Times"Sounding the River (Huck
Finn Revisited)" a new play written and directed by Edward Morgan
opened February 23rd at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and will be
playing through April 1st.
From the Rep's 2000-2001 schedule brochure:
Times
"Twain's novel is turned inside out and springs to life with music,
humor and ghostly surprises. Old Huck and Old Jim relive their famous
journey down the Mississippi, remembering and wrestling with their
legacy, race, and Mark Twain himself."
Comments from playwright/director Edward Morgan in
Prologue, newsletter of Milwaukee Rep:
"I began with a simple idea: If we retold the story with an Old
Huck and Old Jim watching the events as they occur, then we could
'editorialize' where necessary, we could emphasize modern parallels,
and most importantly, we could try to bring an African-American point
of view to the story. Jim, in effect, could speak much more for
himself.
Obviously, this focused the story even more on the issue of race. It
also introduced the theme of memory and personal retrospection--which I
found complementary to Twain's themes. And what I hoped is that by
exploring these themes with two old friends who've already been through
it all before, then we could create an experience that was inclusive,
rather than divisive.
It grew from there. Given the conceit that these two geezers were
somehow magically alive--its seemed to me they could use magic to
'conjure up' a young Jim and Huck, and all the other necessary spirits.
And once they were in charge, then there might be ways that Old Huck
and Old Jim would try to monkey with the story. And before long, the
two men were off on a new kind of adventure.
Then came the music. Virtually all of American music is, in part, an
interplay between black and white cultures. So this became a wonderful
opportunity to draw from the well of southern music--blues, old time,
country, spirituals--to help evoke the days of yore. I decided on an
Old Time Singer and Fiddler to embody the white music; and a Bluesman
to give voice to the black experience. And as young Huck and Jim are
carried downstream, trusting, and relying on each other more and more,
the music too, began to flow together.
So I hope we'll end up with a fresh window on this great story, a kind
of fantastic exploration of a great American myth, told through three
pairings of black and white voices-Jim and Huck, Old Jim and Old Huck,
and the music. I have no delusions that I've improved on the
original-but a novel is far from a play-and our great opportunity with
classics in the theater is to pull away the mothballs of assumptions
and clichés, and give them new life in modern, dramatic mediums.
And so, with apologies, Mister Clemens, that's what we've set out to
do."
Additional info:
The cast includes Jim Baker as Old Huck, Charles Dumas as Old
Jim, Sean McNall as Huck, Raphael Peacock as Jim, James Pickering as
Pap/Sam. Also La Shawn Banks as Young Slave, Paul Bentzen as King/Rigby
Hopkins, Mark Corkins as Duke/Doc Penrod, Darin Dahms as Raftsman,
Jonathan Gillard Daly as Silas/Blake, Olivia D. Dawson as Jennie, Laura
Gordon as Miss Watson/Liza, Chris Mayse as Henshaw, Carl Palmer as
Parker/Burton, Rose Pickering as Widow/Aunt Sally, Charles R.
Schoenherr as Lafe, L.J. Slavin as Fiddler, Cedric Turner as Bluesman,
and Scott Wakefield as Old Time Musician. Scenic Designer: Bill Clarke;
Costume Designer: Martha Hally; Lighting Designer: Robert Jared; Music
Arranger/Director: Chic Street Man; Sound Designer: Steven LeGrand;
Dialect Coach: Pamela Christian; Dramaturg: Paul Kosidowski; Fight
Choreographer: Lee E. Ernst.
The Milwaukee Repertory Theater is located at the Patty & Jay Baker
Theater Complex, 108 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
For Tickets call 414-224-9490/ Fax 414-224-9097 or go to the
theater's web site,
0000,0000,00FFwww.milwaukeerep.comTimes
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