Play in Debut at Karamu's Arena

Dorothy Silver Powerful in 'Bessie Smith'

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By PETER BELLAMY white hospital will never be herself and the audience This is not true of "The Zoo Dorothy Silver, the wife of known, but the principle of through an emotional wringer Story," a way-out bore. Reuben Silver, director of her having been denied mediin the role of this ghastly feIn it Albee's apparent mesdrama at Karamu House, is cal attention is no less inhu-male. As a composite of big-sage is that we are all living giving an enormously power-man. Albee, for his ots and persons of sick, sick in our own private zoos within ful and gripping emotional performance in the Edward purposes, has changed the lominds, the character may be the context of a universal zoo, cale from Mississippi to overdrawn, but her portrayal holds attention in a theatrical an idea of little originality. Memphis, Tenn. He delivers the concept by THE DRAMATIC effect of Frank Bryant is realistic as means of a one-sided converThis one-act play, never bethe play derives from the rethe Negro who willingly for-sation between an obviously, fore seen in Cleveland, is actions of hospital personnel feits the respect of his own insane vagrant and a publishbeing presented, along with to the arrival of Miss Smith people to abase himself and ing firm executive in Central another Albee one-acter, "The at the hospital doors. The find preferment in a white Park.

Albee drama, "The Death of Bessie Smith," at the Arena Theater.

Zoo Story."

vise.

play has characterizations world. Calvin Thomas is mov-

one can follow and recognize. ing and human as Bessie THE VAGRANT'S monoTHE FIRST play is based Its compassion, tolerance, Smith's manager, especially logue about his adulterous, on the death of Bessie Smith, hatred and prejudice cross when he goes into shock at drunken mother, a Negro the greatest of Negro blues racial lines. the grisly circumstances of homosexual, a boyhood homosingers. She died of injuries Dominating character of her death. sexual relationship, and a suffered in an automobile acthe play is a white nurse, who landlady who is a "drunken cident in 1937 near Clarksdrips with venom in her savLEE K. STERN plays with bag of garbage," I found tiredale, Miss., after being re-age attitude towards Negroes, of decent instincts. Joseph healthy. The final death scene feeling the role of the intern some, offensive and unfused treatment at a white Jews and liberals. Sadistic hospital. and neurotic, she baits Ne-Fields, Jack Crail and Kar-is interminable. Whether Miss Smith would groes and whites alike. Her anne Frew have bit parts. The A sad thing, too, for Ron character of Bessie Smith, in-O'Neal, as the vagrant, and have survived her injuries hysterical personality is remhad she been treated at the iniscent of that of Blanche incidentally, is never seen on Norman Berman, as the stolid Tennessee Williams' "A stage. publishing executive, have Streetcar Named Desire. The play has something to acting talent of a high order. say and does it with convicThe former has a tremendous! MRS. SILVER puts both tion and eloquence. amount of lines and handles them faultlessely.