Native Son
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Cititour.com Review
If one didn’t know better, Nambi E. Kelley’s searing “Native Son,” now being presented by the Acting Company at the Duke on 42nd Street, might seem like a ripped-from-the-headlines inspired drama rather than an adaptation of a much-read novel from 1940. This bleak portrait of institutional and societal racism and its effects on an African-American 20-year-old man remains all-too-shockingly relevant today; indeed, you wouldn’t be surprised to hear the story of Bigger Thomas on any nightly newscast.
This streamlined 90-minute version of Richard Wright’s seminal book first premiered (to sold-out crowds) at Chicago’s Court Theatre and local audiences should flock to Seret Scott’s imaginatively directed production during this short run (where it is playing in repertory with Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure”). It’s not just a chance for Wright’s message to be heard again, but an opportunity to witness the uncompromising Galen Ryan Kane as the troubled Bigger and the equally excellent Jason Bowen as “Black Rat,” who represents Bigger’s inner thoughts -- which often guide his sometimes ill-conceived actions following the accidental murder of white society heiress Mary Dalton (Rebecca Brockman).
Indeed, Kelley stresses that it’s this disparity between how Bigger sees himself and how he knows the outside world sees him that prompts much of his behavior: “We all got two minds. How we see them seeing us. How we see our own self. But how they see you take over on the inside. And when you look in the mirror – you only see what they tell you is,” the Black Rat intones in the show’s opening moments. And throughout the piece, we are constantly reminded that how Bigger is viewed by white society – as dimwitted (by his wealthy employers), downright stupid (by a smarmy private investigator), easily persuaded (by Mary’s communist, condescending boyfriend) and, yes, purely evil (by the police and local media) – contribute to his eventual downfall.
To her credit, though, Kelley doesn’t “whitewash” the tale. First, we discover early on that Bigger has a criminal past; he’s even planning a robbery of a local deli alongside younger brother Buddy and unseen friend Gus just hours before being interviewed by Mrs. Dalton to be the family chauffeur. And his own people aren’t always on his side, either. His distraught mother Hannah often compares her son to the large rat that haunts her kitchen, while his girlfriend Bessie seems to instantly know that Bigger has not only betrayed her -- but possibly killed Mary -- within minutes of him seeking refuge at her apartment. Yes, there’s some backstory about how Bigger’s family was evicted following the murder of his own father, but Kelley (and Wright) don’t make this incident a true cause-and-effect scenario nor use this horrible childhood trauma to fully excuse the adult Bigger’s actions.
Scott makes striking use of Neil Patel’s minimal set, dominated by a large two-floor staircase, and Alan C. Edwards’ lighting aids the audience in nothing changes in scene. (The story, at first, is not told in a strictly linear fashion, and Kelley’s script indicates the entire show takes place within seconds inside Bigger’s mind.) The entire ensemble does fine work, with Rosalyn Coleman (as Hannah), Laura Gragtmans (as Mrs. Dalton), Lorenzo Jackson (as Buddy) and Katherine Renee Turner (as Bessie) making the strongest impressions.
Perhaps nothing, not even the tragic ending, is sadder than Bigger’s stated belief that “I wish – wish – someday there would be a Black man who could whip Black people into a tight band and together we could…could make a stand against them?” As we all know, that “someday” has come and gone, many times over, and yet remains a dream deferred.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://theactingcompany.org/in-new-york/new-york-season
Cast
Anthony Bowden, Jason Bowen, Rebekah Brockman, Rosalyn Coleman, Laura Gragtmans, Lorenzo Jackson, Henry Jenkinson, Galen Ryan Kane, Keshav Moodliar, Katherine Turner
Open/Close Dates
Opening 7/14/2019
Closing 8/24/2019
Box Office
646-223-3010
Theatre Info
The Duke on 42nd Street
229 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
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