About The American Century Theater The American Century Theater The American Century Theater was founded in 1994. We are a professional presents nonprofit theater company dedicated to presenting great, important, and worthy American plays of the twentieth century—what Henry Luce called “the American Century.” The company’s mission is one of rediscovery, enlightenment, and perspective, not nostalgia or preservation. Americans must not lose the extraordinary vision and by Paul Green and Richard Wright wisdom of past playwrights, nor can we afford to surrender the moorings to our April 14–May 9, 2009 shared cultural heritage. Gunston Theatre II Our mission is also driven by a conviction that communities need theater, and 2700 South Lang Street • Arlington, Virginia theater needs audiences. To those ends, this company is committed to producing Co–Producers plays that challenge and move all Americans, of all ages, origins, and points of Director Rip Claassen and Sherri Haddad view. In particular, we strive to create theatrical experiences that entire families Bob Bartlett can watch, enjoy, and discuss long afterward. Stage Manager Technical Director/ Master Carpenter Jared Shamberger Set Designer Trena Weiss–Null Michael Null The American Century Theater Board of Directors and Staff Sound Designer Lighting Designer Costume Designer Chair Wendy Kenney Ed Moser Andrew F. Griffin Rachel Morrissey Vice-Chair/Secretary Steven Scott Mazzola Hair and Makeup Fight Choreographer Properties Designer Treasurer Ann Marie Plubell Designer Lex Davis Kate Dorrell Board Richard Barton, Elizabeth Borgen, Rebecca Christy, Jen Durham Kimberly Ginn, Vivian Kallen, Peri Mahaley, Jack Marshall, Loren Platzman Setting Jack Marshall CEO and Artistic Director The Black Belt of Chicago, mainly—1939–1940 Steven Scott Mazzola Associate Artistic Director Scenes Rhonda Hill Production Projects Coordinator I. The Thomas one-room apartment, an early midwinter morning Rebecca Hunger Director of Operations II. A street in front of Ernie’s Kitchen Shack, later the same day Yvonne Hudson Marketing and Publicity Director III. The Dalton breakfast room, a few hours later Jason Beagle Volunteer Manager IV. Mary Dalton’s bedroom, late the same night Rip Claassen Outreach Manager V. The Dalton breakfast room, the following morning Brian Crane Communications Manager VI. The kitchenette apartment of Clara Mears, evening of same day Deborah Rinn Critzer Volunteer Manager VII. The basement of the Dalton home, the next afternoon Karen Currie Production Associate/Inventory Control VIII. A room in a ruined apartment house, night, a day later Ellen Dempsey Controller IX. A hearing room in the City Courthouse, some days later Kate Dorrell Publications Manager X. The Courtroom, a week later Tom Fuller General Counsel/Resident Musical Director XI. The death cell, some days later Sherri Haddad Director of Outreach and Volunteers Ginny Tarris Director of Development Robert McElwaine Resident Playwright Native Son will be presented without an intermission. There will be a post-show discussion after every performance of Native Son. Native Son is funded in part by Arlington County through the Cultural Affairs Native Son is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources and the Arlington Commission for the Arts. Please—Silence cell phones and other noise producing devices. This arts event is made possible in part by the Virginia Commission on the Arts and The use of recording equipment and the taking of photographs the National Endowment for the Arts. during the performance are strictly prohibited. Cast (in order of appearance) Artistic Director’s Notes Bigger Thomas .............................................................................. JaBen A. Early Hannah Thomas ........................................................................... Reneé Charlow Native Son (1941) by Paul Green and Richard Wright Vera Thomas .................................................................................... Iman Hassen Native Son, the 1940 Richard Wright novel, is an American classic, frequently Buddy Thomas ............................................................................ Kalon Hayward assigned in high school and college, and undeniably secure as one of the books that Miss Emmet/Stenographer ............................................................ Megan Graves educated people will always want to read and think about. Native Son, the 1941 Jack Henson ............................................................................... Mark McKinnon play based on the novel, is barely remembered, seldom performed, and survives Clara Mears ....................................................................................... Farah Lawal primary as a historical and theatrical footnote. Why? Gus Mitchell ............................................................................. Jivon Lee Jackson One might assume that the reason is that the play was an unsuccessful adaptation “G.H.” Rankin .......................................................................... Jared Shamberger of the novel, but that is far from the case. As Hazel Rowley notes in her essay, Ernie Jones/Reverend Hammond .......................................... Paul Andrew Morton “Backstage and Onstage: The Drama of Native Son,” the critical reaction was Henry G. Dalton ................................................................................. Mick Tinder overwhelmingly positive: Jeff Britten ........................................................................... Bruce Alan Rauscher Peggy MacAulife ......................................................................... Christine Hirrel Brooks Atkinson, in the New York Times called it “the biggest American Ellen Dalton ................................................................................... Danni Stewart drama of the season.” This was “theatre that tingles with life.” According Mary Dalton ................................................................................. Julie Roundtree to the New York World Telegram: “It proves . that Orson Welles, whether Jan Erlone ......................................................................................... Evan Crump you like to admit it or not, is no boy wonder but actually the greatest Jed Norris ....................................................................................... Brian Razzino theatrical director of the modern stage.” Canada Lee [who played the Edward Max ..................................................................................... Bud Stringer protagonist, Bigger Thomas] was unanimously hailed as a brilliant new David A. Buckley .......................................................................... John Geoffrion discovery. Eslanda Robeson said that even her husband, Paul Robeson, Judge Alvin C. Hanley ................................................................... Rob Weinzimer could not have performed better than Lee did. Several reviewers billed Native Son the season’s best play. There were murmurs about the Pulitzer Production staff Prize for drama. Co-Producers ........................................................... Rip Claassen, Sherri Haddad Add to the critical favor the fact that Welles was the hottest commodity on Director ............................................................................................ Bob Bartlett Broadway, and you have all the ingredients of a runaway hit. Well, almost all. Had Stage Manager .......................................................................... Jared Shamberger Native Son been about the Von Trapp family rather than an unsympathetic African Assistant Stage Managers ............. Frances Burnett, Nicole Carter, David Olmsted American criminal, then it would have had all the ingredients. Technical Director/Set Designer ....................................................... Michael Null Master Carpenter ...................................................................... Trena Weiss–Null There, sadly, lies the dilemma. Serious, uncompromising novels of ideas can Sound Designer ..................................................................................... Ed Moser become indispensable teaching tools and sources of intellectual enlightenment. But Lighting Designer ...................................................................... Andrew F. Griffin serious, uncompromising plays, even about exactly the same characters and ideas, Costume Designer .................................................................... Rachel Morrissey almost never become commercially reliable, and contemporary theater companies Hair and Makeup Designer .................................................................. Jen Durham usually shy away from producing them, especially when they are about race. It is Fight Choreographer ............................................................................ Lex Davis one thing to try to attract black and white audiences to an uplifting drama about Properties Designer ........................................................................... Kate Dorrell appealing African American characters, like Raisin in the Sun. But the wonderful Program and Graphics ............................................................... Michael Sherman thing about a book that attacks your world view and batters your optimism and self-esteem is that you can stop reading at any time and watch