Ixion revisits poignant tale of familial love and duty

Ixion Ensemble Theatre is celebrating its 10th season by restaging shows from its past. For the penultimate show of the season, artistic director Jeff Croff chose “Broke-ology,” originally produced by Ixion in 2018. In director Rose Jangmi Cooper’s capable hands, it’s a story well worth revisiting.

The King family lives in a lower-income neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas. After a lifetime of laboring to provide for his family, retired widower William King (Kevin Forte) is struggling with multiple sclerosis. His son Ennis (Jordan Taylor) has become his primary caregiver, but with a child on the way, Ennis is concerned about being able to keep up with these duties. Enter Malcolm (Caleb Liggett), William’s older son, who has just finished graduate school in Connecticut and is home for the summer. As William struggles to maintain his independence, his sons struggle with the decision of how to care for him as he declines.

Stage One at Sycamore Creek Eastwood is the perfect setting for the production. Set designer David Langlois and set builder Bill Drake utilized the layout of the space thoughtfully, creating an intimate living room and kitchen at ground level, close to the audience. Their use of the stepped-up stage area as an unseen second floor of the house, combined with Ellison Hall’s lighting design, enhances mystical aspects of the plot.

Although the story is about a Black family, the key elements of the plot are universal, particularly for adult children negotiating the caretaking of their parents while also raising their own families. Part of that negotiation often occurs between siblings who have different goals and commitments. Ennis represents the “sandwich” generation since he’s been his father’s primary caregiver but now has a child on the way. Taylor does an excellent job portraying the mounting stress Ennis feels as his responsibilities grow. His emotions and behaviors run the gamut from frustration to desperation to avoidance as he all but begs Malcolm to stay in Kansas City.

Malcolm has the chance to break the shackles of poverty, to get unstuck and pursue his dreams by leaving Kansas City, and William avoids swaying his decision. Through Malcolm’s dilemma, audiences can debate whether one’s highest responsibility is to oneself, or whether a person should sacrifice their dreams for family. Liggett embodies Malcolm’s energy and optimism, balanced with the emotional weight of his decision to stay or go.

One of the most gut-wrenching scenes, perhaps all too familiar to many audience members, occurs when Ennis and Malcolm discuss the option of moving William to an assisted living home. While a convenient solution for Malcolm, Ennis is apoplectic as he recounts the dismal living conditions of the homes they visited.

A special shoutout goes to Forte because “Broke-ology” is his first foray into live theater. Forte does an excellent job transitioning from a young, strong, new father to an old man with a physically degenerative disease and growing confusion. He has several solo scenes, which would be easy for a new actor to rush through, yet he remains faithful to the slowed pace caused by William’s disease, which adds pathos and poignancy.

Written by Nathan Louis Jackson in 2007, “Broke-ology” will be a timeless story of familial love and duty until we have a healthcare system that provides quality care to every person through the end of their life and takes the burden off of families. So, it will likely remain timeless.