Uncle Tom's Cabin

cast of Uncle Tom's Cabin

EgoPo Classic Theater Company, located in Plays and Players Theater at 17^th and Delancey Streets, Philadelphia, is presenting a unique and electrifying rendition of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin through June 9.  From the opening moments of this production, the audiences is totally involved with the actors, witnessing frequent flashes of light and stop-and- go movements of the people on stage.  Although the story of slavery told in Uncle Tom’s Cabin is well known, EgoPo has made the intriguing decision to racially reverse the cast.  The result is spellbinding.  Hearing racial epitaphs spouted out of Black actors mouths may be unnerving at first as well as the subservience of the white cast members to their ”massahs”, but the show is so well performed, that the story-line becomes the important character, rather than the actors, as is the intent. That having been said, Ed Swidey makes a marvelous Tom and Langston Darby an extraordinarily credible Simon Legree. Newcomer Nia Ali is such a poised and perfect Eva, it is difficult to believe that she is only a sophomore theatre major.  I know we will be seeing her in many more theatrical productions in the future. An excellent performance is also given by Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez who portrays both a young slave boy and Topsy.  You can’t afford to dawdle to get tickets for EgoPo’s outstanding performance of the year.  For more information or tickets, call 267-273-1414 or visit online at www.egopo.org.