Emmett Till’s Ballad: A tragedy in real time.

Emmett Till was fourteen years old when he was lynched, dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, forced to carry a 75 pound cotton gin fan to the banks of the Tallahatchie River and undress. The lynch mob then nearly beat him death, gauged out his eye, shot him in the head, tied his body to the cotton gin fan and threw him in the river.

His crime: Allegedly he whistled at a white woman …in Money, Mississippi.  The time, 1955.

Fourteen-year-old Till was by all standards a typical teenager. Somewhat spoiled by his single mother Mamie; he grew up on the South Side of Chicago and was a happy go lucky kid, but had ants in his pants.

It was summer vacation and he wanted to go south, Mississippi to be exact. His mother grew up there but moved to Chicago’s thriving Black community on the South side years prior, but relatives remained. Unlike Till’s urban upbringing, they were cotton farmers. They raised chickens, and picked cotton something young Emmitt could not fathom especially the ‘chicken thing’.

But, Emmett wanted to spend the summer with them. Over her objections, protestations and careful instructions on how NOT to behave when among the whites in the Deep South, he headed to Mississippi. With the exception of a trip back home in a casket it was the last significant journey this fourteen-year-old would take.

Playwright Ifa Bayeza has penned an emotionally moving, if not riveting “The Ballad of Emmett Till” now on stage in a San Diego premiere, at Ion Theatre in Hillcrest through July 22^nd.

With spot on direction by Yolanda Marie Franklin and Claudio Raygoza (also credited for production design and lighting) and with a cast of six talented members playing several different characters, Till’s life unfolds all too quickly (ninety- five minutes to be exact) for the teen, but to this audience member it felt like a slow motion film in real time; one frame at a time in his all too short life.  

Making his Ion debut Cortez L. Johnson recently seen on Moxie’s stage in an excellent production of “Blue Door” is the main character in Bayeza’s celebration of fourteen-year old Emmett Till’s life. The killing of Till and the aftermath is said to be the impetus for the Civil Rights Movement pre Rosa Parks.

Cortez L. Johnson as Emmett Till in Ion's "The Ballad of Emmett Till"

Johnson, who puts in a performance unequaled to anything seen lately, moves through Till’s short life with passion, enthusiasm and persuasion and yes, naivety when first we meet up with him pestering his mother (an effective and emotionally strong Tamara McMillian who also plays several women) to give in to his youthful whim.

They called him BoBo because of a stutter he acquired as a result of a childhood bout with polio. When he was tongue tied in a struggle of not getting his words out, he would whistle. Could it be that’s what happened that night? No one will ever know.

Noticeably different than his southern family, he was a sharp dresser his speech patterns (when not stuttering) reflected his northern roots and his dialogue, poetic. He was definitely an outsider. That never stopped him from being who he was. He was young and eager, playful and stubborn and always neatly dressed, white bucks et al. (Credit Mary Summerday for the correct costume design)

Solid support comes also from Grandison PhelpsIII, Till’s great uncle Mose, who tries to guide young Till on the art of survival in their small town. They fish together and oft time hint at ‘man talk’. Phelps III was recently seen on the Cygnet stage in their award winning productions of two of the Wilson Cycle Plays. His credentials are a proven entity.

L.to R. Dwaine Collier, Rhys Green, Gransison Phelps III and Cortez L. Johnson 

Rhys Green, Dwaine Collier, his cousin, and Portia Gregory all take turns as characters in Till’s activities and play a significant part in Till’s life as he and they weave the story together seamlessly with the change of a hat (White Panama’s were the dress of the day) or chanting together, or daring each other, or driving to places not available to them as dares, or just being.

The most affecting and gut grabbing scenes come when McMillian, as Till’s mother describes how she found her dead boy, what he looked like before they cleaned him up and after they clothed him and doctored his body.

Her insistence and the way she went about getting his remains brought back to his place of birth rather than being buried in some unmarked grave in Mississippi and her resolve on having an open casket for the world to see how her son was beaten drew over 20,000 to his funeral. That’s high drama at its best. Expect no dry eyes.

The lynching

History will only reflect that in the South 1955 Mississippi was one of the most racially charged and bigoted states (Think Jim Crow laws) in the union. They treated its ‘colored’ population worse than animals.

Just this past semester, I took an American History course with my grandson at Grossmont College. It was on line. Well, he took the course and I decided to study, watch videos, take the tests with him and agreed to be interviewed as one of his primary resources as a teacher in the public schools in the 60’s.  (That was of course for the period during the ‘50’s/‘60’s when the Civil Rights Movement was at its peak.)  

It was American History from the 1900’s. Fast forward to the late fifties early sixties and Emmett Till was the focus of one of our chapters. I hate to admit it since I love American History, but I had only vague memories of that horrible chapter in our history that allowed the killers to go free when everyone at that trial and then some knew they were guilty but ‘violence by white’s against black’s was justified’.

No excuses here for not remembering Till.  See the play and celebrate his life

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Through July 22nd

Organization: Ion Theatre

Phone: 619.600.5020

Production Type: Drama

Where: 3047 Sixth Ave., Hillcrest, 92103

Ticket Prices: Start at $12.00

Web: iontheatre.com

Venue: BLKBOX space

Photo: Daren Scott

Old Globe’s “Guys and Dolls” razzle-dazzles

Not discounting Frank Losser’s memorable musical score and clever lyrics, and Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows book (based a story of Damon Runyon characters “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown”), “Guys and Dolls” currently up on the stage at the Old Globe Theatre (Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage), in association with Asolo Repertory Theatre through Aug. 13^th, director Josh Rhoades’ (direction and choreography) and his updated incarnation of the 1950 original production, has the theatre rumbling with razzle-dazzle.  

Cast of "Guys and Dolls"

The dancing is top notch, the women’s voices are beyond expectations especially Audrey Cardwell’s Sarah Brown, as the prim, proper and naïve wanna be savior of the “Save A Soul Mission” (I’ll Know”) and Veronica J. Kuehn as Miss Adelaide (“Bushel and a Peck”, “Take Back Your Mink” and “Adelaide’s Lament”), lead singer with the other ‘dolls’ at the Hotbox Club’. She's been engaged to Nathan Detroit for fourteen years.   

The show starts off nicely (nicely if you will) with the catchy “Fugue for Tinhorns” or better yet: “I got the horse right here, the name is Paul Revere…” and were off to the races! Nicely, Nicely Johnson (Todd Buonopane), Benny Southstreet (Matt Bauman) and Rusty Charley (Richard Gatta) are arguing over which horse will win at the races the following day.

Matt Bauman, Todd Bounopane and Richard Gatta

In the meantime ‘Apple Annie’ another Runyon character from “Pocket Full of Miracles” shows up and a small riff on her basket of apples takes place.

The show is just loaded knee -deep in characters including another of our locals Linda Libby (fabulous) as Gen. Matilda B. Cartwright, big wig in the Save Our Soul Missionary and Ralph Johnson as Arvide Abernathy, Sarah’s uncle and man of wisdom (“More I Cannot Wish You”). Once again, if there was a role perfect for Johnson, this is it.

All the characters crisscross with each other and before we know it, Nicely and Benny meet up with Harry the Horse (Lance Carter) who wants to know where the floating crap game is. (“The Oldest Established”)

Terrence Archie as Sky with cast

The next day Harry brings high roller Big Julie in from Chicago to play craps if they can find a place. All the while Adelaide is sniffling and sneezing looking for Nathan while he’s out challenging Sky to a $1000.00 bet. They need it as a security deposit on a place to have the crap game.

Juxtaposed, Lt. Brannigan (our own Ed Hollingsworth), the local cop on the beat can’t wait to nail one of these petty hoodlums for playing craps. He has everyone scattering in different directions.

Other characters included in this oft called ‘Musical Fable of Broadway’, are of course Nat’n Detroit, Liverlips (Cody Davis) Jimmy The Greek (Juan Caballer), Big Julie (Steve Greenstein) and   Sky Masterson. They are some of the ‘Guys’.

Nathan Detroit (J. Bernard Calloway) and Sky Masterson (Terrence Archie) are the ‘guys’ at the center of gravity in this gangsta, small time gambler gig. The ‘dolls’ and others orbit around them. It all happens on and around the streets of Broadway in the 40’s.

As mentioned earlier the two most important ‘dolls’ are Adelaide and Sarah Brown or Sergeant Brown. She and her group canvass the streets looking for souls in need of saving. They march and pound to the drumbeat of ‘Follow the fold and stray no more” in their Red Salvation Army looking outfits (Brian C. Hemesath). 

Veronica J. Kuehen 

She will end up with the coveted prize, Sky Masterson (“My Time of Day”) but doesn’t know it until after her fortuitous trip to Havana for a dinner date with Sky that was set in stone on a bet that Sky could get a date with any woman he wanted.  

Audrey  Cardwell as Sarah Brown

She and Sky and Nathan and Adelaide (with wheezes and the sneezes’) are the big love interests in the story. She is just what the doctor ordered for the role of Adelaide, on target with all the right nuances as the some -day bride to be.

I hesitate to add though that while the love interest is an ongoing thread that runs through the story line; she wants him to give up gambling and he’s addicted to gambling, the chemistry between Calloway’s Detroit and Kuehn’s Adelaide seemed to bypass them both. And while Calloway might be just right as The Grinch, he didn’t do a thing for yours truly as Nathan Detroit.   

 The original production premiered on Broadway in 1950 and was directed by George S, Kaufman and starred the inimitable Vivian Blaine as Adelaide, the gal who suffered with a fourteen year cold (“Adelaide’s Lament”) while waiting for her man, Nathan Detroit to show up at the church to get married and give up gambling.

The show ran for 1200 performances and won the Tony for Best Musical. John Chapman of the Daily News said then of the show, “The big trouble with “Guys and Dolls” is that a performance of it lasts only one evening, when it ought to last about a week”.

The Old Globe has in the past mounted big musical productions. “Damn Yankees”, “Kiss Me Kate”, “Candida”, “I Do, I Do”, “Into The Woods”, “The Full Monty” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, “The Times They are A- Changin’”, “Scottsboro Boys” and I could go on. Just recently it sent “Allegiance”, “Bright Star” and “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” to Broadway. Surprisingly, “Guys and Dolls” didn’t make the list until now.

In Havana with the cast of "Guys and Dolls"

Fear not though. The wait, especially the soul rousing "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat" was worth- while. The overall look of the show glitters with Lee Savage’s Broadway lights blinking and advertising all sorts of commercials. Brian C. Hemesath’s costumes are period fitting (at least for the gangsta types) with colorful rags for the gals. Paul Miller’s lighting, and Kevin Kennedy’s sound along with Sinai Tabak musical direction, additional arrangements, conductor and pianist bring it all together.

It’s still my all-time favorite musical. See it!

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Through Aug. 13th

Organization: The Old Globe

Phone: 619.234.5623

Production Type: Musical Comedy

Where: 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, 92103

Ticket Prices: Start at $40.00

Web: theoldglobe.org

Venue: Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage

Photo: Jim Cox

Old Globe’s Shakespeare’s “King Richard II”: Politics in the rough.

Of all the sports currently being played out on the world stage today, politics is by far the dirtiest, backstabbing, most talked about, examined and throat cutting game in the market place. 

Today the players wear uniforms of a different cut than in Shakespeare’s day (or not). Today most are in blue suits, red or blue (or variations of the same) ties and most carry a big stick and a self- satisfied smirk. Most have been in training for years some not, but that matters not. Yes, ‘ art imitates life’ and in a big way this sporting political season.

Think Shakespeare in the Park and Oskar Eustis’ and “Julius Caesar”. That struck a nerve and rightfully so. Sometimes bad things happen to bad people who tamper with less fortunate people’s lives. Sometimes it just takes a while for the oppressed to catch up.

Since we here in San Diego are pretty far from away Central, we prefer our Shakespeare in our very own Balboa. This summer, it’s one of the Richard’s, II in fact and only one of four plays the Bard has written entirely in verse. That said one would have to pay close attention to realize it.

I was surprised, though and moved when out of the blue several including Bishop of Carlisle (James Joseph O’Neil), Bolingbroke and Mowbray began chanting their lines. I felt as though I was experiencing a religious moment.

James Joseph O'Neil,  John Ahlin, Samuel Max Avishay, HArry Percy and Troy Kittles.

The Kings; John, Richard II, Henry IV part I, Henry IV part 2,HenryV, Henry VIpatr1, Henry VI part 2, Henry VI part 3, Richard III, and Henry VIII make up Shakespeare’s ‘history tetralogy’.

Most are often produced, some of a lesser nature. The current offering on The Lowell Davies Festival Stage at The Old Globe through July 15^th, in its season opening is of the lesser; “King Richard II”, written well before his more popular “King Richard III, is stuff we now chew up and spit out without a thought.

Robert Sean Leonard with Jake Horowitz in background

When Richard II banishes or exiles his two adversaries (one his cousin), steals from his flock, distances himself from his people, raises money for an army and raises taxes on the backs of the poor, Shakespeare memorializes him more as a man in conflict with himself and as a poet rather than a flawed, arrogant and oppressive ruler. What excuse do we have?

The Old Globe’s ‘Richard’ under Erica Schmidt’s direction is rich in talent, politically current enough to start a million conversations and designed to stretch the imagination (John Lee Beatty’s set is enhanced by Stephen Strawbridge’s lighting design) with the huge backdrop of ancient looking doors set high above the stage and used effectively when the cast (Greek chorus?) has something to say or so or do, as when they throw dirt and garbage at the toppled king) without being directly on the stage. It’s very effective.

The play opens with a dead body wrapped in gauze and waiting to be removed. It was the Duke Of Gloucester one of the king’s four uncles that some believed the King had a hand in his killing.

We find stage and screen star Robert Sean Leonard sitting on his golden throne dressed in a long white gown trimmed in gold (Andrea Lauer), high above the masses looking over those assembled down below. He is now officially of the age to be monarch and not a popular one at that.  

His task on this day is to settle a dispute between his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (Tory Kittles), son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (Charles Janasz) and Thomas Mowbray (Ian Lassiter) who is accused of treason by Bolingbroke.

Dueling worriors and cast against the stunning set by John Lee Beatty

In order to settle the dispute between the two men a sword dueling contest is the day’s entertainment. There is a glove throwing battle that goes on for a bit adding some humor to their declaration of battle. Both are armed to the gills and in an arena of sorts cordoned off to keep the two from?? Falling of the stage? Well not to worry. As soon as the swords make contact, Richard throws his golden gauntlet down calling a halt to the duel.

Instead the King decides to exile both: Mowbray forever and Bolingbroke for first ten years and on second thought, six years. That turns out to be a miscalculation on his part. No one is happy with the decision. Unbeknownst to the king, plans were already in the making to dethrone him.

Troy Kittles and cast

Bolingbrook is convinced that Richard stole lands from his father that eventually would belong to him. Richard, because of his flawed and weak character, his arrogance by taking lands that did not belong to him, and his catering to the rich, failed to acknowledge that Bolingbroke had the support and admiration of the commoners. They favored him over the King.

While Richard is away fighting a war in Ireland, Bolingbroke is gathering his own army. Bolingbroke’s eventual invasion of England with his own army of loyalist allows him reclaim the throne and eventually as history will attest, be crowned King Henry IV.

And so begins the saga of tormented and flawed King played with an astute interpretation, more of the poet than the warrior and ruler by Robert Sean Leonard. Self –assured that he is divinely chosen, yet conceited, ambivalent and disconnected from his people and territories, he loses his hold on reality and everything else connected to his kingdom.

When he is finally forced to give up his crown, no bloodshed here, and is sent off to prison do we see the man under his blond wig (nice touch) and golden crown. It is here in prison that he finally comes face to face with his own mortality.

Sean Robert Leonard

In some ways I found him to be a pathetic character as he wept, talked to himself and looked for some support from the prison guards. That did not last too long, though. Leonard is a fine choice for the King.

Charles Janesz, Nora Carroll and Robert Sean Leonard

Charles Janasz, a familiar actor seen in almost all the Shakespeare of years past, is a welcome sight as John of Gaunt and later The Gardner. As Richard’s uncle he lives long enough to curse Richard after he sends his son into exile. He knows that Richard is responsible for his brother’s death. “Let heaven revenge; for I may never lift  An angry arm against His minister.” Janesz as always makes every production he’s in noteworthy.

Troy Kittles is as regal as any anointed king as Henry Bolingbroke. He’s intriguing to watch as he moves throughout as a thorn in Edward’s side and exits the victor.  

Ian Lassiter serves Mowbray well in his exile scene and Elizabeth Mackay, as The Duchess of York is stunning as she pleads for her son’s life. Richard’s wife Queen Isabel, (Nora Carroll), is none too pleased with her King. Suffice it to say, he has little interest in her.  

Several MFA students also turned in fine performances, while having little to say as well but looking busy none-the –less.  

Overall Schmidt’s efficient direction keeps the play moving at a nice brisk pace, enough to keep the sandman out of this reviewer’s eyes.

As far as the politics are concerned, keep your eyes on the bouncing ball. It ain’t over till it’s over.

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Through July 15th

Organization: The Old Globe

Phone: 619.234.5623

Production Type: Tragedy

Where: 1363 old Globe Way, Balboa Park

Ticket Prices: Start at $30.00

Web: theoldglobe.org

Venue: Lowell Davies Festival Stage

Photo: Jim Cox