An Unheroic Return

Back from the Round House Theatre production of Suzan-Lori Parks's epic Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2, and 3) (and hoping that parts 4, 5, and 6 aren't all prequels). What a great production--certainly among the best offerings from RHT.

This Civil War recasting of the Ulysses tale humanizes the myth through characters that are flawed, loyal to (or betraying) all the wrong people, with the hero of the story, Hero (JaBen Early), carrying the weight of the most flaws and weaknesses.

The second part of the play deals most directly with the racial issues we still confront today, as Hero follows his master (Tim Getman) into battle on the promise that "boss-master" will free him for his service. It's pretty clear the despicable boss-master won't do it, so Hero's hope and loyalty--and ever-present Hamlet-like indecision about running away--are incomprehensible (at least until Part 3).

In this section Getman delivers a speech that made the largely white suburban audience (her own self included) very uncomfortable--it's the Southern Colonel slave-owner's confession to his Union captain prisoner (Michael Kevin Darnall) that he's thankful he is white. On the surface, it is clearly an assertion of superiority. But Parks's language and Getman's delivery of it is more nuanced: The reason he is thankful, boss-master says without irony, is that the black man's life is so miserable. Well, duh. Who wants to be miserable? He of course takes no responsibility for being the cause of that misery.

(From left) Michael Kevin Darnall, Tim Getman, JaBen Early, in Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1, 2, & 3). Image: Round House Theatre via Facebook.

Also in Part 2, the Union captain prisoner tries to convince his Confederate, slave-owning captor that he cannot even imagine owning other humans. But [SPOILER ALERT] the fact that this Yankee is not actually white, but passing as white (and also passing as a captain rather than a private) leaves no opportunity for white redemption. That's a bit disappointing, I'll confess.

Part 3 makes some of Hero's (now Ulysses's) decisions clear, but not all of them. He's a flawed human. To lighten things up, and in true Shakespearean manner, Parks's provides us with a "funny bit with a dog," who turns out to be the story's moral touchstone. Maybe true unquestioning loyalty really is just a dog thing.

And I'll give a shout out to one of the best voices in Washington, Craig Wallace as "Oldest Old Man," Hero's father-figure in Part 1 (and taking a surprising second role in Part 3 I won't spoil).

Craig Wallace. Image: Round House Theatre via Facebook.

Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)
Written by Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed by Timothy Douglas
Round House Theatre, Bethesda, Maryland, through Feb. 21, 2016.

Cast
Hero: JaBen Early 
Penny: Valeka J. Holt
Oldest Old Man, Odysseus: Craig Wallace
Homer: Kenyatta Rogers 
Colonel in the Rebel Army: Tim Getman
Smith, a captive Union soldier: Michael Kevin Darnall
slaves: Jefferson A. Russell, Jon Hudson Odom, Stori Ayers, Ian Anthony Coleman
Musician: Memphis Gold

2015 in Brief

The paucity of posts this past year means on the whole it's probably best left mostly forgotten. The good news was a new career direction for her own self and good connections retained, all of which has left me running to keep caught up.

For the arts interests I normally report on here, I'll keep it brief and start with the closest event in the rear-view mirror. Thanks to the New Year's Eve afternoon off, I stumbled off to the National Gallery of Art to treat myself to a ladylike buffet in the Garden Cafe and a serendipitous wander through the halls and special exhibitions.

The gallery that caught me by surprise was the Hellenistic bronzes in an exhibit titled Power and Pathos. The bronzes from about the age of Alexander the Great are rare, the wall captions explain, because through the ages the pieces became more valued for their scrap prices and were melted down or lost at sea on their way to being exported and then melted down.

The walls further explained the aesthetic choices the lightweight bronze material made possible (as opposed to heavier materials such as marble) for capturing realistic, lifelike human emotions, gestures, and features rather than idealized portraits that connected leading figures of the day to their godly ideals. I like that.

One piece (rather, two seabed-recovered reconstructed pieces) caught my attention. It was called simply "Statue of a Man." I couldn't keep my eyes off its startling familiar face. It was the hairline, the jawline, the noble (if broken) posture. It was John F. Kennedy, no mistake.

Another woman gazing at the piece had what I imagine my same mesmerized expression, so I shared my thoughts with her. She smiled and said she thought it was just her! No, we confirmed each other's impression and chatted momentarily. A nice connection, but we moved on.

I came back to that room; I couldn't help myself. JFK drew me back. On a somewhat crowded New Year's Eve afternoon, there were a couple of artists wandering among the tourists and office-escapees, so I watched another mesmerized viewer sketching my JFK statue. I peered over his shoulder at his sketch, which was quite taking shape. He nervously peered back over his shoulder at me, so I apologized for peeking.

"How'm I doing?" he asked. I assured him I loved his drawing. Then he asked me if the statue reminded me of anyone. "JFK" I said immediately. He smiled and said he thought it was just him! "It's the hairline," I said. And we chatted momentarily. Another nice connection, but I moved on.

I ducked into the video room to watch the documentary, but if they showed our JFK statue, I missed it. Then I went to the exhibit's mini gift shop, but none of the postcards, T-shirts, or other gewgaws featured our JFK. There's a very expensive exhibition book, though, which includes the statue, but I swore off buying exhibition books a year ago until I got on firmer financial footing (and create more space on my bookshelves). I went back to find my sketch artist to see if I could get him to send me a scan of his sketch when he was done, but I couldn't find him again.

Nor could I find, this morning, any photos of our JFK statue online--not even in the NGA press images for the exhibit. So I may be making another trip back to NGA's gift shop, where I already took advantage of the post-Christmas discounts to pick up next year's "season's greetings" cards.

[Edited to add: Found it! From this page]

Male figure,The 2nd century BCE, bronze, cm 127 x 75 x 49, Brindisi, Museo Archeologico Provinciale "F. Ribezzo” | via Zest Today

On the way out, I got to speak briefly with the chief of retail operations, and I mentioned my "Kennedy" statue. He smiled and said they usually got Edward, not John, comments on the Kennedy resemblance. Too funny. I guess that ages me.

2015 year in review

January
7 - American Art Museum, gallery talk on Richard Estes
12 - Shakespeare Theatre Company, Lansburgh, ReDiscovery Reading: "Big Night"
28 - Round House Theatre, "Rapture, Blister, Burn"

February
15 - Synetic Theatre, "Much Ado About Nothing"

March
8 - Bethesda Christ Lutheran church, free concert
16 - Round House Theatre, reception and new season announcement
21 - U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center, U.S.S. Emmons plaque dedication

April
8 - Round House Theatre, "Uncle Vanya"
14 - Ford's Theatre, Lincoln Tribute
23 - Birchmere, Marshall Tucker Band
24 - Carnegie Institution, Earth Policy Institute book release party, The Great Transition

May
7 - Kennedy Center, NSO working rehearsal (Mahler's Fifth Symphony and the ballet that ensued)

May
17 - Synetic Theatre, "Tale of Two Cities"
27 - Round House Theatre, "NSFW"

June
25 - Brookings Institution, book release event, The China Challenge 

July
28 - Round House Theatre, One-Minute Play Festival
31 - Round House Theatre/Adventure Theatre, "Oliver!"

August
23 - Landmark Theatre, Bethesda Row, "Merchant of Venice"

September
9 - Art Institute, Chicago (volunteers handed out postcards of some of the pictures exhibited)
25-26 - National Inclusion Project, Founders Reception and Champions Gala

October
6 - Kennedy Center, members annual meeting
15 - Mazza Gallery, RSC "Hamlet" with Benedict Cumerbatch
19 - Shakespeare Theatre Company, Lansburgh, ReDiscovery Reading, "Bingo"
25 - Round House Theatre, "The Night Alive"
29 - Brookings Institution, book release event, America's Political Dynasties

November
1 - Kennedy Center, Suzanne Farrell Ballet
16 - Shakespeare Theatre Company, Lansburgh, ReDiscovery Reading, "Desdemona"

December
6 - Round House Theatre, "Stage Kiss"
7 - Ford's Theatre, members holiday party

I also saw Ironbound and The Guard, at Round House and Ford's, respectively, but didn't record the dates. Recaps at "Where Is Love" and "The Touch of Art." Good stuff, 2015!

Love, hosaa
looking forward to whatever I'll see...