Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland
Critics Circle)
Charles Smith, author of THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAMES,
which is now getting its Ohio Premiere at Ensemble Theatre, is an award-winning
writer, and playwright-in-residence for the Indiana Repertory Theatre. He is also head of the Professional
playwriting program at Ohio University.
Smith writes political and historical tomes which center on
race, identity and politics in America from an African-American
perspective.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAMES, though it centers on
lynching, is, in reality, not about lynching, per se. It is a memory play which brings into question how an
individual’s background and perspectives affect how that person perceives an
incident.
To understand the underlying story, awareness of the Ku Klux
Klan is important. Though founded
in 1866 in the south, the Klan was prominent in parts of the North after World
War I. The group, made up of
native-born, white Protestants, which was against Catholics, Jews,
African-Americans, immorality, and drinking was centered in southern Indiana
during the 1920 and 30s.
On August 7, 1930, Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith were lynched
in Marion, Indiana. They were
arrested the night before, supposedly for robbing and murdering Claude Deeter,
a white factory worker, and raping his fiancé, Mary Ball. In spite of Ball denying having being
raped, a large mob broke into the jail, beat three men, hanging two of
them. The third, 16-year-old James
Cameron, escaped the mob’s wrath due to the intervention of an “unidentified”
white man.
Lawrence Beitler, a photographer, chronicled the incident in
a series of sensational pictures.
The pictures were an inspiration for the poem, Strange Fruit, written by
Abel Meeropol, who also wrote The House I Live In, became the text for a song
popularized by Billie Holiday in 1939.
(“Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at
the root, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging
from the poplar trees.”)
James Cameron, who survived the incident, inspired by a
visit to the Yad Vashem Memorial in Israel, founded America’s Black Holocaust
Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is dedicated to the history of lynching
in the United States.
The play concerns Mary Ball and Cameron, the sole survivors
of the Marion incident, who meet years later, following the death of Mary’s
father. As they reluctantly talk,
divergent memories emerge of what happened. Racism, sexism, honesty, redemption, and perception mingle
into a mystery. The audience is
left with the question of who is telling the truth and asking, “What really did
happen?”
Ensemble’s production, under the focused direction of
Celeste Consentino, is compelling.
The writing is so clear and interesting, and the acting so strong, that
even though the pacing sometime lags, and some actor’s projection falters,
there is little time for wandering minds.
The cast works well as a unit and is well-balanced in
motivations and clarity of purpose.
Anne McEvoy as the now middle aged Marie (Mary Ball) and Peter Lawson
Jones as the adult James Cameron, are each believable as the duo with the
differing memories. As the younger
Mary, Katie Nabors gives a focused performance.
Though, at times a little affected, leading to some question
of how Apples (the self-proclaimed
nick-name of James as a youth) becomes the level-headed Cameron as an adult,
J’Vaughn T. Briscoe creates an interesting character.
Antuane Rogers is spot on as Tommy Shipp, texturing the role
with meaningful verbal and nonverbal actions, while Kyle Carthens is fine as
Abe Smith. Keith E. Stevens
is properly snarly and despicable as Claude, Mary’s abusive fiancé.
Valerie Young gives a sensitive interpretation to Bea Ball,
Mary’s beaten down mother. Tim Walsh
is believable as Mary’s father and former Klan member.
Ian Hinz’s set and Andrew Eckert’s lighting, Celeste
Cosentino and Sarah May’s sound and props, and Larry Gorjup’s sound effects,
all add much to the production.
CAPSULE
JUDGEMENT: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
JAMES is a fascinating, well written play, which is getting a fine performance
at Ensemble, and well deserves to be seen! For a special treat attend the February 16 performance when
the playwright will conduct a talk back.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAMES runs Thursdays through Sundays
through February 17 at Ensemble Theatre, housed in Coventry School, 2843
Washington Blvd, Cleveland Heights.
For tickets call 216-321-2930 or go online to http://www.ensemble-theatre.org
To see the views of other Cleveland area theatre reviewers
go to: clevelandtheaterreviews.com