When January Feels Like Summer

Erratic winds of change are in the air during an abnormally steamy New York winter in Cori Thomas’ insightful and poignant new play, When January Feels Like Summer, a coproduction by Ensemble Studio Theatre and Page 73. Common desires bind a group of five unremarkable Harlem residents, who make their way inconspicuously through the streets and subways, unaware of the stories lying dormant beneath the skin of their invisible seatmates. As they weather the volatile episodes of rain, snow, and everything in between, Thomas delicately peels back the layers of these human shells, drawing them into sharper focus while each searches for a renewed state of equilibrium. Bringing in a buzzword from the modern zeitgeist, the irregular weather patterns are attributed to that pesky devil Global Warming. Maurice Williams and J. Mallory McCree make for an entertaining tag team as twenty-year-old Devaun and his pal Jeron, who discuss the concept in crude terms in their spare time between shifts at their respective Burger Kings. They paint stereotypical portraits of African-American urbanites while riding the subway to and from work, giddily engaging in foulmouthed banter in front of fellow passengers.