Wisconsin-based playwright Richard Kalinoski explores the racial divide between black and white in Between Men and Cattle. The premise of this oddly titled play is an intriguing one, involving an articulate black boy and an eager white reporter who is dazzled by the boy's sensitivity. However, for a number of reasons, the play fails to get off the ground. This does not reflect on the talents of director David Cecsarini nor the excellent cast. The fault is firmly embedded in the script, which talks at the audience instead of compelling us to feel for these two lost characters.
The play is set in 1970, a time of considerable confusion between the races (and the sexes, for that matter). Ernest, an eleven-year-old black boy, wins second place in a high school elocution conquest honoring the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jerry Rudman, a 20-something reporter, is so impressed by the boy's commentary that he later invites Ernest to breakfast at a neighborhood diner. Although Rudman won't admit it, the main reason he's impressed is that this boy is black. He wants to write about him much in the same way that reporters used to write about women who were singled out for their participation in non-traditional occupations (although this is not pointed out in the play). The boy and the reporter, meeting face to face for the first time in the diner, try to "act natural" despite the awkwardness between them. The interview ends in a disaster. Even when they next meet again, some 30 years later, the awkwardness between the two men remains. The reason for their reunion is the black man's inauguration as a college president. The reporter, who still works for a newspaper, is assigned to cover the inauguration. But he uses this opportunity to explore what happened 30 years ago. Why, for instance, did the boy start whimpering during the interview? What did the reporter say to make him behave that way?
Chike Johnson portrays Ernest, the main character. In the early scenes, he is exceptional in mimicking the mannerisms of a young boy, much to the amusement of the diner's waitress. Ernest is a conundrum: a young boy with a sophisticated vocabulary who still clutches his version of a "blankie" (in this case, a beat-up lunchbox). The lunchbox contains a number of mementos given to Ernest by his beloved mother, who died a year earlier. As the reporter probes more deeply into Ernest's past, Ernest responds by retreating.
Questions raised in this initial meeting are never fully answered. This leaves the audience somewhat unsettled and unsatisfied. While the subject of race relations is particularly important in a city as racially segregated as Milwaukee, one wishes for far more than playwright Richard Kalinoski delivers. As Jerry, the reporter, actor Peter Reeves fits the bill as a shaggy-haired hippie. He peppers his speech with "far out" and "cool," and he's convinced he's going to change the world with his discovery (i.e., Ernest). Reeves is more effective in the first act than he is 30 years later. Though his hair and outfit look far neater, the audience sees little internal change in this character. Neither does one see much of a change in Ernest, who at least has grown into his vocabulary.
Two other performers fill a number of smaller roles. Olivia Dawson delights as the world-weary waitress, whose deadpan delivery and slow gait are considerably amusing. Jonathyn Rayfield does a fine job as a last-minute substitute for another actor, who fell ill prior to curtain time. (It should be noted that this company does not have understudies.) With book in hand, Rayfield kept the play's momentum going. He is to be applauded for surmounting a formidable challenge. This is especially true in the final scenes, when his character must "speak" for a constituency that Ernest seems to have forgotten.
Production values are solid. Two sets handsomely recreate the retro look of a 1970s diner and the office of a college president. Costumes are meticulously accurate in recreating the 1970s era as well.
Opened:
January 29, 2004
Ended:
February 22, 2004
Country:
USA
State:
Wisconsin
City:
Milwaukee
Company/Producers:
Off-Broadway Theater
Theater Type:
Regional
Theater:
Off-Broadway Theater
Theater Address:
342 North Water Street
Phone:
(414) 278-0765
Running Time:
2 hrs, 15 min
Genre:
Drama
Director:
David Cecsarini
Review:
Parental:
profanity
Cast:
Chike Johnson (Ernest), Peter Reeves (Jerry Rudmann), Olivia Dawson (women's roles), Jonathyn Rayfield (several supporting roles).
Technical:
Set: Rick Rasmussen; Costumes: Marsha Kuligowski; Lighting: Andrew Meyers; Sound: David Cecsarini.
Critic:
Anne Siegel
Date Reviewed:
January 2004
