SITE GUIDE
SEARCH
REVIEWS
REVIEW ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
Connecticut
DC
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
On TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us
A CurtainUp New Jersey Review
Fetch Clay, Make Man
|
They sayin' I'm a fool, And lightning won't strike the same place twice But after this bout We'll separate men from the mice Now allow me to talk of mice and men The challenger can't whup the champion I'm gonna come so fast, like a piston Straight to the dome of Mr. Sonny Liston — Muhammad Ali |
(L-R) Ben Vereen (playing Stepin Fetchit) and Evan Parke (as Muhammad Ali).
(Photo: T. Charles Erickson ) |
Parke's performance packs the necessary wallop as the poetically loquacious Ali. His is a vivid portrait of the dynamic, egocentric and uncompromising, fighter who will not consider defeat. Parke's fancy footwork, preening, and posturing let alone his motor-mouthed delivery of Power's often dazzling dialogue are nothing short of virtuosic.
Vereen, the veteran multi-award-winning entertainer of the stage and undoubtedly best known for his memorable performance in Pippin, has ample moments to demonstrate his grace and ingratiating manner. More importantly, he gives a profoundly moving characterization of the talented, intelligent and resourceful ex-vaudevillian (real name Lincoln Perry, 1902 - 1985) who knew how to outfox the Hollywood big wigs. Parke and Vereen have been directed by Des McAnuff with a winning consideration of their individual and exploitable talents. McAnuff, who knows how to make the most of conventions (Jersey Boys), smoothes the edges of this somewhat choppy, episodic play.
Although the play is mainly set in 1965 in Ali's dressing room in Lewiston, Maine during the days leading up to Muhammad Ali's historic rematch with Sonny Liston, it also travels back in time to 1929 - 1931 so that we see the beginning of Fetchit's remarkable, if ultimately controversial, career. Unfortunately, Power's attempt to build a substantial play that is driven by both the commonality as well as the disparity of these two remarkable men is only sporadically compelling. Unlike the legendary fight in which Ali floors Liston in the first round, we have to wait for Act II in order to see the play percolate with dramatic intensity and an involving conflict.
Learning of Fetchit's friendship with legendary boxer Jack Johnson, Ali requests a meeting with Fetchit whom he hopes will be willing to reveal the secret behind Johnson's famed "anchor punch." Fetchit, whose fame in both silent and talkie films between 1925 and 1935 came from repeatedly playing a shiftless, illiterate and lazy "Uncle Tom" type character, was denounced as deplorable by a newly enfranchised African-American society. He is nevertheless, eager to see his life reassessed and his career revitalized. He has hopes that his association with Ali will lead to a film. "Once they see me with Ali, they'll see I ain't no traitor."
Ali's conversion to the Nation of Islam is offered as a point of conflict between him and Fetchit, a devout Catholic, Fetchit makes it quite clear how he feels about what he sees and hears, especially in the wake of the assassination of Malcolm X. It is for Brother Rashid (John Earl Jelks), Ali's belligerent and potentially dangerous brother-in-Islam cum body-guard, and Ali's beautiful, sexy spirited wife Sonji (Sonequa Martin) to drive the play's most absorbing scenes. Jelks, who gave an extraordinary performance as Sterling in August Wilson's Radio Golf (on Broadway and on a tour that included the McCarter) is close to terrifying as the ex-gangster Brother Rashid whose goal is to destroy Ali's relationship with both Fetchit and Sonji. Martin gives a fine and touching performance as the victimized Sonji, who strives to survive her past.
The play's most disappointing and artificially composed scenes are between Fetchit and the crass studio head William Fox, as played without much credibility by Richard Masur. The usually admirable Masur will undoubtedly invest the role with more than is written in subsequent performances.
The stark simplicity of designer Riccardo Hernandez grey and white setting with its minimal accompanying décor is enhanced by Howell Binkley's affective lighting. Costume designer Paul Tazewell has dressed the company smartly showing a particular flair for Ms. Martin's attractive and by-color-enhanced outfits (once she sheds the white robes). At its best, Fetch Clay, Make Man gainfully alludes to the significant roles these two extraordinary African-Americans played in each other's lives and in America's social history. This may be enough to serve as a counterpunch to a play whose important themes have been too noticeably scattered and diffused.
> Review of Will Powers' previous plays: Flow and Sevem
|
Fetch Clay, Make Man By Will Power Directed by Des McAnuff Cast: Ben Vereen (Stepin Fetchit), Evan Parke (Muhammad Ali), John Earl Jelks (Brother Rashid), Richard Masur (William Fox), Sonequa Martin (Sonji Clay), Ray Fisher, Kenric Green (Brothers in the Nation of Islam) Set Design: Riccardo Hernandez Costume Design: Paul Tazewell Lighting Design: Howell Binkley Projection Design: Peter Nigrini Soundscape Darron L.West Original Music: Justin Ellington Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes including intermission Berlind Theatre at the McCarter Theater Center, 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ. (609) 258 - 2787 Tickets ($15 - $60) Performances: Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 PM; Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 3 and 8 PM, Sundays at 2 and 7:30 PM. Opened 01/15/10 Ends 02/14/10 Review by Simon Saltzman based on performance 01/15/10 |
|
REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email and state if you'd like your comments published in our letters section. . .also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review.
Subscribe to our FREE email updates with a note from editor Elyse Sommer about additions to the website -- with main page hot links to the latest features posted at our numerous locations. To subscribe,
E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message -- if you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country. You can also contact us at Curtainup at Facebook or Curtainup at Twitter and Curtainup's Blog Annex |
South Pacific
In the Heights
Playbill Broadway Yearbook
