February 22nd performance marks Black History Month
The director of theatre at Northeastern Junior College, Aaron Crutchfield, spent time yesterday rehearsing a scene out of Blood Knot with college student Terrill Hardimon of Stuttgart, Arkansas. The two are part of a much larger group of students, faculty and staff on campus who are working to put together a special stage performance to honor Black History Month. The performance, called, Tapping the Tapestry of Culture, will be held on the evening of February 22nd in the Dorothy J. Corsberg Theatre in E. S. French Hall. It is free and open to the public.
Blood Knot is an early play by South African playwright, actor, and director Athol Fugard, performed first, but only one time, in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1961, with the playwright Fugard and Zakes Mokae playing the brothers Morris and Zachariah. Lucille Lortel produced The Blood Knot, starring J.D. Cannon as Morris and James Earl Jones as Zachariah at the Cricket Theatre, Off Broadway, in New York City, in 1964. It was the first South African play performed with an interracial cast.
There are only two characters in the play, a pair of brothers named Morris and Zachariah. Both were raised by the same black mother, but had different fathers, and Morris is much more fair-skinned than Zachariah. Morris can pass for white, and has done so in the past, but now he has returned to live with Zachariah in a small, miserable shack in the "colored" section of Port Elizabeth. Morris keeps the house, while Zachariah works to support them both. The scene takes place in South Africa. During the play, Zachariah (Crutchfield) finds out that Morris (Hardimon) has been corresponding as a pen pal with a white woman and she isn’t aware he is a man of color. The scenario presents a number of issues characteristic of the time and the location where the story takes place.
The short scene is just one of many great elements that are being worked on to be part of this performance which will also include dance, song, various powerful readings and character portrayals of such interesting American personalities as Mia Angelou and Martin Luther King. A scene from the 1961-based Raisin’ In the Sun movie and other dramatic skits are being explored. . Among those also scheduled to appear will be the NJC Step Team.
“What if we took the phrase that appears on the Statute of Liberty and we voiced that over the music of the Battle Hymn of the Republic?” asks Crutchfield to the group of students that have assembled to help plan the event. Terrill quickly engages his mobile device (aka cell phone) to Google the quote and see what it says. He recites it to his fellow students. The students chime in agreeing that if done right, this could be a neat expression of culture. The group continued dialogue about coming up with some short comic monologues to disperse among the other acts. The college’s Improv Comedy Group is also planning to participate.
This event, which involves a variety of students from NJC, of various ethnicity, age and nationality, will be a nice offering of entertainment created through student, staff and community engagement. It is designed to celebrate all cultures in this country and beyond.
The students hope for a lot of support from the community and the campus for this event. Mark your calendar now and plan to be at Northeastern Junior College on Ash Wednesday, Washington’s Birthday for just February 22nd, however you like to recognize it. Enjoy this free cultural offering which will be good for all ages.
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