South Camden Theatre Company presents Colman Domingo’s Dot

Dot got its world premiere at People’s Light in 2019, directed by Domingo, who garnered historic Oscar nominations for his starring roles in Rustin and Sing Sing, among many other notable performances. Zuhaira McGill acted in the Malvern premiere and now directs Dot in Camden, bringing intimate familiarity with the play. Her masterful vision connects every element, creating a seamless, powerful theatrical statement.

Intimacy and tension

The show begins with Shelly (Tasha Holmes), the eldest child of the Shealy family, who shoulders the bulk of caring for her mother while balancing her own personal and professional issues as a mother and attorney. Shelly wails that her mom is “here but not here at the same time” to her childhood friend Jackie (Alli Smalley) over watermelon vodka. Stressed by this burden, she rallies the assistance of her other siblings Donnie (Malik Muhammad) and Avirie (Janan Ashton) as they return home to celebrate the holiday. Holmes excels, realistically portraying an overextended daughter, and Smalley is just as remarkable as the lovesick Jackie.

Next, the audience meets the titular Dotty (Nancy Marie). Illustrating the ravages of Alzheimer’s, Dotty moves from moments of impressive recall with decades-old memories to fogginess about things that happened only moments before. Marie brings fierce intensity to the role, heightened by the intimate proscenium at SCTC’s Waterfront South Theatre, where the first row is about two feet from the stage edge. From my seat, Dotty’s tension was more than palpable.

Drama and levity

While the lead performances anchor the show, the versatile supporting cast navigates both high drama and levity effectively. Muhammad shines as Dotty’s struggling freelance music critic son Donnie, while Christopher David Roche’s portrayal of Avirie’s husband, Adam, is an equal blend of grit and tenderness. His dance with Dotty is one of the more poignant moments in the show. Elsewhere, Bastion Carboni is effective as Fidel, injecting a necessary glimpse into the realities of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s while attempting to find his own way in America.

Although Dot follows a family coping with the unfunny business of tending to their rapidly declining matriarch, the show is peppered with an array of laughs. Dotty’s vivid impressions of her son’s marital life, Jackie’s quiet yearning for her married ex-flame, Donnie, and Fidel’s attempts at connection in an unfamiliar land are some of the more humorous moments of the show. Ashton’s performance is a comedic standout. Her spunk and energy infuse some of the more heart-wrenching scenes with a dose of laughter. Domingo expertly blends the right amount of jokes throughout the show, tempering the intensity of the family’s crisis.

Tenderness and laughs

Echoing the authentic moments of a family in disarray during Christmastime, scenic designer Robert Bingaman keeps the stage decidedly realistic. Audiences see the Shealy home—living room, dining room, and kitchen—decked out in holiday splendor. Monogrammed felt stockings and evergreen garland adorn the walls while a merry green wreath and cherry-red poinsettias add even more festive flair. The charming Christmas tree nestled near the corner of the stage is a joyful standout. Though the stage is more than busy, scene after scene, the ensemble effortlessly moves throughout the space.

The music, helmed by sound designer Jairous L. Parker, Sr., brilliantly evokes the Christmas spirit as the audience enters and throughout the show, with an array of classic holiday tunes that assist in seamless scene transitions. Nat King Cole's “The Christmas Song” provides an effective backdrop for a pivotal moment in Dotty’s journey, adding poignancy which dialogue alone could not convey. Skilled lighting design by Hunter A. Mountz includes a disco ball during this moment, creating a vibrant and dazzling visual display of light in all directions.

I appreciate SCTC’s resolute effort to mount a holiday show that is far from the typical fare. It feels festive and lively while showcasing a family tackling a set of grave and solemn circumstances. Come for the heartfelt tenderness, but enjoy the laughs along the way.