Zack Powell's [he/him] performance of having a surreal experience, strongly supported by Nick  Hernandez's sound designs, bridged the 1832 Philadelphia setting of "The Great Privation" to its contemporary setting. The two-hour, no intermission, mostly dramatic Woolly Mammoth production centers on a mother and daughter who guard a loved one's grave from medical grave robbers in 1832 -- and the present day, where a mother and daughter ironically work at a summer camp built on that same land.

With stealth humor, the duo is at the grave site protecting a body from grave robbers who seek bodies for laboratory use. The production rekindles memories of the Tuskegee studies that echo today in Black communities, including in Kenya. In the East African country, President William Ruto's has met resistance from farmers as he attempts to convince them to vaccinate their cattle against diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

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Port of Harlem subscriber Darlene Houze won a set of tickets and two drinks.

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Both Yetunde Felix-Ukwu, as the mother, and Victoria Omoregi, as daughter, Charity, seamlessly transform from mother/daughter 1832 to mother/daughter today. Even when the dialogue is a bit puzzling, their convincing transformations reinforce that magic exists in live theater.

Generally, Nia Akilah Robinson (she/her) wrote a creative piece, mirroring Toni Morrison's too difficult to read "Beloved." However, when Charity says she missed hearing her deceased father's shuffle on the tile in the bathroom, I was like "what?" Only the wealthiest and whitest of Philadelphians had rudimentary indoor facilities in 1832.

So, could she hear what was going on in a closed facility outside the home? The portion of the play dealing with 1832 grave robbing was excellent and one of the absolute best segments I have ever seen at Woolly.

Like most Woolly shows, this storytelling was more than just entertainment. I left with many thoughts to ponder, but instead of dwelling on such thoughts, the dancing at the show's ending was as much a distraction as Charity declaring that she could hear her father shuffling in the bathroom.

Port of Harlem subscriber Darlene Houze won a set of tickets and two drinks to see "The Great Privation" (How to Flip Ten Cents into a Dollar) at Woolly Mammoth Theater in Washington, DC.  The show runs to October 12. After it runs in DC, the production will transfer to Boston, with performances from January 9 to January 31, 2026, at the Modern Theatre at Suffolk University.