Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago Founder and Chicago, St.Louis and Los Angeles Theatre Veteran Darryl Maximilian Robinson, who directed and starred as Zachariah opposite very talented young actors Douglas Pelletier and Jonathan Pereira alternating in the role of Morris, shares photos, notes and reviews of the 1999 ESC Jeff-Reccommended, Black Theatre Alliance / Ira Aldridge Award nominated revival staging of acclaimed South African playwright Athol Fugard's "The Blood Knot" presented at the intimate Heartland Cafe Studio Theatre in the Rogers Park neighborhood of The Windy City!
Two biological brothers, one white-skinned, one black-skinned, living under the boot of the racist policy of apartheid in Port Elizabeth, South Africa ( as well as living under the same pondokkie roof ), stand at the center of the powerful, emotionally-searing, humorous and touching dramatic masterpiece known as Athol Fugard's "The Blood Knot."
Morris, the lighter brother, refuses to venture from the house. He does not wish to be identified or caught not fitting in.
Zachariah, the darker brother, must work to provide bread and means, but also must face the foul, unjust and oppressive practices the white authorities heap on him at any time for a moment's pleasure.
Fugard's tale of oppression, apartheid, and ultimately bonding brotherhood was his first truly acclaimed stage work.
Due to the political climate at the time, the work initially received a premiere of one public performance only in 1961, with Athol Fugard appearing as Morris, and his gifted life-long friend and fellow actor Zakes Mokae as Zachariah in Johannesburg, South Africa.
However, a highly-respected and noted American theatre producer, Lucille Lortel, opted to present the work Off-Broadway in New York in 1964, starring J. D. Cannon as Morris and James Earl Jones as Zachariah under the direction of John Berry.
The piece ran at The Cricket Theatre for 239 performances, was the first South African play in New York to feature a multi-racial cast, received fine notices, and launched Athol Fugard's American career as a playwright!
Here are comments regarding the 1999 Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago revival:
"Starring in Fugard's dramatic masterpiece are Darryl Maximilian Robinson as Zachariah and Jonathan Pereira as Morris, who are two brothers living in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, victims of the Satanic, oppressive apartheid...Both actors provided for the audience a profound and compelling interpretation of "The Blood Knot" of two brothers white and black who were both confused and bewildered. From beginning to its conclusion, Robinson and Pereira were totally involved in the play...Having seen many productions of "Blood Knot" since it first premiered two decades ago, Excaliber Shakespeare Company's production is by far the best I have witnessed." -- Earl Calloway, The Chicago Defender, Feb. 10, 1999.
"Morris, the lighter younger brother, struggles to maintain his ground against his domineering working-class older and darker brother Zachariah. Actor-director Darryl Maximilian Robinson wears the laborer Zachariah's roughneck demeanor like a pair of well-worn work boots. Douglas Pelletier's portrayal of Morris is a perfect foil to Zachariah...Both actors bring their character's conflict to a boil in physical scenes that are as searing as the scenes of emotional sparring. This production of The Blood Knot shows the path to racial accommodation will not always be painless." -- Robert Schultz, The Chicago Outlines, Theatre, Feb. 17, 1999.
"There are times when material and individuals click, They mesh. They congeal. Such is the case with the works of Athol Fugard and the actor/director/producer Darryl Maximilian Robinson. As the founder of The Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago, a multi-racial professional Chamber Theatre, he has performed such classics as Beckett, Shaw and Shakespeare with a historical perspective and a obvious love of the material. The production has been well staged. One reason is Robinson himself. His voice soars with appreciative emotion. His stage presence engulfs as it brings life to the character. His is a performance, very well executed. Crisply precise. But, when he performs in a Fugard play, something else happens. He no longer acts a role. He is the role." -- Al Boswell, A Point of View, The Gary Info, Feb. 4, 1999.
24 years ago this month, joined by talented young actors Douglas Pelletier and Jonathan Pereira alternating in the role of the light-skinned brother Morris, Joseph Jefferson Citation Award Winner and Chicago-born theatre veteran Darryl Maximilian Robinson directed and played the role of the dark-skinned brother Zachariah in the 1999 Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago revival of Athol Fugard's powerful anti-apartheid drama "The Blood Knot" staged at the intimate Heartland Cafe Studio Theatre in Chicago.
Though both actors playing the role of Morris did very good work, Jonathan Pereira was particularly outstanding as "Morrie", and Mr. Robinson chose him to go on opening night, resulting in the show being JEFF RECOMMENDED.
Jonathan Pereira would also go on to appear opposite Mr. Robinson in the videotaped 1999 Chicago Cable Access Television Network Channel 19 production of the play, broadcast as free-to-the-public arts programming.
Athol Fugard's "The Blood Knot" is a great play, an important play, and after the success of ESC's 1997 award-winning production of Fugard's "Master Harold and The Boys", Excaliber Shakespeare Company of Chicago Founder Robinson chose to mount the piece in the same venue "Harold" went on in, The Heartland Cafe Studio Theatre of Rogers Park in The Windy City. "The Blood Knot" would be the last and one of the best productions Mr. Robinson would stage there.
And, at the end of the 1998-1999 theatre season, for his staging of the play, Darryl Maximilian Robinson received a 1999 Chicago Black Theatre Alliance / Ira Aldridge Award Nomination for Best Direction Of An Ensemble. Mr. Robinson has always been and will be grateful to talented actors Douglas Pelletier and Jonathan Pereira, his "two stage brothers" from "The Blood Knot" for that.
Note: Most recently, Darryl Maximilian Robinson was named a winner of a 2022 Making The World Happening Award for his numerous online theatre-related offerings at Allevents.in during the early years of The Covid-19 pandemic.
Comments
Post a Comment