Friends of the American Library News
March 1998:
 On Saturday
March 21, 1998 Word for
Word was back in Montpellier! The troupe delighted
the audience at the "Maison Pour Tous" in Celleneuve (Montpellier)
with its adaptation of The
Blues I'm Playing by Langston Hughes.
In The Blues I'm Playing (from "The Ways
of White Folks" 1934), Mrs. Dora Ellsworth does not quite know what to
think about young Oceola Jones. After all, she can provide "her"
artists with all of their material needs so they can concentrate on living
"for their art". However, Oceola seems to have her own view of
music and its place in her life...
Director Ellen Chang's set is spare and admirably
efficient. The dialogues, taken verbatim from the story, are delivered with a mastery that
is unique to Word for Word. The combination of dialogue and narrative
surprises the audience who is stunned to witness all of the power and emotion of the story
conveyed by players speaking in the third person!
Patricia Silver (Mrs. Ellsworth) is remarkably
convincing as a wealthy-widow philanthropist whose good intentions are overshadowed by the
profound lack of connection with the real world due to her idealistic view of
"art".
Margo Hall (Oceola Jones) portrays to perfection the
young, gifted musician whose talent is firmly rooted in her Black American musical
heritage. Accepting, with some apprehension, Mrs. Ellsworth's financial assistance, she
dazzles audiences in America and in Paris with her performances of the great classics.
However, she never loses touch with her true self and her love of rollicking jazz and the
blues. Hall's performance is further enhanced by her fine singing voice which she uses to
express Oceola's emotional development.
Artis Fountaine (Pete) is touching and seductive as
Oceola's fiancé. Fountaine plays the brilliant young medical student who strives, and
succeeds, to better his situation in a time in which financial hardship (the Great
Depression) and racism prevail. He remains unflinchingly loyal to Oceola and finally
provides her with the stability and comfort of the home and family she desires above all
else.
Joel Mullennix delights the audience with his
interpretation of the "white critic" Ormond Hunter. A man of many voices,
Mullennix also delivers much of the narrative in a wide variety of accents and styles. His
"frawnche" accent is an inspiration that brought peals of laughter from our
audience here in Montpellier.
Word for Word's unique productions are a rare treat. This
performance was no exception. The minimal sets and the use of the actors as narrators and
even as stage props are a real joy to see. What other theater company could use the
imposing Artis Fountaine as a bedside table lamp as well as a grand piano?
-K.L.
WORD FOR WORD
1360 Mission Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 543-9505
(415) 626-1138 fax
Word for Word is a program of the Z Space Studio
Word for Word's performances are made possible by a
generous grant from the Florence Gould Foundation and support from Air France.
L-R Patricia Silver and Margo Hall in Word for
Word's
production of The Blues I'm Playing by Langston Hughes |
The Library has a copy of the story available for
members. Just ask at the Circulation desk. Click on the February link below for more
information about the Harlem Renaissance.
March 1988--Newsletter
February 1998--Special : Harlem Renaissance
January 1998--Newsletter
December 1997--Newsletter
October 1997--Newsletter
May 1997--Newsletter
January 1997-- Newsletter
December 1996-- Newsletter
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