CRITIC’S PICK: “...Douglas’s writing sometimes pales in comparison, lacking the same polish and panache. And there are some missed notes: ‘(pray)’ feels more anchored within the distant and recent past, lacking firmer context in the present, and despite the production’s inclusive language around gender, queerness is only occasionally alluded to.”
Read more

“It’s important to acknowledge my distance from this material–I recognize that, as a white person, I am an outsider in this space and it was not made with me in mind. Several Black women in the audience around me were moved to tears. Though I had some struggles with the material, I’m happy that ‘(pray)’ can be an emotionally rewarding and cathartic experience for many.”
Read more

"Aided by the jazzy, insinuating music by Busby and JJJJJerome Ellis and some rafter-rattling voices, an explosively joyous atmosphere is cut with more melancholy notes...If (pray) isn't an unalloyed success, it is an original that comes with plenty of crowd-pleasing features and shines a striking light on where some Black theatre artists are headed next."
Read more

douglas’ church is almost utopian in its design in that it welcomes all with no judgment…even the “mixed company” of whites present at the service who might be startled by how genuinely euphoric the service is. Her choreography, like her direction, is empowered by a true spirit of celebration, reminiscent of the great Alvin Ailey masterwork, "Revelations."
Read more

[the creator] wants to make a point about Black women’s search for spirituality in an America hostile to their well-being…. But the ambiguous injection of a (political?) point into what’s promised as a spiritual experience doesn’t completely work, undermining what is most satisfying about “(pray.)”... It’s beautifully costumed, gorgeously lit, energetically performed by a talented ensemble. A highlight is the original music by S T A R R Busby
Read more