[NEohioPAL] Review of "Thurgood" at Ensemble Theatre

[Bob Abelman via NEohioPAL]

Ensemble Theatre's one-man 'Thurgood' uses the law as a weapon

 

Bob Abelman

Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning Journal

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics 

 

 

When performers play real people in bio-dramas, the results vary significantly.

 

Some employ imitation, where the actor mimics the tics, tendencies and tells of the target without actually capturing his or her essence.  The result is a surface-level similarity rather than a deep-rooted depiction.  Think Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon Johnson in the new film "Selma," where you see the resemblance but don't quite buy into the portrayal.

 

Others render impersonations, where the actor paints a well-known persona in broad strokes, which generates an immediate sense of familiarity but falls short on sustainability.  Will Ferrell's hilarious take on George W. Bush in "Saturday Night Live" sketches, for example, wore rather thin rather quickly in his full-length, limited Broadway engagement "You're Welcome America."

 

And then there's personification.  

 

In "Thurgood" - a no-frills one-man self-reflection on the accomplishments of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice - Ensemble Theatre's Greg White is the embodiment of the man.  Rather than relying on physical resemblance or parlor tricks, White depicts Thurgood from the inside out, bringing to the surface his energy, passion and humor.  You not only buy into the portrayal; you buy into it for the entire 90-minute performance.  

 

Trouble is, the 90 minutes are comprised largely of dramaturgy, not drama.  

 

For more of this review, go to:  http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/features/article_0a80879e-a974-11e4-9d1c-0fde0a75ae9b.html
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