Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 11, 1994 TAG: 9411110018
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KRISTEN KAMMERER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS BLACKSBURG
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The play "explores the madness and contradictions of the African-American experience in America," said student-director Willie Jordan.
The action takes place, as one would expect, in a museum - but you can check all other expectations at the door. Through 11 exhibits, or vignettes, the playwright uses humor and insight to blow apart black stereotypes, icons and cultural phenomena, including "the angry black," participation in the Vietnam War and the launching of Ebony magazine.
"You're led to expect one thing, only to learn that something entirely different is going on,'' Jordan said. ``For example, there's one character, an Aunt Jemima-like woman, who is preparing a meal. She's cooking and singing these gut-wrenching blues and you're getting hungry, ready for a good home-cooked meal. But then you find out what she's cooking ... and, wow! Her ingredients make quite a statement."
One actress, Catina Lowery, 22, a senior majoring in theater, noted: "Wolfe isn't afraid to deal with black-on-black issues. He's an African American who makes fun of blacks, which is odd ... but the amazing thing is, he makes it work."
The satire and parody are not intended to criticize but to reinvestigate and understand a unique people. Wolfe wrote the play in 1986 to help heal the confusion and anger he felt from being part of a culture that had suffered oppression for 400 years.
While the work acknowledges the great diversity of African Americans, it simultaneously unites them through their common struggle for equality. This struggle, Wolfe further suggests, is a universal one that ultimately joins all communities. In Jordan's words, "`The Colored Museum' realizes the vision that we can all live and love together without giving up who or what we are.''
As a director, Jordan used that very spirit of unity within diversity to lead his cast and crew of fellow students. In discussing the production, he mentions the work of everyone, from the set designer to the stage manager, from the actors and actresses to the public relations team. Since the first day of rehearsal, he has encouraged every member to contribute his or her ideas and talents. As a result, the group expanded the play to include slides, music and dance.
Beyond the production itself, there is an aspect of the play that defies expectations - the director himself.
A friend of Jordan's recently asked him, "Do you know how incredible it is that you're doing what you're doing?" The friend's astonishment is shared by many who know Jordan.
Born and raised in Wadesboro, N.C., he grew up attending segregated grade schools and picking cotton for sharecroppers until age 16.
Today, at 39, he is a third-year candidate in the master-of-fine-arts program at Tech.
Jordan is a broad man with a deep and ready laugh - the kind that would brighten a funeral. His face seems almost plastic, moving through a palette of emotions with dramatic effect. His speech is noticeably smooth and articulated. Everyone calls him Willie.
Growing up in a small town, Jordan had little exposure to the theater. When his father abandoned the family, his mother left to work for the New York city public schools as a truant officer. Jordan and his sister were raised by their great-aunt on a farm. His aunt didn't have much interest in theater, but Jordan's teachers encouraged him and taught him that everyone, including people of all races, had a place in the world - a difficult philosophy to adopt in those times.
"Those teachers gave me a lot to hold onto," Jordan recalled.
Jordan later attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, where he received his bachelor's degree in education. For 16 years, he taught high school English, speech and theater in Raleigh, N.C.
His first love is teaching. "It's where my heart is," he said. After completing his degree at Tech, he hopes to work in regional theaters and then return to the classroom - once again, as a teacher.
"The Colored Museum" will be performed in Virginia Tech's Haymarket Theater tonight, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m., as well as at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. To buy tickets, call (703) 231-5615.
by CNB