KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 10, 2024

Raucous, unpredictable comedy explores America’s obsession of self-destruction as entertainment

Kennesaw State University’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) will present Robert O'Hara's “Barbecue” Oct. 1-6 at the Onyx Theater. Hilarious and yet devastating, the play examines the themes of addiction, family dynamics, politics, and fame in a clever way. 

“Barbecue” centers around the O’Mallerys, a dysfunctional group of siblings who come together to stage an emergency intervention for their sister Barbara, whose drug habit has gotten out of hand. However, there are two O’Mallery families, one White and one Black. Each appear in different (yet similar) scenes that juxtapose to create a dialogue about race, family, politics, and the American obsession with realism television. 

“We tend to crave watching people in their demise—shows like ‘Euphoria,’ or ‘Orange is the New Black,’ for example. These are popular shows that end up becoming American classics,” says director and guest artist Damian Lockhart, a TPS alumnus who works professionally in theatre, television, and film in Atlanta. The fully staged production, set in Lynchburg, Ohio, asks the audience to examine their own stereotypes and insecurities while watching the families go through their own turmoil of how to get their sisters to go to rehab. 

The intervention is not done with a professional, but rather, is inspired by the TV show of the same name. “The play asks, ‘what is true, and what is not true?’ How often do we tell each other lies to keep face? There are some heavy themes, but it’s still hilarious,” says Lockhart. “It’s coated-on comedy sugar.” 

“A lot of theatre that addresses tough issues is heavy and hard to watch, but ‘Barbecue’ is easy to watch. Damian is great at directing comedy; he understands wit and comic timing as well as the sharpness that comedy needs,” says Amanda Wansa Morgan, TPS Artistic Director and Associate Professor. 

Lockhart adds that O’Hara wants the actors “to showcase that we are all screwed up in some way. Everyone, in a sense, needs their own intervention. We all have something that we deal with—yet we still judge others” for their flaws. The playwright asks the audience to examine their own stereotypes and insecurities, even while intently—sometimes gleefully—watching the turmoil of the O’Mallery families. 

To unpack all these different things within the play, the TPS dramaturgical team, led by Assistant Professor of Theatre and Resident Dramaturg Dr. Thomas Fish, presented their research behind “Barbecue” to the ten actors. During rehearsal, representatives of KSU’s Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery shared information on addiction, intervention, and recovery. 

“At TPS, students are encouraged to be scholar artists, so the actors look at work from the inside out. They bring their own perspectives, but also have tough conversations with each other,” says Lockhart. He hopes it will help the actors understand what the audiences may experience. 

Morgan believes there may be some humanity found at the core of all these things. “With the [country’s] divisiveness and approaching election, it’s so important to find common ground with each other, especially in our struggles. The scenes [in the play] are divided by race, but the two families have a lot in common in their struggles,” she says. 

“No one wants to feel terrible, so we laugh. We use humor to digest tough things, to get through the hard times. Sometimes, we laugh to keep from crying,” adds Lockhart. 

“Barbecue” runs Oct. 1-6 at the Onyx Theater on the Kennesaw campus; tickets are available online or by calling 470-578-6650. Learn more about the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. 

Check out the "Barbecue" costume sketches by Nicole Clockel, below: 

--Kathie Beckett