Review of ‘40 Acres and a POW’

40 Acres and a POW," Woody Eney's new play that debuted at Sycamore Rouge on Friday, is an imperfect play with many perfect moments. Cus, an African-American farmer, reluctantly accepts a German prisoner of war as a farmhand on the 40 acres of hardscrabble he inherited from his father. Then, in a moment of dawning realization, he privately revels at the irony of having a white man work for him.

The time is 1943. The place is eastern Virginia. The story is based on fact: Near the end of World War II, thousands of German prisoners of war were detained in camps in the U.S., some of them in Virginia.

While it is in many ways simplistic, Eney's story -- which is more of a heartwarming narrative than it is a stark documentary -- unfolds in a way that skillfully balances endearing characters with harsh realities, all seasoned with inglorious bits of history that many would rather not remember. A pleasant surprise is the amount of natural, spontaneous laughter that is generated by this potentially combustible juxtaposition of circumstances.

While Cus, played with intensity by Isaiah Entzminger, relishes this racial turnabout, he is also mindful of the potential consequences of upsetting the racial status quo. Tarslile, the town's postmaster, sheriff, and storekeeper, among other jobs, reminds Cus and his wife, Cassandre, of their place in pre-civil rights America.

Glenn Leftwich's portrayal of Tarslile ranges from Southern caricature to well-meaning bigot. Like others, Leftwich's and Entzminger's characters become more complex with time. As Cassandre, Shalandis Wheeler Smith plays the farm wife as a humble but smooth-talking manipulator who uses honeyed words to control the men in her life. She is at the end a surprisingly strong and vocal defender of all that matters to her.

The relationship between Cassandre and the well-to-do white Miss Victoria, played with shrill voice and wry humor by Jennifer Stanfield, expands on the complicated bonds of love and hierarchy that governed Southern race relations.

Young Khalila Roney, a student at Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, imperceptibly grows into her strong supporting role as the farmer's daughter, Magdelynn, while Jack Lambert and Adam Mincks offer comic relief as the rube twins, Puddin and Taters.

But Ryan Tiller as Rolf, the frail and frightened German POW, is the most interesting of them all. Largely mute for the first act, he struggles to learn English, gains confidence in his relationship with Magdelynn, and takes on the burdensome and seemingly impossible task of defining the difference between good and evil. Thanks to kb saine's adept and largely invisible direction, these characters take on a memorable and authentic life of their own.

Sycamore Rouge, aside from being one of the most scenic venues in the area, has carved itself a niche with productions that examine the human condition, raise probing questions that do not have ready answers, and introduce characters that define a particular period or place.

Julinda Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer living in eastern Henrico. She can be contacted at .