The blurb on this play says it's about a well-off family in Chicago, who adopt a former child-soldier from Uganda: “As the two worlds collide, he is yet again a victim and perpetrator of a war just as damaging as the one he escaped." I believe I saw a different play. Frankly, I saw a much better one.

While the above information on the play is true, it is essentially subplot. The real thrust of the play is the interpersonal relationships between the three main family members, relationships that are just barely holding together when the adopted Ugandan teen is added to the mix. The part of the wife, Pauline, is played brilliantly by veteran actress, singer, and playwright Tracey Conyer Lee. As the play opens on the night of her birthday, post party, we find her flying high on wine, and annoying her husband and daughter. As the play progresses, we learn there is far more bubbling up underneath.

We also learn that her husband, Harvey, played with great talent and thoughtfulness by Lelund Durond, has been dealing with it for years, and is now at the breaking point. Michelle, their college age daughter (played with great energy and stage presence by Carmen LoBue), is desperately trying to find herself and wants to trace her own heritage back to Africa.

To this mix enters Okello, a boy in his late teens who had been captured by the Lord's Resistance Army as a child in Uganda, and forced to become a child soldier. Having suffered years of brutal life experiences and forced to murder countless people, he escapes and makes his way to freedom, fortunate to be adopted by this American family. This fortune he later questions, wondering if he would be better anywhere else. The part of Okello is played to absolute perfection by the very talented Mathew Murumba; his delivery gave every line of dialogue meaning, whether the line was serious, or fall-down-laughing funny.

Funny. Yes. From that original blurb you would assume this was a rather heavy play, and at many moments it was. But the script also contained a never ending supply of humor that at times had the audience rolling in the aisles. It was joyous. The two-act script by Camille Darby was clever, touching, funny, and smart.  At moments, it was very smart. Mostly, it was human and touching. With Christopher Burris' directing bringing the story to life, the characters had dimension, joy, and pain. We cared about the characters. And isn't that what good theater is all about?

The play is part of the “Fire This Time Festival”, so it is a very limited run. Should you miss it, keep an eye out for this talented group in other productions.