Black Theatre Troupe's The Old Settler at The Helen K. Mason for the Performing Arts
(out of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Reviewed 1/14/00
(out of )The Harlem Renaissance has been examined by various productions from several perspectives in the past few seasons, but never from this personal a focus. John Henry Redwood's The Old Settler drops all of the great names and tosses in the stylized lingo, music and clothing of this vibrant time, but uses it as a colorful background to a moving story. Black Theatre Troupe has mounted this tight script and enhanced it with amazing direction and impressive performances.
Elizabeth Borny and Quilly McGrath are transplanted southern sisters living in a three bedroom Harlem tenement that is filled to overflowing with Elizabeth's quaint furnishings and photos. She is an "old settler," a woman over forty who is unmarried and unlikely to change that situation. She and her outspoken, formerly married sister have settled into a bickering existence until they take in a boarder to help pay the rent. This young southern gentleman, searching with honest intentions for the wayward love from his hometown, arouses certain feelings in the numb Elizabeth, and disrupts the sister's domestic tranquility.
Director Kenneth Daugherty has paced this production masterfully, letting the actors take their time moving through this parlor drama to a languid blues beat, allowing for the occasional swelling of a gospel rhythm as the drama intensifies. Near the end, Mr. Daugherty brazenly allows the actress playing Elizabeth to wring every second out of a compressed night of longing, boldly letting the audience feel her anxiety for minutes on end, while marking the march of time by a series of perfectly chosen songs on the ever-present console radio. By taking his audience on this difficult journey, he cements our bond with this noble woman.
Noble, though, is not enough of a descriptor for the performance of Rico Burton, who is utterly believable as Elizabeth moves from settler to sensuous. She innately captures her character's emotional states and inhabits the awakened desires and conflicted moral fortitudes like rooms built to fit her personally. Evelyn Brown-Gray's argumentative Quilly is wonderfully presented, and the two actresses interact as though they've had a lifetime to rehearse this difficult relationship. Newcomer Zee Grigsby is a great counterbalance, presenting Husband Witherspoon, the fish-out-of-water-character, with believable wide-eyes and charming southern manners. Only Toni Robinson as Husband's initial desire, the explosive Lou Bessie Preston, is not up to the rest of the cast's high level, taking attitude well, but rushing through her pointed comments and money-centered motivations.
The design team has nearly matched the level of the leads and director, recreating the setting and moods in a way that would make a more wealthy company proud. Thom Gilseth's cluttered Harlem living room, hallways and kitchen innovatively allow for full realism without loss of sight lines in the use of half-implied walls and moldings. Michael J. Eddy's perfectly established Lighting Design sweeps us through hot afternoon arguments and smouldering night time desires with washes of warm ambers and pinpoints of steely blues. Just as incredible is David Temby's integral Sound Design, which includes subtly great music choices, and perfectly established ambient door and buzzer sounds. Finally, Carol Simmon's Costumes and Jean Crudup's Properties add the finishing touches to the '40s feel of the production from the jaunty tilt of a period ladies hat to the many black and white photos and crucifix-emblazoned fan that Quilly uses to accentuate her blinding tirades.
This wonderful blend of Harlem explosiveness and personal hardships is one of the most universal plays to come from BTT. This is a human drama, well-tailored to include racial injustices. The central theme of the May/September romance, though, is the situation that transcends race, creed or color, keeping the audience held in place and hoping for the best.
Production Details:
The Old Settler by John Henry
Redwood
Black Theatre Troupe
The Helen K. Mason for the Performing Arts, Phoenix
(602) 258-8128
January 6th - 23rd, 2000