BECCA MARTIN-BROWN

bmartin@nwaonline.com

In “Chicken & Biscuits,” now open on the TheatreSquared stage, two rival sisters are trying to bury their father without killing each other first.

“’Chicken & Biscuits’ is a feast of a production, and there is enough sustenance and libation for the entire family,” read Variety’s review. “This play is both a hallelujah and an amen.”

Written by Douglas Lyons and fresh from its 2021 Broadway debut, “Chicken & Biscuits” is funny, but T2 promises it’s “even more satisfying than its namesake.”

“The one thing I’m really excited about this project is diving into the humanity of these characters,” says director Denise Chapman, who last worked at TheatreSquared as the director of Clinnesha D. Sibley’s “Love Be Like” at the 2020 Arkansas New Play Festival. “Comedy has this wonderful way of allowing us to see deeper into the human condition and find those painful places that we might not normally talk about. But since it’s wrapped up in a laugh, we can dive deeper into our shared human experiences in a way that we might be a little more apprehensive about doing in other situations.”

Tameka Bob, from New Orleans, plays Beverly, one of the rival sisters attempting to deal with the family secret revealed at the church altar. She took time from rehearsals to answer these questions for The Free Weekly.

Q. Is this your first experience with T2?

A. This is my first experience with T2. The theater space is beautiful, inviting, and eclectic. This was attractive to me as an artist. I’d also never visited Fayetteville, so here’s to new experiences.

Q. Tell me about your character? How is she like you? And how is she nothing like you?

A. Beverly Jenkins is a fierce auntie and single mother who has lived a full life and is not ashamed to show or tell how she feels. Similar to Beverly, I am an auntie who has endured life’s challenges. However, I am not a mom, and also not as bold and carefree. Also similar to Beverly, I was raised in church; yet I did not have the strong influence of a father. Beverly adores her father, as he was a great influence in her life. Overall, she and I are Black women who share the same faith and resilience.

Q. What do you hope audiences take away with them — a moral of the story, if you will?

A. My wish is that audiences will see themselves and their families in one or more of the characters. Not only will they recognize familiar characteristics, but they can begin the healing process.

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FAQ

‘Chicken & Biscuits’

WHEN — 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, through May 14

WHERE — West Theatre at TheatreSquared in Fayetteville

COST — $20-$54

INFO — 777-7477 or theatre2.org