If someone asks you what Penumbra Theatre Company's "Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers" is about, you'd better be ready to sit down and chat awhile.

William S. Yellow Robe begins with three historical facts: African-American men were stationed at the Western frontier of the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Though the indigenous American Indian population saw them as occupiers and oppressors, some of these "buffalo soldiers" also became husbands to native women and fathers of their children. And anytime cultures rub against each other, there's certain to be tension.

The complex, multi-faceted nature of those tensions — within a culture and within individuals — is what Yellow Robe wants to talk about in his play. We're asked to travel with a character named Craig Robe — a wandering soul who's returned to his reservation to try to reconcile himself with his mixed heritage — on an intellectual, emotional and cultural odyssey.

It's a fascinating journey, intellectually dense and sometimes emotionally wrenching. The play doesn't have smooth surfaces and clean edges, but then neither does the story of this people and their descendants.

With the contours of a family drama, "Grandchildren" is a static play, filled with people standing around and talking. Yellow Robe has a lot on his mind and seems intent on getting it all out, sometimes at the expense of dramatic momentum.

He's a plainspoken writer, not one for metaphor or the flowery phrase. But nor does he hector or accuse. Instead, Yellow Robe strips away the layers of stereotype and suspicion in his writing to discover what lies beneath; to find out, in Craig Robe's words, how he — and we — can "be myself, for myself."

Penumbra artistic director Lou Bellamy stages the production simply, both technically and aesthetically. The set suggests the play's various locales rather than representing them. Bellamy — versed in the take-your-time delivery of August Wilson's plays — similarly allows this script to reveal itself on its own terms. Since Yellow Robe does not have Wilson's gift of poetic language, this deliberation sometimes turns into plain old slow going.

The cast brings widely divergent energies to their roles. As Craig, James Craven initially prowls the set, almost animal-like, with a look on his face that suggests a bitter taste he can't get out of his mouth. As his brother-in-law, M. Cochise Anderson is avuncular and folksy. And as Craig's mentally "slow" little brother, freedome bradley is almost bouncing off the walls.

These are choices of actor and director, and while they make sense within the context of each character, they can look mismatched — instead of complementary — when set next to each other.

The crazy quilt of performances reflects the essence of "Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers." While almost always thought provoking, this is a story trying to tell many stories and connect them at the same time. For the audience, that means there's a lot of work in this play.

Theater critic Dominic P. Papatola can be reached at or at 651-228-2165.

IF YOU GO

What: "Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers"

When: Through Oct. 15

Where: Penumbra Theatre Company, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul

Tickets: $32

Call: 651-224-3180

Capsule: An interesting but challenging premiere from Penumbra