Tarell Alvin McCraney’s “Choir Boy” explores the spectrum of sound—from silence to collective harmony—and its impact on the human psyche, mixing elements of drama, comedy, and musical into a potent theatrical hybrid refusing to confine itself to a specific genre. The Geffen Playhouse’s production of "Choir Boy," directed by Trip Cullman, boldly steps into these shoes and presents a show not quite like any other, although not straying too far from familiar themes. The greatest strength of the show may be taking what the audience has seen before and turning it on its head, challenging common storytelling conventions with novel combinations of old narratives.

The play follows Pharus Young (Jeremy Pope), a gay teen struggling to make his voice heard at the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys, a highly religious institution for black teens. A member of the school’s choir—a true gem to the parents and faculty of Drew—Pharus dreams of success through singing and works hard to remain a step above the rest. However, a tense relationship with his fellow students and the adults in his life make Pharus constantly feel as if giving his all somehow isn’t giving enough. 

Limiting the play to any of its singular elements—racial tension, homophobia, religious dogma, friendship, adversity, alienation, negligence, generation gaps, music, performance, identity—would omit the true poignancy of the show, which is in the intersections of these themes. Pharus is attacked with both homophobic and racial slurs, despite sharing a racial identity with his classmates. The man who perhaps teaches the students the most about the history of their ancestors is, in fact, an elderly white man. The silence of the show is in the unexpected, in the ambiguous gaps between the known and familiar, where the true exploration occurs.

Music, the opposite of this silence, carries its own weight in the show. Choir harmonies and solos continuously break up the action of the play as characters search their souls for means of expression. The beautiful music direction and vocal arrangement of Jason Michael Webb brings the spiritual into the mundane, breaking down the barriers between the soul and its environment. The music sheds the outer layers of the characters and delivers true, uncorrupted insight into the boys’ hearts. 

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The incredible talent, in both acting and singing, of the choir boys is the driving force of the show. Jeremy Pope, Donovan Mitchell, Nicholas L. Ashe, Grantham Coleman, and Caleb Eberhardt form an ensemble community at odds, where the anxieties and growing pains of adolescence cause rifts in the unity of the choir. Although each actor shines with his own personality and presence onstage, when the time comes to truly merge as an ensemble, the performers are able to do so smoothly while still maintaining their tense character relationships. Headmaster Marrow (Michael A. Shepperd) and Mr. Pendleton (Leonard Kelly-Young) provide excellent contrasts of authority, both with their own challenges in managing the boys. The Headmaster, perhaps slightly misguided, acts as a reprimanding figure who attempts to maintain law and order, while Mr. Pendleton is a hands-off guide struggling to find his own authority over the boys through compassion and wisdom. 

David Zinn’s scenic design was simple and economic, but effective. Through a combination of basic theatrical conventions and some more complicated stage machinery, various settings were conveyed, each with its own personality and environment. 

If there is any particularly noticeable detriment to the show, it is perhaps a lack of confidence in the transition between scenes. Many scene transitions are guided by upbeat background music that, at times, comes so immediately that it steps on the end of the proceeding scene. Moments of poignancy are interrupted by sudden musical transitions, ripping the audience completely out of the moment. Had there been more confidence in these moments’ abilities to hold an audience’s attention, it may have been easier to be invested in the events onstage. While the a cappella music from the performers add emotional depth to the show, the transitional music takes from it.

Overall, the show is a powerful, spiritual meditation on many different themes, which isn’t necessarily overwhelming when one considers the gray areas between the themes at the core of the show. Powerful performances and powerful issues meld together to deliver a unique, nuanced, and refreshing production.

"Choir Boy" is playing through October 26 at the Geffen Playhouse (10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles). Tickets are $39-$79. For more information, please visit www.GeffenPlayhouse.com.

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