Family secrets come to light in comedic and dramatic ways in Broadway’s GLAAD-nominated Chicken & Biscuits, on the Dock Street Theatre stage from Jan. 24 through Feb. 11.
Theater company Charleston Stage presents the show, written by Douglas Lyons, which features heartfelt themes alongside funny dialogue. The story takes place at a Black funeral after the Jenkins family loses its patriarch.
“He was a pastor, and so at his funeral, some family secrets start to come out that were not spoken about when he was alive,” said the show’s director, Crystin Gilmore. “I feel like every family has some secrets, and so it’ll be very relatable to a lot of people.”
The Jenkins are the first family of their African-American church, who, Gilmore said, believe in God, family and keeping skeletons (and relatives) in the closet. The show follows over-the-top characters as they attempt to eulogize the family patriarch and avoid a full-out family brawl.
Gilmore is a former resident actor for Charleston Stage, (credits include Alberta “Pearl” Johnson in Black Pearl Sings!, Mrs. Ruby Cornwell in The Seat of Justice, Rosie in Mamma Mia!, and Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray) and last season, she stepped into a new role as director of the musical Once on This Island.
Chicken & Biscuits is Gilmore’s first foray in directing a comedy or, as she prefers to call it, “a dramedy,” but she’s no stranger to finding the truth within humor from her many years on the stage.
“The thing I love about comedy, if you do it right, is that you don’t play for the jokes,” she said. “You just tell the truth. And sometimes the truth is funny, and sometimes the truth is gut wrenching. To me, comedy is about this throughline of honesty.”
And so, in this modern comedy about good old-fashioned family drama, the audience can expect to find deeper themes of healing, forgiveness and compassion between laughs.
“It’s 90 minutes of love, laughter, acceptance and less judgment,” Gilmore said. “My goal is when you see that family on stage, which may not look like you, you realize they have characteristics similar to people you know. Or some of those characteristics may be you — if you’re the judgmental person, work on that. If you are seeing that character as reminding you of say, your mother, you can find grace for her as to why she became that way.
“My goal is that people walk away with more grace for others, more acceptance, less judgment and a good guttural laugh. Because laughter is medicine.”
Gilmore added that she hopes theatergoers will take a chance on a title they might not have heard of with Chicken & Biscuits, a show whose Broadway run was cut short by Covid.
This production is recommended for individuals aged 14 and older. Tickets start at $42.50 and are available at charlestonstage.com. Charleston Stage also offers a pay-as-you-please performance at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24.
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