|
 THE
BALLAD OF EMMETT TILL
We all know the story of Emmett Till - we cringe when we think
of this horrific crime adults inflicted on a defenseless child.
We are mystified that adult men could be so threatened by the
innocent whistle of a young boy. We are hurt by the psychic
costs Till's uncle, aunt and cousins endured throughout their
lives over Till's murder - the pain of being unable to protect
one of their own. We are saddened by the decades of pain Mamie
Till Mobley endured. But we lift our heads with pride as we
consider her bravery - she directed the casket be open so the
world could see the horror inflicted upon her son. That
decision helped fan the flames of a burgeoning Civil Rights
Movement. Because of Mamie Till Mobley, we know Emmett Till and
what his life - and death - meant.
If you know the story, then you do not need to see this play.
Unfortunately, the play brought nothing new to the story. I
expected to be deeply moved - to feel a full range of emotions,
some pleasant and not so pleasant. I initially did not want to
see the show because I did not want to brace myself to revisit
another example of how horrible human beings can be. I went
because we are better as human beings, we grow as human beings,
when we confront the pain and least pleasant aspects of life and
human behavior. My expectations were not met.
The play unfolded in a simple, linear style - too linear, which
was surprising for a "ballad." What value was added by
retelling that Till's father was not the war hero Mamie Till
Mobley thought he was? The play was basically a retelling of the
well-known story of Emmett Till. There really was not much else
to it. No moment of transcendence. No "aha" moment. How could
a play about something so horrible not provoke one single
thought in my mind or feeling in my heart? Because the audience
knows the story, the play needed to take the audience
somewhere. Regrettably, it did not. Because we all know the
story, the audience had a sense of foreboding, but certainly not
of suspense. While the underlying story itself is compelling
and prompts one to experience a range of complex thoughts and
feelings, the play was not and did not.
The second half was an improvement over the very long, slow
moving first half. The play as a whole was too long. The lead
actor was extremely good, perfectly embodying those 'tween
moments - between little boy and manchild/teenager. His energy
was palpable. His connection with his mother was heartfelt.
The other performances were also strong.
.jpg) The play opens up with the characters singing. During the play,
there are other moments when the cast comes together and steps
outside of their roles to sing. These "kumbaya" moments struck
me oddly. Is it 1955, 1965 or 1995? It didn’t quite feel like
the present. I didn't find these interludes effective. They
were incongruous. There is a scene where Mose Wright wears a
scarf with an African print. That did not seem quite right for
1955 or Mississippi. There are multiple depictions of Till
being beat, which struck me as gratuitous. They failed to
communicate anything to me beyond the senselessness of
violence. These depictions certainly could have communicated
something of greater depth.
The play lacked any moment of transcendence. What was the
takeaway? The linear structure of the play did not communicate
to me anything beyond the basic story of Till's gruesome murder
and certainly, his murder is a signifier of many things - the
refusal of Blacks to "stay in their place," the contrasts of
North and South, the desire to maintain White southern
supremacy, the similarities among all of these somewhat
disempowered people - the boy, the Black woman, the White woman,
the Black men involved in the crime and even the two White male
criminals, how 21st century police brutality of Blacks is akin
to 18th, 19th and 20th century lynching - among others. Much
can be done with this story. It was not.
If you do not know the story of Emmett Till, it is worth
seeing. Otherwise, you may want to seek other theatrical
options as the play offered nothing we did not already know.
-Lauren
Comments? E-mail me
at:
Lauren@so-LAZE.com
The Ballad of Emmett Till continues through June 1st at the
Goodman Theater.
© 2008 - Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Here's
what Soleil's
Sophisticates are saying:
5/8/08
Lauren,
My experience of The Ballad of Emmett Till differs
significantly from yours. I thought the production was well
done and thoroughly enjoyed the cast, writing and direction.
Initially I was hesitant about attending a "Ballad" about
the incidents surrounding the Emmett Till murder. I
wondered,
"How can such a grotesque act be addressed theatrically in a
way that honors the truth of what actually occurred?".
I was concerned that I might find myself seated for two
hours of a Hollywood style make-over of yet another tragic
event. Sanitized. Cleaned up. Made nice. I feared the type
of production that [shies] away from pressing up against the
sensibilities of the audience so that people don't feel
"uncomfortable".
To my pleasure and surprise, The Ballad of Emmett Till
delivered an honest, courageous and riveting portrayal of
this major historic event. On the contrary, I didn't
consider the multiple beating scenes to be overkill, rather
I viewed them as a mere glimpse into the magnitude of the
horror that must have been experienced that night. I
observed those sitting around me reacting to the palpable
experience that we shared last night. The audience was
treated to more than "entertainment". This production
carries deep meaning and formidable insights into an era not
too ago long passed. Kudos to the writer Ifa Bayeza and the
director Oz Scott for not bring us "Emmett Till -Lite". The
are both to be commended for bringing to the stage an
intelligent, thoughtful and moving theatrical account of the
Emmett Till murder. The performance exceeded my expectations
and wonderfully honored the legacy of Emmett Till and all of
those whose lives for forever altered by his death.
Angela
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