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GAY PEOPle's ChronICLE JANUARY 15, 1999
EVENINGS OUT
The story of a slave whose courage rocked our nation
by Dawn E. Leach Cleveland-Kenn McLaughlin has been rather prominent in Cleveland gay news lately. As moderator of Liberation United Church of Christ, he was central to negotiations that allowed the gay-oriented church to get its own church building. (They move in February 7.) He gave an impressive performance as a closeted gay law clerk in Dobama Theatre's moving production of Angels in America in December.
Now McLaughlin is directing Dobama's production of Truth, a testimonial of the life of Sojourner Truth.
Truth is written by playwright Eric Coble, known to Dobama regulars for two dark political satires: Sound Biting, about election campaign politics in a post-industrial computerized society, and Virtual Devotion, another futuristic play about a right-wing religious leader who contracts the deadly plague whose victims he demonizes.
Truth is a departure from the style of Coble's earlier plays. It follows the true life story of Sojourner Truth: her birth into slavery, her family being torn apart as her siblings and her children are sold away, her meetings with President Lincoln, and her explosive speeches causing scandal with her radical ideas. Drum-
ming and dance bring flavor to the production with professional percussionist Bill Ransom and professional dancer Kyle Primous.
Dobama's production of Truth is a part of "Gifted and BlackA Celebration of African-American Arts and Culture," a community program coordinated by the Great Lakes Theater Festival.
Dobama is located at 1846 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. The play opens January 15 and runs through February 7. For ticket information, call Dobama's box office at 216932-6838.
RaSheryl McCreary as Sojourner Truth
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A change of heart makes for a political farce
by Dawn E. Leach Cleveland-A lesbian dies in a tragic car crash, saving the life of a Dick Armeystyle Republican congressman in need of a heart transplant. The congressman's "change of heart" that results from the transplant becomes the focus of a farcical commentary on American politics and mores in a new play.
Lydia Stryk
How the Heart Works, by New York city playwright Lydia Stryk, is getting its debut in a staged reading at Cleveland Public Theatre's New Plays Festival. Audience members will have a chance to stay and discuss the play and talk with the playwright in a feedback session after the show.
The play opens with an exploration of a relationship developing between two women who meet on a workfare job collecting trash.
Millie is a struggling young lesbian, once incarcerated, now an aspiring poet. Josephina is a Latina woman in her fifties who has lived a hard life, has raised her children and survived the death of her husband. Getting too tired to keep up, she has succumbed to work fare.
The two women from different backgrounds and with very different outlooks
on life find that they somehow understand each other and connect on a deep level.
Enter Rep. Arsch, a rabidly right-wing Republican on the campaign trail, and his new aide Ted Divine, a wet-behind-theears Log Cabin Republican type. Ted has fallen in love with his photogenic boss, Arsch's political views notwithstanding.
After a near-death experience and a heart transplant, Arsch becomes much affable and more humane. He re-writes his speeches to soften them, he plays his guitar and smokes a little weed. He starts having more fun-and poor Ted doesn't know what to think.
"It's poking fun at the seriousness with which we take our political points of view," said director Sonya Robbins. "It points out the contortions we go through as a society to figure out ways to work."
Robbins said while farces often remain superficial and rely on caricatures to get laughs, this play goes deeper.
Robbins said that one of the dangers of farce is that "you have the 'funny' before human beings, and here you have both.”
"It's a very funny, funny play," she said, but "it's not funny at the expense of anyone. It's farce without a bad guy."
The play has its serious moments, too. "There's an element of sadness to the farce, which makes it work," Robbins said.
The play also has a message of hope for the kindness of human beings, and this shows in the relationship between the two women, who establish a gentle, very deep relationship.
"Their coming together is a beautiful moment of people connecting across very different places," Robbins said.
Robbins said that this feeling of hope is what she likes most about How the Heart Works.
"It's a generous comedy," she said. “It has a spirit of looking for the good in people."
How the Heart Works will be presented at Cleveland Public Theatre at 6415 Detroit Avenue at 8 pm January 16, and at 7 pm January 17. For ticket information, call the theatre's box office at 216-631-2727.
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