[NEohioPAL] Berko review: RAISIN IN THE SUN (Cleveland Play House)

Fri Nov 14 11:14:22 PST 2008

Raisin is a great play, but damn if the white man is always cast in the same original method of the white, balding, bespectacled milquetoast.  I never knew one like that in my memory.

There were no laws operative in Chicago's codified ordinances or Illinois statutes that would have enforced a de jure segregation, that is the type of segregation in the South where actual laws created a dual race-based society.

Chicago, along with other Northern cities, enforced policies where city resources were applied disparately.  This went on in Chicago with the complicity of black civic leaders, particularly Congressman William Dawson, who controlled several South Side wards that were some of old Mayor Daley's most loyal supporters.  Public housing was generally doled out that way.  For years, CMHA in Cleveland, under its first director William Bohn, always rented out apartments in a race based way because they wanted to prevent possible altercations based on race.

After Raisin premiered, I had a friend, born in 1962, from Chicago whose family moved to a North suburb in the early 70s.  They were black.  They moved up with the van and the neighbors promptly called the police.  The police could do nothing since they bought the house.  This was just a few years after MLK marched in Daley's Bridgeport.  

As other friends of mine from my college days at JCU said about Chicago real estate, NO real estate salesman would show a house (up into the 80s) on the North Side to a black person or he would be boycotted by his clientele.

Restrictive covenants were abolished in 1948 by the case of Shelley v. Kraemer by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Many still exist, in fact "progressive" Shaker Heights has a lot of them on old property deeds since Mayor Van Aken did not want those dreaded Catholics to pollute his nice, WASP, power enclave.  In fact, St. Dominic was not built until after the old man died in 1951, and then almost at the end of the city line.

I always remember what Adam Clayton Powell (longtime Harlem Congressman) said about segregationists:  he preferred the Southern one to the Northern one because the Southern one was up front and honest about it.  The Northern one (think the Shaker Heights type, the Union Club member, the executive who could live in an integrated community but send his children to HB or University) talked a good deal about civil rights, then went home to his restricted community only to say good night to his black cleaning lady who had just made him dinner and was walking down the street to the rapid to catch her train back to E. 79 where she lived.> Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:48:19 -0500> From: TBROWN at plaind.com> To: anastasjoy at aol.com; neohiopal at listserve.com; royberko at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [NEohioPAL] Berko review: RAISIN IN THE SUN (Cleveland Play House)> > so who runs the government, the churches, the courts, the media and the> banks if not the citizens? these are not abstract institutions but> institutions made up of, by and for the community.> > to seek to blame chicago's sad racial history on anyone other than> chicagoans (some more than others, to be sure, but. . .) is a dodge, and> a shameless one as well.> > we're all racist to a certain degree or other, and the sooner we own up> to that fact, the better off we'll be.> > t> > >>> <anastasjoy at aol.com> 11/14/2008 10:06 AM >>>> Having grown up on Chicago's South Side in the mid-20th century, I feel> obligated to point out that Chicago wasn't "self" segregated: It was> segregated by the full power of the government, the courts, the media,> the banks and even the churches (the Catholic diocese was a powerful> force). Enforced by restrictive covenants, red-lining and blockbusting,> there was little about the rigid segregation of the city that was "self"> imposed by the citizens.> > > > Coolcleveland> > > > > -----Original Message-----> From: Roy Berko <royberko at yahoo.com>> To: NEOhioPerformingArts <neohiopal at listserve.com>> Sent: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 8:21 pm> Subject: [NEohioPAL] Berko review: RAISIN IN THE SUN (Cleveland Play> House)> > > > > > > > > Outstanding *A RAISIN IN> THE SUN* at Play House> > Roy Berko> > (Member, American Theatre> Critics Association)> > --THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--> LORAIN COUNTY> TIMES--WESTLAKER TIMES--LAKEWOOD NEWS TIMES--OLMSTED-FAIRVIEW TIMES> > --Coolcleveland.com*> > It seems ironic that the> week that this country elected its first African American President,> the> Cleveland Play House opened *A RAISIN IN THE SUN, considered by many> to be> America*s number one Black-themed play.> > What happens to a> dream deferred?> Does it dry up> Like a raisin in the> sun?> > This segment of the poem A> Dream Deferredby Clevelander> Langston Hughes is the underlying theme for Lorraine Hansberry*s *A> RAISIN IN> THE SUN.* > > On March 11, 1959, *A> RAISIN IN THE SUN* opened on> Broadway. The play had alrea> dy> negotiated a long and troubled road just to find its way to the> opening. It was > the first major on-Broadway play> by a Black female author. It> thrust many of its rookie Broadway cast members into major> entertainment roles> including Cleveland-born Ruby Dee, and future superstars Sidney Poitier> and> Claudia McNeil.> > No one could foresee that> the play's imminent triumph would mirror the changing role of Blacks in> this> country and the role the play*s themes would play in African American> culture> in the years that followed. Though the restrictive covenants have> been > eliminated, even with Obama*s> election, the hatred in the voices and words of some at the> McCain-Palin> rallies, still warns of racial hatred.> > The New York Drama> Critics Circle named the Hansberry play the best American play of 1959.> > Ironically, the play failed to receive> either a Pulitzer Prize or a Tony for Best Play. > > *A RAISIN IN THE SUN*> relates the story of the Youngers, a Southside Chicago family trying to> survive> in cramped ghetto quarters. When Mama gets a $10,000 check from her> husband's> life insurance, they consider moving to a house in a white suburb. A> suburb in > which the residents warn> that they don*t want a Black family as their neighbors.> > A RAISIN IN THE SUN* is> somewhat autobiographical. Chicago, where Hansberry was born in 1930,> was > self-segregated along> racial lines at the time. As a> child, Hansberry's family became one of the first blacks to move20into> a white> neighborhood. When their neighbors> rebelled, both with threats of violence and legal action, the family> defended> themselves. The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court where> the> Hansberrys prevailed, thus changing segregation in housing laws.> > The Cleveland Play> House*s production, under the watchful eye of director Lou Bellamy> is> superb. He delves into each> deep corner, carefully guiding his cast to not over-play their roles. > The > production hits all the right> notes. The humor and the pathos> run in parallel lines. The mood is> right*serious, but not depressing.> > Franchelle Stewart Dorn> is wonderful as mamma. She walks> the fine line between family matriarch and mother figure with> precision. Erika > LaVonn is totally believable as> Ruth. Young Aric Generette Floyd,> who has recently given some excellent performances, continues to> impress! This > is one very, very talented> kid! David Alan Anderson has the> difficult task of playing Walter Lee. This is a part that can so> easily be > over-done. Anderson keeps his emoting in> check. His drunk scene is> masterfully done. Bakesta King> gives a realistic quality to Beneatha. The rest of the cast is equally> > impressive. The only negative were some problems with projection and> slurring, which caused some speeches to be unintelligible. > > Vicki Smith*s scenic> design adds to the era-correct feeling of the play. On the other hand,> Mathew > LeFebvre*s costumes are much too> numerous and grand20for a family living on the border of poverty.> > CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Combine Hansberry*s superb script with> a well thought out production, and the result is an impressive evening> of> theatre. If you haven*t seen *RAISIN> IN THE SUN* before, this is THE production to see. If you have, a> return visit > is well worth your time. Go! (Be aware that the production is close> to three > hours in> length.)> > *A RAISIN THE SUN* runs> through November 30 in the Drury Theatre of the Cleveland Play House. > For > tickets for A RAISIN IN THE SUN,> which runs until November 30, go to clevelandplayhouse.com or call> 216-795-7000.> > Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001> through > 2008, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be> found at > http://royberko.info > > His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal> (to > subscribe visit> http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)> > > > > _______________________________________> Connect with your colleagues! Join the Cleveland Theater Collective. > Info here: > http://www.clevelandtheater.com/ > ______________________________________> NEohioPAL is SELF-SERVE. If you need to unsubscribe, change from digest> to > one-at-a-time delivery or vice-versa, go on hiatus while out of town,> switch > from mime to plain text or vice-versa, etc. check out the FAQS at > http://www.fredsternfeld.com.> ______________________________________> please consider a voluntary contribution to support Neohiopal - > h> ttp://www.fredsternfeld.com/faqs.htm#support> ______________________________________> Disclaimer: The facts and/or opinions expressed in this message are> solely those > of the person in the 'from' or 'reply-to' header. The fact that this> message is > posted should in no way be taken as an endorsement by the administrator> of this > list. Subscribers should perform due diligence for all goods, services> and > activities promoted on NEohioPAL.> _____________________________________> NEohioPAL mailing list> http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal > > > > > > > > > > > Sign up for FREE breaking news updates at cleveland.com/updates> _______________________________________> Connect with your colleagues! Join the Cleveland Theater Collective. Info here: http://www.clevelandtheater.com/> ______________________________________> NEohioPAL is SELF-SERVE. If you need to unsubscribe, change from digest to one-at-a-time delivery or vice-versa, go on hiatus while out of town, switch from mime to plain text or vice-versa, etc. check out the FAQS at http://www.fredsternfeld.com.> ______________________________________> please consider a voluntary contribution to support Neohiopal - http://www.fredsternfeld.com/faqs.htm#support> ______________________________________> Disclaimer: The facts and/or opinions expressed in this message are solely those of the person in the 'from' or 'reply-to' header. The fact that this message is posted should in no way be taken as an endorsement by the administrator of this list. Subscribers should perform due diligence for all goods, services and activities promoted on NEohioPAL.> _____________________________________> NEohioPAL mailing list> http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal
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