Nexeras Enhance One-Man Show

Theatre lovers in San Francisco have a rare opportunity to witness the unique and surprising one-man musical, "A Boy and His Soul," starring beloved Bay Area performer Colman Domingo.

"A Boy and His Soul" is a dazzling and moving true story of a childhood spent in Philadelphia in the 1970s, during one of the great eras of soul music.

In a home with a lot of conflict, a lot of love, and a LOT of great records, classic soul music propels Colman's life forward.

This show was originally developed in readings at New York's 55 Bar (where Colman worked as a bartender) during the summer of 2004. Thick Description and Colman workshopped the script in December 2004 and earned a standing ovation at a sneak-preview performance at the Thick House in January 2005.

Rick Martin, designer for the set, kept the scenery to a minimum, thereby keeping the focus on Domingo and his story. He decided the moods were best conveyed with creative lighting, so he used six Nexera wash and profile fixtures to achieve the desired effect.

"Simply put, [the Nexeras] are wonderful,"Martin said. "They are built as solid as every other Wybron product. We literally plugged the power supply in during load-in and haven't unplugged it since. This is pretty impressive considering how many effect routines we run the color flags through throughout the show. It's one of the same reasons that I love the CXIs so much."

Noise was a big concern for the quiet, reflective moments of the play, so Martin appreciated the quiet operation of the Nexeras. "The quietness of the units is perfect. I can't imagine a theatre that wouldn't want to own them," he said.

Martin's set and lighting design perfectly showcased Domingo's captivating story. The show has gotten rave reviews since its preview, with Robert Hurwitt of the San Francisco Chronicle calling it "a sweet, comic, genuinely moving and at times edgy performance memoir of Domingo's Philadelphia row-house childhood. It's an impressive effort. Domingo's engaging, finely tuned performance is irresistible."

Colman Domingo is proud to be a working theater artist on both coasts. He was recently seen in the Bay Area performing in the celebrated premiere of "People's Temple" at Berkeley Rep, and as Lavatche the Clown in "All's Well that Ends Well" at the California Shakespeare Festival. Off-Broadway credits include "Henry V," "Bright Ideas," and "American Maul."

Regionally he has worked at A.C.T., Berkeley Rep, TheaterWorks, S.F. Shakespeare Festival, and toured France with Word for Word. In 1997 he played Garnet, a lip-synching Jackie Wilson impersonator, in Thick Description's production of Oliver Mayer's "Blade to the Heat." That role and that production planted some of the seeds for "A Boy and His Soul."

Colman Domingo also boasts many television and film appearances.

Photos courtesy Rick Martin