[NEohioPAL]Berko review: WALKIN' TALKIN' BILL HAWKINS...IN SEARCH OF MY FATHER (Dobama)

[Roy Berko]

Performance better than material at Dobama

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


Bill Hawkins, the subject of William Allen Taylor’s
play ‘WALKIN’ TALKIN’ BILL HAWKINS...IN SEARCH OF MY
FATHER,’ was supposedly Cleveland’s first black disc
jockey.  Supposedly, since there are no known tapes of
Hawkins’ broadcasts, and few of his life facts exist,
other than some references in the city’s African
American CALL AND POST newspaper.

Word-say indicates that Hawkins was noted for his
jiving, rhyming style of patter.  He went on the air
in 1948 on WSRS-AM., broadcasting from his record
store at Cedar Road and East 105th Street.  There are
pictures, some of which are displayed during the
Dobama production, illustrating the crowds outside the
store window during the shows.

Hawkins’ popularity grew and over the next decade he
was heard on up to four different stations on the same
day.   Some feel Hawkins laid the foundation for
broadcaster Alan Fried, who coined the term “rock and
roll.”

What wasn’t generally known was that Hawkins had a
son.  And, that his son, William Allen Taylor, didn’t
find out Hawkins was his father until the boy
graduated from college. The two actually met, but
Taylor, then a teenager, was unaware that during an
interview for a job, the interviewer was his dad. 
Hawkins died in 2004, before his son ever got to know
him.

W. Allen Taylor is an excellent actor.  Unfortunately,
his writing skills don’t match his performance
abilities.  The script is choppy, often unfocused,
filled with characters who do little to push along the
plot.  There are holes where costume and set changes
break the flow.  Often it is difficult to distinguish
who is who among the numerous characters.  

Since Taylor fails to flesh out any traumatic
consequences of not having an a father in his life,
the plot has nothing to texture it.  In the main, the
story is lacking in drama, suspense and humor. 

It was fun being at the invitational preview
performance.  Many audience members were relatives and
friends of Hawkins and his son.  They responded well
to “in jokes” and references to local places and
incidents they shared.  I’m not sure what’s going to
transpire when a “regular” audience views the work.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘WALKIN’ TALKIN’ BILL HAWKINS..IN
SEARCH OF MY FATHER,’  is like a lazy river which just
flows, carrying us along for a pleasant, but not
memorable journey.   It’s a nice look at by-gone
Cleveland, but not much more after the novelty of
being exposed to the area’s first black dj transpires.

Dobama’s  ‘WALKIN’ TALKING’ BILL HAWKINS...IN SEARCH
OF MY FATHER,’ runs through June 24 in the  at the
Black Box Theatre in the Cleveland Play House complex.
 For tickets call 216-795-7000.

Dobama’s next production is ‘TAKE ME OUT,’ Richard
Greenberg’s award winning play about a baseball player
who reveals he is gay while still an active athlete.  
Production dates are August 17-September 9.    The
show will be staged in the Cleveland State Factory
Theatre and is being directed by Scott Plate


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2002 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


       
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