“Blues for Mr. Charlie” at Trinity Rep

By Richard Pacheco

            “Blues for Mister Charlie” is James Baldwin's second play, a tragedy in three acts. It was first produced and published in 1964. It is dedicated to the memory of Medgar Evers, and his widow and his children, and to the memory of the dead children of Birmingham.The play is loosely based on the Emmett Till murder that occurred in Money, Mississippi, before the Civil Rights Movement began.
            It opens up with Reverend Meridian Henry coaching the Negro students through their lines. They are interrupted by Parnell Jones who brings them the news that Lyle Britten will be arrested for the murder of Richard Henry. For where once a white storekeeper could have shot a "boy" like Richard Henry with impunity, times have changed. And centuries of brutality and fear, patronage and contempt, are about to erupt in a moment of truth as devastating as a shotgun blast.
            Intended as a companion piece for the current production of “To Kill A Mockingbird” it was intended as a staged reading and the actors, enthused by the material learned their lines. Yet the element of staged readings still lingers over the production in its sparse setting. The action shifts back and forth between past and present. The structure is loose and makes valid points as if they were clichés. What it has in abundance thought is raw energy and fierce passion, a call to arms.

            The play has many rants and diatribe not as well written as “To Kill A Mockingbird” the companion play at Trinity. It tells pretty much the same story without as many twists and turns. Yet it tackles racism as it once existed in this country with relentless zest and conviction.

            There are some strong moments in it. Jude Sandy is Meridian Henry, an impassioned preacher whose son is shot for flirting with a white storekeeper at least that is what the story is. Sandy is focused and powerful at many times during the production with an honest and passionate performance.

His son Richard Henry played by David Samuel has returned to his hometown after spending time up north and hitting some bad times, things like drug addiction. Now, back in his hometown, he seethes with rag and resentment is angered by the racism which surrounds him in his hometown. It makes him rebellious to the customary behavior in the town, the rampant racism which is everywhere. Samuel is a solid presence. He is vibrant and determined in the role, full of raw passion and energy.

The murderer is the bigoted Lyle Henry played by Mauro Hantman, is the husband of the shopkeeper and manages to slyly cover up his hatred and his bigotry in particular for Richard whom he despises. Hantman is on the mark as the bigoted man who oozes a slippery bigotry which he intends and does in fact cover it up.

Stephen Thorne is the white liberal newspaperman with integrity and dares to speak out against the bigotry and defend the blacks from the over racism. He is defensive of Meridian and Richard and it tests their friendship. Throne is sincere and poised in the role, utterly convincing.

Friday, Alexis Green doubled as Grandma Henry and Richard's friend Lorenzo, as she covered, script in hand, for an ailing Ashley Mitchell.

Director Brian McEleny used the same cast as “Mockingbird” and the same sparse set of a classroom setting and disperses the cast throughout the house as he does in that play.  It is not as tight as “Mockingbird” and originally  meant to be a staged reading but the actor’s enthusiasm propelled them to learn lines.

Much of the play is seen as flashback with Richard Henry already dead as the play opens. Baldwin’s characters seem more like entrenched stereotypes who are so antithetical that what divides them seems totally unbridgeable.

The ending is direct and brutal, not at all subtle.

It will be presented again On March 27 and April 1 at 7:30 pm A the Chase Theater at Trinity Rep. Tickets are $25. Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI  1(401)351-4242 or www.trinityrep.com

“A Skull in Connemara” at The Gamm Theatre

By Richard Pacheco

            Playwright Martin McDonough’s play “A Skull in Connemara” currently at the Gamm is dark and funny, propelled by vivid performances and keen direction. The 1997 Olivier Award nominee for best comedy takes a look at a gravedigger; a Connemara man hired to exhume skeletons in an overcrowded graveyard and comes upon in his duties the grave of the wife he was once accused of killing. This is the middle play in the Martin McDonagh trilogy. It asks the question of who killed Oona, the wife of Mick the gravedigger.  It does not answer it but instead frolics through some dark humor with determination and quirky dialogue.

            One of the issues with the play is it meanders along seemingly looking for a direction or its plot. It is by far not McDonagh’s best work. It seems as if something crucial is missing here. There is a lot unclear and it doesn’t seem to work that well.

            The cast is excellent across the boards.

Jim O’Brien is Mick, the dark fellow accused of murdering his wife Oona. He is totally believable as the whisky swilling, sullen and dark Mick. He is a man obsessed with dark secrets or at least the impact they have left on his life.

Mick's dimwitted helper, played by Jonathan Fisher with convincing honesty and freshness is dim and slow.

Steve Kidd is the other Hanlon brother, the constable, Thomas. Thomas is bubbling and ineffectual with delusions of grandeur being an ace detective a modern Sherlock Holmes a legend in his own mind. Kidd handles the role with sincerity and skill

The final cast member is Wendy Overly as the grandmother to the two Hanlon boys, Maryjohnny. She is found of her whiskey, or let’s say Mick’s whiskey. She is still smarting for children’s insults to her many years before. Overly is wining in the role, delivering a sincere and amusing performance.

Director Judith Swift does her best to keep it all moving along despite the mysteries inserted into the convoluted plot.

            The Michael McGarty set design  which combines a cramped living room of a tiny cottage and the grave areas is vivid and evocative.

            If you are a fan of McDonagh then you might enjoy this more.

            "A Skull in Connemara" runs through March 27 at the Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket. Tickets are $41-$49. Call (401) 723-4266, or visit gammtheatre.org

“Yankee Tavern” at Theatre One

By Richard Pacheco

            Ever since 9/11 conspiracy theories have grown in abundance, some more plausible than others. Steven Deitz’s “Yankee Tavern” takes a close look at the event and offers its own conclusions in this impressive production with keen acting and firm direction. Deitz is a prolific and widely produced playwright who has garnered many awards over the years from a multitude of productions of his work worldwide. It is an absorbing and intriguing production filed with twists and turns and abundant in conspiracy theories.

            The jukebox in the Yankee Tavern has been topped since Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., just as the first hijacked plane rammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. It ended in the middle of Don McLean’s “American Pie.” Throughout the play there is strong opinion about what really happened that tragic day and the facts used to back it up are remarkably accurate and convincing. “Yankee Tavern” uses two tried-and-true character types to deliver the message: the slightly crazy best friend and the mysterious stranger. The play is set in 2006.

The more normal characters are Adam who now owns his father’ bar while coign to college and his fiancé Janet. These two have only two areas of contention in their life. When they should let go of the dilapidated bar and Janet wonders why so many Save the Date cards for their wedding end up being returned marked address unknown.

Adam’s pal Ray is a real conspiracy theory buff, in fact he is obsessed with conspiracies which abound around every corner. He enters wearing headphones and is on a radio call in show about the rigged 2000 presidential election. Ray sees a conspiracy around every corner and thinks of his two young friends as “marsupials” who live in “protective pouches.”

Ray has his own theories about what happened with the twin towers, laying the blame not on the planes but on Bush and the Saudi royal family which Janet dismisses. But this day is different as a stranger in the bar, Palmer, a customer who orders two beers agrees with him. Palmer says that he found a hijacker’s passport in the rubble that day — or rather he planted it there, as instructed, and then pretended to discover it. Palmer seems to know a lot of things, some of them pieces of personal information about the other characters. Just who is he?

Amanda Hayter is Janet who is more concerned about her upcoming wedding and having her fiancé  finally get rid of the dilapidated bar so they can get on with their lives. She is also concerned about the nature of Adam’s relationship with one of his college professors. Hayter is energetic and sincere in her performance, a delight.

Dan Groves is Adam, the bar owner who is conflicted about how long and if he should try to hold onto the bar before the city condemns it to demolition. He is also conflicted about his relationship with his professor, a woman whom is is intrigued by and finds absorbing in many ways. Groves is full of raw energy in the role, honest and vivid in his portrayal.

Omer Courcy is Ray, the conspiracy nut. Everything is a conspiracy to Ray, there is a new one around every corner and every public incident and Ray knows everything behind all of them. He is not afraid to speak out about it either, there is no hesitation on his part at all. Courcy is a comic gem in the role, an impeccable balance between the endearing and the oddball.

Frank Piekut is Palmer a man of mystery and secrets galore who wanders into the bar for a drink and always orders a second beer for his no present friend. Piekut carries the right aura of mystery and dark secretiveness to make it work. He could have walked out of a CIA movie with the same flair.

Peg Holzemer directs with a keen touch, full of finesse and confidence. She keeps the mystery moving and the laughs coming with solid pacing.

The play is loaded with fun while also being provocative. They have a talk back at the end which always proves to be fascinating as audience an cast tackles quesoitn about the content of the play. The mysterious ending might irritate some of simply seem justified under the circumstances.

It continues on March. 17, 18, 19 at 7:30 p.m. and again Jan 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday Matinee at 2 p.m. on March. 20. All shows are at the Alley Theatre, at 133 Centre St. in Middleboro. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the performance. General admission is $20, with seniors/students at $18 — cash only at door. On opening Night, Jan.14, all tickets are $18. Free Parking at the Middleboro Town Hall