{"id":13780,"date":"2014-08-22T15:48:40","date_gmt":"2014-08-22T22:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=13780"},"modified":"2014-08-22T15:51:13","modified_gmt":"2014-08-22T22:51:13","slug":"fetch-clay-make-man-west-coast-premiere-at-mtc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/fetch-clay-make-man-west-coast-premiere-at-mtc\/","title":{"rendered":"Fetch Clay, Make Man West Coast premiere at MTC"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Fetch Clay, Make Man<\/em>: Hip Hop Drama by Will Power. Directed by Derrick Sanders.Marin Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company (MTC), 397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941.(415) 388-5208\u00a0 or www.marintheatre.org<\/a>. West Coast premiere. August 14 to September 7, 2014.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fetch Clay, Make Man<\/em><\/strong> West Coast premiere at MTC\u00a0\u00a0 Rating: ***1\/2 stars of 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

A former Professor of drama who taught fledgling playwrights strongly suggested that a play\u2019s title is integral to attracting an audience. Will Power, whose play Fetch Clay, Make Man <\/em>is receiving a thought provoking production at Marin Theatre Company before it moves on to Maryland\u2019s Round House Theatre might wish to rethink the title. \u00a0Or, maybe not. It is definitely intriguing and possibly appropriate considering there are various ways of interpreting it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Former Hip-Hop artist author Will Powell most likely is still influenced by his stint with Anne Bogart\u2019s ensemble based SITI Company where he collaborated with three other authors to dramatize the story of black man John Henry who in the 1800s died working on the railroad and was made famous in song. That title was Steel Hammer <\/em>and the plight of Blacks was stunningly depicted at the Humana New American Play Festival in a multi media production.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whereas John Henry accepted his role in a white society, Powell\u2019s inspiration, the former heavy weight boxing champion Cassius Clay (Mohammed Ali played by Eddie Ray Jackson), was equally as powerful as John Henry but did not accept a subservient role. Clay refers to himself as \u201cThe People\u2019s Champion\u201d and is honored as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Powell imagines an intimate relationship between Clay and the famous comedian and film actor Stepin Fetchin (Roscoe Orman ) whose real name was Lincoln Andrew Perry.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The production is a multimedia staging relying heavily on projections and music to create the atmosphere of the 1960s era. The time is 1965 and the place is Clay\u2019s dressing room in Lewiston, Maine where he is training for his second fight with ex-con Sonny Liston. Clay has converted to the Islamic religion eventually taking the name of Mohammed Ali. He is despised by my many whites and there have been death threats. He is protected by a cadre of the Muslim Brotherhood with a private bodyguard Brother Rashid (Jefferson A. Russell). The then 27 year old Ali has married Sonji (Katherine Renee Turner) who rejects the acquiescent role of Muslim women and their traditional dress.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ali has summoned the controversial Perry who has parlayed his characterization as \u201claziest man in the world\u201d into a respectable fortune and being the first black man to receive screen credit. In Power\u2019s mind, Perry was, if not equal, almost as important to Civil Rights in the 60s as was Clay\/Ali. \u00a0Stepin is in Lewiston as the \u201csecret strategy man\u201d to teach Ali the infamous \u201canchor punch\u201d used by legendary heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In order to give credence to his concept about the importance of Perry\u2019s role in furthering Civil Rights, Power has written a second story line about Perry\u2019s conflicts in Hollywood in general and his relationship with white William Fox (Robert Sicular) the head of 20th Century Fox Studio.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are personal levels of conflict woven into the overpowering inequalities suffered by the blacks and the rage of the white populous depicted in the projections.\u00a0 There is the individual animosity of Brother Rashid (a perfect Jefferson A. Russell) to \u201cuncle Tom\u201d Stepin Fetchit that bristles with frightening rage. Perry\u2019s general conflict with 20th<\/sup> Century Fox studio and specific relationship William Fox is not well defined. The individual schism between Ali and his wife Sonji bristles with authenticity and is the best scene in the play. Eddie Ray Jackson has the physical attributes to portray Ali and the acting ability to give credence to the role. Katherine Renee Turner as Sonji captures the audience with her strength under adversity. \u00a0Roscoe Orman seems uncomfortable as Stepin Fetchit\/ Lincoln Andrew Perry.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are many levels for discussion generated by this play including what is meant by the title beyond the obvious fact that it reflects the name of the characters in the play. In the Qur\u2019an (Koran): \u201cGod created man from clay.\u201d Ali always emphasized that he was God\u2019s creation both \u201chandsome and strong.\u201d \u00a0Thus fetch clay<\/em> [and] make<\/em> [a] man<\/em> [of God]. Running time 2 hours and 15 minutes including the intermission.<\/strong><\/p>\n

CAST: Eddie Ray Jackson (Clay\/Ali), Roscoe Orman (Stepin Fetchit); Jefferson Russell (Brother Rashid), Robert Sicular (William Fox); Katherine Renee Turner (Sonji Clay)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

ARTISTIC STAFF: \u00a0Director, Derrick Sanders; \u00a0Scenic Designer, Courtney O\u2019Neill; Lighting Designer, Colin Bills; Costume Designer, Heidi Leigh Hanson; Sound Designer, Christopher Baine; Video Designer, Caite Hevner Kemp; Stage Manager, Sean McStravick; Properties Artisan, Kirsten Royston; Casting Director, Meg Pearson; Dramaturg, Margot Melcon; Assistant Director, Edgar Gonzalez.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kedar K. Adour, MD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fetch Clay, Make Man: Hip Hop Drama by Will Power. Directed by Derrick Sanders.Marin Theatre Company, Marin Theatre Company (MTC), 397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941.(415) 388-5208\u00a0 or www.marintheatre.org….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13780","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-kedar-k-adour"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"