou. Definition Theatre, 1160 E. 55th St. Through March 15. Thursday–Friday, 7:30pm; Saturday–Sunday, 3pm, with additional 7:30pm show on Saturday, March 7. Post-show discussion after performances on March 1 and 8. $29–$45; $15 students. (312) 469-0390. definitiontheatre.org
Sarah Luyengi earned her B.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work has appeared in Borderless Magazine, Third Coast Review, and Common Ground Review. She last interviewed SERES founder Vanessa Arroyo for the Weekly.