An original play written and directed by Percy W. Thomas, Scars is set in an East Baltimore City row house that could be any devasted area. Long-held family secrets have stayed under the rug for years, festering and simmering, until a tragic event sets everything off, revealing the massive emotional scars that need to be acknowledged before healing can begin. Two female characters, Leticia and Merriam, start the show with Leticia’s clawing for drug money and them thrashing about their relationships to each other raised together as sisters by God-fearing, bible-thumping Lillian, Leticia’s mom. Both young women spent time in the foster care system while Lillian was an addict, but once Lillian became clean and sober, she salvaged daughter Leticia and then took the second abandoned girl, Merriam, under her care. The “sisters” couldn’t be more different, with Leticia, a piercing portrayal by Juliana Voss, deranged in her crack addiction, and Merriam, an upstanding pre-law student. Pierre Walters as BoBo, Juliana Voss as Leticia, and Kumea Shorter-Gooden as Lillian in ‘Scars.’ Photo courtesy of AmaZing Theatre Company. Straightlaced Merriam tries to help how and when she can but is steady with her boundaries — she’s obviously learned the hard way that extending a loving helping hand will get smacked and be ultimately self-defeating for all. Mama Lillian, a solid Kumea Shorter-Gooden, comes on the scene with hard-earned righteousness and evades Leticia’s constant asking who her father is. From the relentless barrage of questions, you can tell that this painful absence has led to Leticia’s undoing. She’s felt emotionally adrift and upended and has apparently never recovered from the early foster experience. She even had a child under harrowing circumstances of rape and abuse 15 years ago that her mother, Lillian, is raising. Leticia has apparently cast him off as worthless and unwanted, which is exactly how she feels about herself. Merriam, a clear and level-headed portrayal by Katelynn Willams, on the other hand, seems to have dealt with her early abandonment and thrives where she’s planted. She loves and appreciates the goodness in her life and has unshakeable optimism. Similar circumstances for two youngsters, night and day reactions. All of these family squabbles come crashing down in a horrible spiral when the son is murdered, presumably from his nefarious street dealings. Leticia’s gut-wrenching grief feels real and visceral, thanks to Voss’ indelible performance. But her addiction gets in the way even in her grief as she tries to hustle money for the burial. By this time, no one trusts her with funds for even that. She lashes out in rage and ends up assaulting a police officer and is incarcerated. As in Langston Hughes’ poem “Dream Deferred,” Leticia’s life has “dried up like a raisin in the sun” and exploded. Scarred from abuse and neglect, in an orange prison suit, with her child murdered also through neglect, and still no knowledge about her father, Leticia seems to be irredeemable and irretrievably lost. Through her own self-will, however, Leticia shows that even from the lowest depths of despair, there is a possibility of hope and redemption. Katelynn Williams as Merriam and Kumea Shorter-Gooden as Lillian in ‘Scars.’ Photo courtesy of AmaZing Theatre Company. The 90-minute Scars production is ambitious and packed with a load of issues but is hampered by thinly drawn characters, overwrought execution, and pat resolution. The script is well-meaning but is predictable to a fault and overflows with heartbreaking sadness. A young teenager’s death is manipulated to being a temporary plot point — an unfortunate reflection of yet another expendable life that is totally forgotten in the rest of the script. At the same time, the faith-based theater experience is visceral in showing the healing that can happen as family members and loving friends talk to, care for, and listen to each other. The show also has outstanding performances by Voss as Leticia, who covers the gamut of emotions and personas in the flip of the script, literally, and also Pierre Walters as family friend BoBo. Walters has a stunning presence as his character confidently maneuvers through shielding the family’s deeply hidden secrets until reaching a breaking point when he boldly exclaims, enough! Excellent lighting and set design by Charlie Danforth and J.E. Greenbeck show the stellar work that can be achieved in a small, intimate space with care and attentiveness. Scars is packing the house with loving fans familiar with the theater company’s productions over the years. That’s why, while it could use some serious pruning, shaping, and better direction to get on its feet for a wider audience, it’s got real potential. In all, the show is a loving tribute to the tenacity of AmaZing Theatre to fulfill its vision — to produce events of historical and social significance for culturally diverse populations. Pierre Walters will apparently be featured in the next production, Portraits of Freedom in February 2025. I look forward to catching that early since it, too, will likely sell out. Running Time: One hour and 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission. Scars plays through December 7 and 8, 2024 (at 2:00 pm both days), presented by AmaZing Theatre Company performing at the Odd Fellows Lodge, #6430, 1308 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD. Purchase tickets ($30), which are nearly sold out, online or by calling (301) 503-3403. Scars Written and Directed by Percy W. Thomas CAST Kumea Shorter-Gooden as Lillian Juliana Voss as Leticia Pierre Walters as BoBo Katelynn Williams as Merriam CREW Producer: Alice H. Thomas Graphic Design: Paul Jerry Lighting Design/Set Design: Charlie Danforth/ J. E. Greenbeck Lighting Board Tech: Mason Kailor Sound Design and Operation: Jennifer Jones Stage Manager: Ingrid Romer