What does the Pulitzer Prize committee look for in a play when they make their annual award? I’ve sent a lot of plays thus anointed, but I haven’t a clue. Bruce Norris’ “Clybourne Park,” which won the 2011 prize and continues through Feb. 26 at the Mark Taper Forum, is a case in point. You have to chew through a lot of fat before you finally get to the meat; while there are some juicy morsels here, this much acclaimed dramedy is a far cry from filet mignon.
“Clybourne” begins where Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” leaves off, with the Stoller family packing to move out of the house “Raisin’s” Younger family has just bought, despite the veiled efforts of the neighborhood welcoming committee chair to fight the integration of his lily white hood. (“Raisin” is not so coincidentally playing—in a revival of the Ebony Rep production—at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City through Feb. 19).
The first-rate ensemble cast of seven reprises their roles from the Playwrights Horizon Off-Broadway production, with Frank Wood (as the head of the Stoller clan in Act One) and Crystal A. Dickinson (as a resident of the neighborhood in Act II) arguably the most impressive. Director Pam MacKinnon, who seems more attentive to performance than the overall staging, also returns. Call 213-628-2772 for tix.
For Old-Time Radio fans who appreciate a good reference book, “Encyclopedia of Black Radio in the United States, 1921–1955” by Ryan Ellett (available from McFarland & Co. in hardcover) is one of the best I’ve seen. Never mind radio, it puts most reference books on the performing arts to shame.
There are comprehensive entries on Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Hattie McDaniel, the Mills Brothers and other well-known African American entertainers, as one would expect. The real value of the book, however, is in its informative listings for short-lived programs and prominent performers who were not necessarily household names—Louise Beavers, Jester Hairston, Clarence Muse, Lillian Randolph.
Ellett not only includes the largely forgotten—shows like “Here Comes Tomorrow,” the first black soap opera—but digs up such wholly obscure entities as “Echoes of Harlem” and “Negro Forum Hour.” The source notes, bibliography and index are exemplary.
More from Jordan:
Best of OC Theatre 2011
Mamet's 'Buffalo' loose in OC, 'Orson's Shadow' in Long Beachhttp://shar.es/fWAUp
Beethoven & Benedetti, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo visit Costa Mesa http://shar.es/fG3xg
Where to dine before the show in Costa Mesa—Seasons 52
Follow me on twitter.
Visit my Amazon Author Page.
Like a heads up when I post a new article? Just click where it says "Subscribe to get instant updates" at the top. (Not getting the emails? Keep in mind I post about 2-3 times a week). You can also share this article with your facebook/twitter friends by clicking the appropriate buttons above.
Comments