Observations Along the Road

This weekend has been an interesting juxtaposition of theatre with two productions that echo the same theme, but tell the story in different ways and make different points. Saturday night we were in Newhall seeing REP’s production of “To Kill a Mockingbird“; last night we were in DTLA seeing CTG’s production of the Kander-Ebb musical, “The Scottsboro Boys“. Both tell the story of black men accused of raping white women in the south in the early 1930s. Both involve trials where the innocence of the black men becomes clear. Both involve a jury going with its prejudices instead of with the truth. Both end up with tragic ends for the defendants, with ultimately important larger realizations. If you can afford to do so, I strongly recommend you see both in close proximity — you’ll find it very moving.  Further, if you can find a production of Jason Robert Brown’s Parade to add to the mix, I strongly suggest you do so. The melding of the three themes will be mind-altering.

Yesterday, I related the story of To Kill a Mockingbird. That story deals with the loss of innocence and the perversion of justice, but does so in a comfortable manner. It uses a traditional courtroom setting and the curiousity of children to bring home its point. Although the point is strong, it is accessible. Scottsboro Boys, on the other hand, is “in your face” uncomfortable from the opening, primarily due to how the authors and composers chose to present the story. More on that in a minute.

Scottsboro Boys tells the story of the Scottsboro 9. The Scottsboro Boys were nine black teenage boys accused of rape in Alabama in 1931. The case included a frameup, an all-white jury, rushed trials, an attempted lynching, an angry mob, and is an example of an overall miscarriage of justice. The short version is this: On March 25, 1931, several people were hoboing on a freight train traveling between Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee. Several white boys jumped off the train and reported to the sheriff they had been attacked by a group of black boys. The sheriff deputized a posse, stopped and searched the train. He arrested the black boys, and found two white girls who accused the boys of rape. The case was first heard in Scottsboro, Alabama in three rushed trials, where the defendants received poor legal representation. All but the thirteen-year-old Roy Wright were convicted of rape and sentenced to death, the common sentence in Alabama at the time for black men convicted of raping white women. But with help from the American Communist Party, the case was appealed. The Alabama Supreme Court affirmed seven of the eight convictions, and granted thirteen-year-old Eugene Williams a new trial because he was a juvenile. Chief Justice John C. Anderson dissented however, ruling that the defendants had been denied an impartial jury, fair trial, fair sentencing, and effective counsel. The case was returned to the lower court and the judge allowed a change of venue, moving the retrials to Decatur, Alabama. During the retrials, one of the alleged victims admitted fabricating the rape story and asserted that none of the Scottsboro Boys touched either of the white women. The jury found the defendants guilty, but the judge set aside the verdict and granted a new trial. After a new series of trials, the verdict was the same: guilty. The cases were ultimately tried three times. For the third time a jury—now with one black member—returned a third guilty verdict. Charges were finally dropped for four of the nine defendants. Sentences for the rest ranged from 75 years to death. All but two served prison sentences. One was shot in prison by a guard. Two escaped, were charged with crimes, and were sent back to prison.

John Kander and Fred Ebb (composer and lyricist), together with David Thompson (book), chose to tell this story in a novel fashion. Eschewing the traditional musical style, they chose to tell the story as a minstrel show. This was a style of variety show that has disappeared, and was known for lampooning black people and accentuating stereotypes. As such, the style of the show makes the audience intentionally uncomfortable. It has been said by some that this style is one reason this show died on Broadway; I would tend to agree, and I think this show is (like Chicago before it) intentionally ahead of its time. Despite all of our professed acceptance of racial tolerance, our society is not yet tolerant (as illustrated by the reception of our first black president). Until there is true and deep racial acceptance in society, I don’t think audiences will be comfortable with this show.

In any case, this story is told in the style of a minstrel show. This means that there is a elderly interlocutor who runs the show, two fools (Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo) who buffoonishly provide comic relief, and the rest of the performers (in this case, the nine Scottsboro boys). Through a series of acts, these actors tell the story of the Scottsboro Boys from their initial arrest through the various trials. Repeatedly, the boys emphasize that they want to tell the truth this time — to have the true story come out — and that telling the truth is unlike what had happened before. Lastly, observing this all is an unnamed middle-aged black woman … more on this later.

When the show starts, the boys obligingly do what the interlocutor wants, without question — even if it foolish. As time goes on the insistence to stick with the truth grows and grows. By the time the musical ends, the boys are defiant. No longer subservient to the white interlocutor, they insist on doing things on their terms and sticking with the truth. This mirrors how blacks have grown in society, insisting on their civil rights … insisting on the truth. It is in understanding this that the role of the unnamed women becomes significant.(slight spoiler here) … for the last scene reveals that the women is Rosa Parks, and the courage of the boys insistence to do what is right is one of the inspirations for her not to go to the back of the bus.

As I indicated, this is a musical that makes one uncomfortable. It holds up — to a bright light — the racial stereotypes that were common in the south in the 1930s. It not only makes fun of those stereotypes, it also highlights the antisemitism that was common as well in the South. This is why earlier I mentioned that seeing this musical in the context of JRB’s Parade is so important — Parade tells the story of the Leo Frank trial and subsequent lynching — another travesty of justice where a man was killed because he was Jewish.

Scottsboro Boys is an important musical, but it is not easy to watch. In this, it is much like Caberet or Kiss of the Spider Woman — it attempts to present an uncomfortable subject in a way that calls for discussion afterwards. In doing so, this is theatre at its best — something that challenges and exposes. This isn’t the feel-good musical that leaves you humming (think Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, Hairspray, or Wicked). This is a musical — like South Pacific, Carousel, or Parade — that leaves you thinking about the uncomfortable side of human nature. The truth is sometimes uncomfortable. To put it another way… as we walked out of this show, we found ourselves quoting Urinetown: “But the music, its so pretty.” This line referred to the fact that Urinetown had pretty music, but an uncomfortable subject matter and title. Similarly, Scottsboro Boys has pretty music… but the subject and the point it makes is pretty uncomfortable.

Turning from the subject to the performance, which were spectacular. Framing the Scottsboro Boys minstrel show were Hal Linden as the Interlocutor, Trent Armand Kendall as Mr. Bones, and JC Montgomery as Mr. Tambo. I’ve been a fan of Mr. Linden’s since 1972, when I saw him at the LA Civic Light Opera in The Rothschilds (my first musical). He was a bit weaker as the Interlocutor, but you could still see the old rascal within… and the power and strength. Kendall and Montgomery were both very strong — not only in their comic buffoonery, but in their singing and dancing and acrobatics. Montgomery was particularly good as the S. Leibowitz, the last lawyer for the boys.

The Scottsboro Boys were played by 9 remarkable actors: Gilbert L Bailey II (Ozie Powell), David Bazemore (Olen Montgomery), Christopher James Culberson (Andy Wright), Joshua Henry (Haywood Patterson), Justin Prescott (Willie Roberson), Clinton Roane (Roy Wright), Cedric Sanders (Clarence Norris), Deandre Sevon (Eugene Williams), and Christian Dante White (Charles Weems). All were strong; a few deserve some special discussion. Joshua Henry was just a force of nature as Haywood Patterson. Powerful, emotional, and strong, he provided the center and the heart of the nine boys. His performance was just riveting. Bailey and White doubled as the two female accusers, and carried off that transformation quite well. As for the rest — well, this was such an ensemble it is hard to separate.

Lastly, in what might be the smallest role — but the most emotional — was C. Kelly Wright as the Lady. Standing in as both the mother of the boys — but more importantly as Rosa Parks — she provided the perspective of the silent observer, gaining strength from the boys devotion to holding on to what is right.

The choreography and direction of Susan Stroman (assisted by Associate Director/Choreographer Jeff Whiting) was just remarkable. Energetic dances and creative staging is what makes this musical pop. The direction brought out the raw emotion and nerves this story requires. The show also featured an innovate scenic design by Beowulf Boritt that consisted primarily of steel chairs, planks, and tamborines. These simple items were rearranged and locked together to provide every scene in the musical. The only flying scenic piece was a sign at the end of the show. Given this simple staging, I can easily see this show being done in a small to mid-size theatre with no fly space. It would have an even strong “in your face” nature in a small venue. The sparse scenic elements were enhanced by the lighting design of Ken Billington, which truly emphasized the mood within the piece. The sound design by Jon Weston was also strong, especially sitting near the front where the percussion truly resonated. The costume design by Toni-Leslie James was effective, establishing the tone very well. Fight direction was by Mark B. Simon. Eric Santagata was Assistant Choreographer.  Evangeline Rose Whitlock was the Production Stage Manager, assisted by Ryan C. Durham and Lora K. Powell.

“The Scottsboro Boys” continues at the Ahmanson Theatre through June 30. Tickets are available through the Ahmanson Box Office; discount tickets are available usually through Hottix or sometimes via Goldstar. I strongly recommend you see this in tandem with To Kill a Mockingbird at REP East; the two productions serve to amplify each other (although I doubt the juxtaposition was intentional as it would have been marketed). Alas, JRB’s Parade isn’t in town to compete the trifecta.

Upcoming Theatre and Concerts:   June brings “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert” at the Pantages. June will also bring a Maria Muldaur concert at McCabes.  I’m also considering Rent at the Hudson Theatres or A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks. July is currently more open, with “9 to 5 – The Musical” at REP East in the middle of the month, and “Legally Blonde – The Musical” at Cabrillo at the end of the month. August is currently completely open due to vacation planning. I’m also keeping my eyes open as the various theatres start making their 2013 season announcements. Lastly, what few dates we do have open may be filled by productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411, or discussed in the various LA Stage Blogs I read (I particularly recommend Musicals in LA and LA Stage Times).