I
watched a 1938 movie about yellow fever in
New Orleans the other morning ("Jezebel,"
with Bette Davis and Henry Fonda) and
realized that about thirty black actors had
been directed to stand around Ms. Davis and
jump up and down like puppets, dressed in
field clothes, waving arms crazily in the
air, and sing. Sing and dance, badly! That
contrasted with white actors wearing tuxedos
and long, splendid ball gowns, dancing
perfectly in another scene in a highly
choreographed waltz. Two stereotypes of old
New Orleans. One so beautiful. One so dumb.
Would you have wanted to be a white actor or
a black actor in that movie?
There’s a very significant play making a
similar observation about racism and theatre
arts playing in New Haven through November
17. Alice Childress’ "Trouble in Mind" pits
an outspoken black actress (Wiletta Mayer)
against a patronizing and discounting
director (Kevin O’Rourke) in a roundabout
match of wits that takes place during the
McCarthy era. He’s full of himself,
absolutely sucking dignity out of everyone
around him. Nevertheless he sees himself as
a great gift to black actors, staging a play
that gives them opportunity. Mayer takes him
on, arguing that the opportunity to play yet
another gem-stone or flower does not real
acting make.
The
play’s directed by Irene Lewis, the Artistic
Director of Baltimore’s Centerstage. I
thought that she allowed Mayer to yell too
hard - even Childress’ script has the
director suggesting that the actors tone
down some - valid arguments do not always
have to be made at full volume. But overall
the zany characters in the play are
beautifully defined. Lawrnece O’Dwyer plays
a seventy-something stage manager; Garrett
Neergard is precise as the production
assistant; Starla Benford and Thomas
Jefferson Byrd and Don Guillory and Daren
Kelly and Natalia Payne all have roles in
the play within the play, and each deserves
special mention. Payne’s character in
particular grows and changes during the
production, and Mr. Byrd’s fine monologue is
critical to the story line.
Be
prepared for a long performance, but do plan
to see this production. It spells out so
solidly how far we have not come in fifty
years of trying to do justice to all the
colors of our society, and the underlying
mistrust that keeps persons apart. Yale Rep
is one of the most advanced theatre
companies in Connecticut when measured by
how to place the spotlight on solving social
problems. Often it adds exceptional sets and
costumes and lighting, as it does here. Go
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