The Irish Arts Center is a lively gathering place for people of every ethnic persuasion. Here you will find music, dance, education, and most of all, fine theater.
Frederick Douglass Now is the tour de force of actor/author Roger Guenveur Smith, who is part poet, part lion. He intermixes the words of Douglass with his own, bursts into song as the spirit moves him, and makes the 65 uninterrupted minutes of this monologue fly by.
Smith weaves in modern day culture and politics with laments for the horrors of slavery, and the foresight Douglass possessed to see that women, too, deserved to become first class citizens.
When the lights come up, we see an old, battered flag used as a backdrop. Smith is tall and handsome, dressed simply in a black vested suite with an open white shirt, and he sports a mustache and goatee. He recites the prologue, declaring “I am a fugitive slave. I’m…living under a bridge…in a white Bronco…on the basketball court…battering my brother to death…a movie star…running for office.” He is every black man, in fame and in despair. He references Nelson Mandela, Nat Turner, Thurgood Marshall, and lauds the firebrand white abolitionist, John Brown. Smith puts the rhapsody in rap.
This section of the play would benefit from updating. We strain to hear a mention of current events, of President Obama, and perhaps some reflection on the worldwide mourning following the death of Michael Jackson. We question why the flag being displayed has only 48 stars. And at times, Smith’s voice is so soft, and his delivery so fast, the words are hard to understand. However, none of these minor concerns detract from his powerhouse performance.
The Cambria is presented in rotation. The title refers to the name of the ship upon which Douglass traveled to Ireland as a fugitive in 1845. Once again, this is written and performed by the actor on stage; in this case, the gifted Irishman Donal O’Kelly. Both he and the talented Sorcha Fox play multiple roles. Fox is especially convincing as a Quaker leader of a choral Quakergroup; as a curious little girl, she perfectly captures the innocence of what could otherwise be a particularly obnoxious child. O’Kelly has created a far more difficult task for himself. We do not see the majesty and torment of this great inspirational leader in O’Kelly’s performance. And his caricature of the redneck who opposes Douglass is silly rather than chilling. There is no purpose in the stage directions being read with the dialogue; we don’t need to be told “door closes” when the act is being pantomimed.
Unfortunately, The Cambria ends up being a story of Frederick Douglass minus a viable presentation of Douglass on the stage. But the highly ambitious nature of the work makes it worth watching.
Both shows are presented in repertory though Sunday, October 25th.
Irish Arts Center, 553 West 51st St. between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues
Tickets are $50 each, or $75 for a weekend double header
212-868-4444
No handicapped access, but a ramp leading to the front door; theater is on the first
floor; steps to climb for all but the first few rows.
Parking across the street, $14 for the weekend matinee. Street runs East to West.
For a quick meal, try “City Lights,” an old time Greek diner at 764 Tenth Avenue, corner of 52nd Street. If he’s in a good mood, John at the counter will make you a delightfully refreshing Fruitsie, a cool drink that will set you back $5.50. Avoid the bathroom.
