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Ian L. Finley's Native at NRACT Is a Briskly
Paced, Riveting Drama, Exquisitely Acted

Reclaiming Our Time Productions has partnered with the North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre to bring EbzB Productions' Native to NRACT's stage Sept 13-22. This piece, written by N.C. playwright Ian L. Finley, brings its audience into a hotel room in 1941, where we witness a conversation between a novelist (Richard Wright) and a playwright (Paul Green) as they discuss revising a play that they had co-authored, a play that is in rehearsal for its Broadway opening.

The 1941 play is Native Son: A Play, based on Wright's own 1940 novel, Native Son. Green and Wright agree that the script needs to tell the story of the effects of our society's racial, political, and class injustices and that they also need to be advocating for social change. Their conflicting vision of the staging of the final scene of the play brings to the forefront the question of "Who has the right to tell the story?" and by extension, the question of "Who's version of the story will be published and staged?"

This briskly paced, riveting drama, directed by Serena Ebhardt of EbzB, piques our interest by setting the stage for the upcoming conversation with a series of brief "tag-teamed" retrospectives as the two characters share thoughts and feelings with the audience (independent of each other). And it keeps us captivated by the ensuing point-counterpoint discussion which draws our empathy with and admiration for both characters.

Reclaiming Our Time Productions' production of Native stars David zum Brunnen (left) as
Paul Green and J. Mardrice Henderson as Richard Wright (photo by J. Ra'Chel Fowler)

The Play:

Like many of Finley's plays, Native tells a main story that also contains several mini "supporting stories," while hinting at a much larger -- perhaps, metaphorical -- story.

Paul Green (1894-1981), a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who is also a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, is in New York to meet with novelist Richard Wright (1908-60) for discussions about how to fine-tune the script of their play. When Wright arrives in Green's hotel room, we get some background on their collaboration, along with thumbnail sketches of a few of the indignities, injustices, and threats that confront Wright (and other African Americans).

As their discussion moves forward, we get glimpses into the realities of the times and of the lives of both characters. We are further enlightened as the scene shifts into brief vignettes in the past of both characters, scenes that show how deeply the injustices and their effects are entrenched.

At more than one point, the well-intentioned Green asserts, "I understand" only to have Wright respond "No, you don't. How could you?"

At stake is the staging (and, therefore, the mood) of the play's final scene.

The producers have provided an online study guide.

In it, they pose the question: Which ending of the play Native Son would make audiences commit to taking personal responsibility for the way they solve deeply rooted problems of social injustice?

David zum Brunnen (left) as Paul Green heartily welcomes J. Mardrice Henderson as Richard
Wright in Reclaiming Our Time Productions' rendition of Native (photo by J. Ra'Chel Fowler)

The Acting:

The casting is perfect. J. Mardrice Henderson is excellent as Richard Wright, and David zum Brunnen's Paul Green is likewise excellent.

Both characters are presented with a high degree of determination and with the resolve needed when the stakes are this high.

And both actors' performances are tweaked by the pain and/or shame of their characters' past.

The roles change a bit in the flashback sequences -- when Green becomes "young Green" and when Wright becomes "young Wright," the other actor morphs into a supporting character. Watch for changes in postures and body language; listen for different accents and tones of voice.

Especially impressive: Henderson stepping into the role of "young Green's friend" and zum Brunnen stepping into the role of an unnamed supporting character in Wright's railroad car flashback.

The Tech:

The spare set (uncredited) quite ably suggests a 1940s hotel room.

Lighting designer Jackman Ellington makes full use of the fades and the shifts from blue to red and back again as moods and (metaphorical) locations shift.

Sound designer Juan Isler adds the music and sound effects at key moments.

Stage manager Natasha A. Jackson and assistant stage manager Shereatha Terry complete the creative team.

J. Mardrice Henderson flashes a back to Richard Wright's childhood (photo by J. Ra'Chel Fowler)

Nice Touches:

• Using the onstage period radio for the source of music during the opening scene, especially the timing -- the tune ends as the scene ends.

• The music for the background during the flashback to Wright's railroad trip.

• The sign that signifies the final "scene" when the actors have exited.

• The metaphor of the juniper tree becoming a dancing bear.

Memorable Lines:

• "a skunk at a garden party?"

• "Before he's a man, he's a boy."

• "The choices is trained out of you."

• "All it ever wanted to do was grow up."

• "The right to speak for a race belongs to that race."

• "Uppity? Is that the word you want?"

The Bottom Line:

Ian Finley's Native tells an interesting and compelling story, and Reclaiming Our Time Productions presents it well; it holds the "mirror up to nature" at an angle that is worth examining and worthy of a response.

I recommend it!

And speaking of "native," keep in mind that both Finley and Green are North Carolinians -- just sayin'!

Side Note: This play has inspired me to read Wright's novel. It's available online as text and as an audio book.

Paul Green (David zum Brunnen) thinks back to an earlier meeting with Richard Wright (photo by J. Ra'Chel Fowler)

Ian Finley's NATIVE (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, 15, and 20-22), produced by EbzB Productions, directed by Serena Ebhardt and starring David zum Brunnen as Paul Green and J. Mardrice Henderson as Richard Wright (Reclaiming Our Time Productions at the North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre in Raleigh). TRAILERS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbQkR6vT9Jw and https://www.facebook.com/reclaimingourtimenow/videos/445956075132615. PRESENTER: https://reclaimingourtime.org/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/rectimeprod, https://www.facebook.com/reclaimingourtimenow, https://www.instagram.com/reclaimingourtimenow, http://twitter.com/rectimenc, and https://www.youtube.com/@reclaimingourtime. VENUE: https://www.nract.org/, http://www.facebook.com/NRACT, http://instagram.com/nract_raleigh, https://twitter.com/NRACT_raleigh, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2ifc8evvO-kGDgGFXq3Fww. DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/. ACCESSIBILITY: https://www.nract.org/accessibility. NATIVE (2018 play): https://reclaimingourtime.org/current/ and https://ebzb.org/WPress/native/. STUDY GUIDE: https://ebzb.org/NativeWrightGreen/Native_Study_Guide.pdf. IAN L. FINLEY (playwright): https://ebzb.org/WPress/biographies/, https://newplayexchange.org/users/12717/ian-finley, https://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/298248-ian-finley, and https://www.facebook.com/ian.l.finley. TICKETS: $21.45-$23.31, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: reclaimingourtimeprod@gmail.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: Reclaiming Our Time Productions.

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