Cljarlotte ^osit
THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1996
1 BiARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
DeHart building ‘Fences’ in Charlotte
By Winfred B. Cross
THE CHARLOTTE POST
harlotte actor Wane
DeHart has played
Troy Maxson, the
principal character
in August Wilson’s “Fences,”
three times and he still isn’t
tired of him.
Why?
“People wondered why I
would audition for this part
again,” DeHart said. He’s done
the part of Maxon in
Beaumont, Texas, and
Greenville, S.C. “Why do
Shakespeare over? Wilson’s
plays are like Shakespeare to
me.”
Indeed. Wilson’s “Fences”
won a Pulitzer Prize for litera
ture. James Earl Jones won a
Tony - Broadway’s highest
honor - for his portrayal of
Maxson.
Theatre Charlotte will pre
sent “Fences,” starring DeHart
and a talented ensemble cast,
tonight through May 5 at its
theatre at 501 Queens Road.
DeHart has other reasons for
doing the play. He feels a kin
ship with Maxson.
“I love this thing. I was born
to play this role,” he said.
“There are so many things in
the show that parallel my life.
In the play he brings home a
child he had by another
woman to his wife. I didn’t
exactly do that. I helped out
my daughter when she got
pregnant. There was no
women around to help. That
brings back memories.
“There’s a lot of conflict
between father and son,”
DeHart said. “The only reason
me and my father didn’t fight
\
The cast of “Fences” - Left to Right: Wayne DeHart, Jennifer Trott - Foote
up to his dying days was beca-
sue he was too sick.”
The play is set in a northern
industrial city in the mid ‘50s.
Maxson is an ex-baseball play
er who had the stuff to make
the majors, but didn’t. He’s bit
ter, especailly toward the
white powers controlling the
sport. They didn’t give him a
break, he thinks, so he takes
his bitterness out on his wife
Rose (Jennifer Trott-Foote)
and his sons Lyons (Arthur
Randolph III) and Cory (Daron
Steward).
But there’s much more to
Troy than bitterness and
there’s much more to “Fences"
than the black experiece.
“I would not be surpised one
day in about 20 years if you
see a white cast do this play.
It’s so universial,” DeHart
said. “You might have to
change some of the ethnic ref
erences, but that’s it. There’s
nobody black or white who can
sit through this play and not
find something from his own
back yard. It’s simple writing
but it’s almost like poetry.
“'Troy is a father. He’s just a
father who happens to be
black,” DeHart said. “He start
ed living his life through his
son. He doesn’t want his son to
be hurt. He tells him to go
learn how to do something-
learn how to build houses, fix
cars - something that the
white man can’t take away
from you. He can stop you from
playing sports because they
are in control, but he can’t
take knowledge from you.”
DeHart is also happy to see
someone - anyone - interested
in doing quality black theatre.
“I think it’s absolutely won
derful that Theatre Charlotte
was interested in doing this,”
he said. “But it’s the third time
I’ve done the production and
I’ve yet to do it for a black
director or a black theatre
See FENCES Page 3B
Tumbling
Diane McKinney-Whetstone
William Morrow and Company
$24
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Opening Diane McKinney-
Whetstone’s first novel
"Tumbling," propels the reader
headfirst into South Philadelphia
of the late '30s and into the lives
of redcap Herbie and his devout wife Noon.
Childless and unable to have marital intimacy because of
Noon’s childhood trauma, the young transplanted couple are
both searching for identity: Noon through rehgion, Herbie
through a revert to his bachelor’s lifestyle of late nights in clubs,
searching satisfaction.
The novels opens with Herbie finding a compelling infant on
their porch steps after a night of partying at the Royale. A kind
man, Herbie is immediately smitten with the child, Fannie, as
is Noon. Both agree that the child is a gift and with the aid of
the local minister, legally make Fannie a part of their home.
They are blessed again five years later, when a second child,
Liz, is left by her blues-singing aunt to be raised in the capable
loving hands of Noon.
"Tumbling" takes numerous twists and turns as the family
individually and collectivley adjusts to one another, the changes
wrought by the outbreak of World War II, and the state of
racial affairs in post war Philly.
McKinney-Whetstone is a master at presenting images that
entice the reader and make the novel difficult to put down. The
reader tumbles into the world of Herbie and Noon and is anx
ious to see that they find true happiness.
Interwoven into the lives of Herbie and Noon are the myster
ies surrounding their children, and the destruction of their
neighborhood for a new road. Noon finds herself leading the
group committed to preventing the road of passing through their
community. Her increased visiblity leads Noon to recognize her
own worth and aids in overcoming many of her problems.
McKinney-Whetstone also presents a not-so-flaterring image
See Review Page 2B
By Winfred B. Cross
Seminar Mass Choir’s CD makes a ‘Stand
VIP Music and Arts
Seminar Mass Choir
Stand!
John Prince Kee,
Producer
Verity Records
☆☆☆☆ 1/2 ■'-•T
I haven’t heard a choir
album produced by John
T Kee that I didn’t like.
Stand is no exception.
Kee wrote all but one song on
the CD, but you feel his stamp
on the song. He’s playing key
boards.
There isn’t a weak song on
this CD. “Stand” is the most
moving, bouncing along on a
rhythm with a Caribbean fla
vor.
“Sho’ Nuff “ is the most pow
erful. Gospel diva Vanessa Bell
Armstrong lends her mighty
’k'mhm ikiM ttifir
pipes to this song and nearly
takes it through the roof
Kee is at his best vocally on
“Worship Thee,” a duet with
Emmanuel Bell. He’s much
more subdued than usual, but
no less effective. Can the man
do wrong musically?
ago A
Hold On, Don’t Give
Percy Gray Jr.,
3roducer
Records
pre
CGI
STANDI
☆☆☆☆
The Chicago Mass
Choir will always be
remembered for “I’ll Go To
The Rock,” a song that will
bring a congregation to its feet
no matter who’s singing.
On its new recording, the
choir not only matches that
high-energy performance, it
tops it. Chicago Mass’ latest is
filled with good stuff: singing,
arranging and performing.
The CD opens with “New
Name,” a whoop-it-up praise
song. The next is the title cut,
a majestic slow song that finds
choir and soloist in fine voice.
“Great Day” has the feel of
“I’ll Go To the Rock.” The
broad-voiced alto works the
song for all its worth, with the
choir delivering foot-stomps,
hand claps and soaring back
ing vocals. If you sit through
this song, you’ll need a pulse
check.
“Lift The Savior Up” is the
near twin of “I’ll Go To The
Rock.” You may need to pull
out your shouting shoes. And
while you’ve got them out, lis
ten to “God Will Fix It.” If you
still have those shoes on, you
may just have to kick ‘em off.
O'landa Draper
and the Associates
Gotta Feelin’
Laythan Armor,
producer
Warner Alliance
☆☆☆ 1/2
'Turn on a gospel radio station,
listen for two minutes and
you’ll hear a live recording of a
choir being played. Studio
albums aren’t in a choir’s reper
toire.
That’s good, because a lot of
things that happen in front of
an' audience don’t happen in the
studio.
Just ask O’landa Draper and
his Associates. His Gotta
Feelin’ just wouldn’t be the
same in the confines of a studio.
There wouldn’t be much spark.
There’s plenty on this disc.
Draper guides his Associates
through some fine songs with
plenty of enthusiasm and a lit
tle bit of pop radio flavor. If the
breakdown on the title song
sounds familiar, it should. It
comes straight from Brandy’s
“Baby, Baby” remix. That’s OK.
Draper and contemporaries
Donald Lawrence, John Prince
Kee and Kirk Franklin borrow
liberally from pop stuff. None
sacrifice the message or integri
ty of gospel music, however.
Don’t worry, there’s more tra
ditional than contemporary on
this recording. “His Blood
*
'ilP-
^ /I
I?
\Aca"W
MOiH
Washes Me” will rock any
church to its foundations. And
“Gonna Sing Your Music” will
satisfy both young and old.
'M-i
CHICAGO MASS CHOIR
Rating:
Classic;
Excellent;
Good;
Fair;
☆ Why?
^ iM
O’LANDA DRAPER