Reviewed by Judy Richter
The year is 1957, and the civil
rights movement is stirring. A Broadway theater is planning to stage what is
believed to be an anti-lynching play -- albeit by a white playwright. Black and
white actors assemble for rehearsals with the white director and the white
stage manager. Thus begins Aurora Theatre Company's production of "Trouble
in Mind" by
Alice Childress.
Although race relations have made significant strides since the play was
written in 1955, some of the issues it raises may still be relevant today.
Most
of the issues are raised by Wiletta Mayer (Margo Hall), a veteran black actor who has
learned how to get along with white directors and playwrights. However, she is
growing weary of playing black caricatures rather than characters who are
black. When she objects to the final act of "Chaos in Belleville,"
the play in which she has been cast, she throws everything into turmoil. Her
belief that her character's actions don't reflect reality, along with the condescension
and righteousness of the director, Al Manners (Tim Kniffin), is more than she can take.
Therefore,
her colleagues have to decide what they're going to do. They include three
other black people, such as Millie Davis (Elizabeth Carter), a veteran like Wiletta, but
she likes to flaunt her husband's purported wealth. She and Wiletta exchange
some very catty, very funny remarks. Also a black veteran is Sheldon Forrester
(Rhonnie Washington), who will go along with just about anything because he needs the
job. His story of seeing a lynching when he was a boy is the most riveting
scene in the play. The black contingent of the cast is completed by John Nevins
(Jon Joseph Gentry),
a handsome, up-and-coming young actor.
The
two white actors in the play-within-a-play are Judy Sears (Melissa Quine) and Bill O'Wray (Michael Ray
Wisely). The
attractive blonde Judy comes from a wealthy family and has just graduated from
the Yale drama school. This is her first professional job. Bill O'Wray plays
her father in "Chaos in Belleville." The cast of "Trouble in
Mind" is completed by Patrick Russell as Eddie Fenton, the stage
manager and glorified gofer, and by Earll Kingston as Henry, the kindly old Irish
doorman.
Black
actors are cast more frequently today, especially as theater companies dedicate
themselves to color-blind casting and to presenting more ethnically diverse
playbills. Nevertheless, it's probably fair to say that black actors and other
actors of color are not as well represented as they'd like to be in some forms
of entertainment.
As
for "Trouble in Mind," it's well written with a nice mix of humor and
drama along with clearly defined characters. The Aurora production is well
cast, but director Robin Stanton might be pushing a bit hard for laughs. The penultimate
scene, in which Wiletta enacts the kinds of roles she despises, is rushed and
somewhat strident, diminishing its power.
Still,
it's a fine way for Aurora to open its 19th season, especially with the
backstage set by Eric Sinkkonen, lighting by Kurt Landisman and composition and sound by Chris
Houston. Callie
Floor's costumes
are noteworthy for the business attire (suits for the men, dresses for the
women) worn by the actors and director. They're true to their time, but they're
a far cry from the casual outfits one would see during early rehearsals of most
plays today.
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