By Della Brown Hardman
If the initial production at the Vineyard Playhouse is any indication of what the theatre-goer might expect this season, a great summer is in store. Oak and Ivy, written by Kathleen McGhee-Anderson, is an incredible presentation that provides the audience with a journey into the magical world of theatre that is nothing short of spectacular.
The life and love of Paul Laurence Dunbar and his wife, the former Alice Ruth Moore, unfolds in such a way that one immediately becomes a part of their world, sharing their love, their sorrows, their joys, their disappointments. Kudos must be given not only to the actor, Mario van Peebles, who plays the role of Dunbar, and also to Rayme Cornell, his wife.
She has, in her role, embraced the feminist movement of recent years in a manner that places her light years ahead of her peers in the first decade of the century past. And who cannot relate to Adrienne D. Williams, whose interpretation of Dunbar’s mother will not soon be forgotten.
Kathleen McGhee-Anderson, the creator of this poignant production, stated that the set has been taken to a whole new level. In the small assigned space, three, even four vignettes of life are born without any sense of congestion or lack of cohesion in the areas defined. For this, the production is indebted to Sally Cohn and Lisa Pegnato. Fabrics were purchased and dyed when necessary to achieve the colors appropriate to the period. Immediately, if old enough, one can remember being in Grandmother’s parlor as a young child, all those years ago. Sally and Lisa worked tirelessly to achieve the desired results. And the costumes are magnificent. Lovely fabrics and meticulous detail added so much to the overall effect of the production. The result is the effort of Abigail Bailey. Lighting and sound bring it all together, and Max Azanow and Jim Novak perform those tasks with equal skill.
In-the opening scene, the softness of violets, lavenders and pinks sets the mood. Not infrequently, those colors are repeated in the, garments worn by the actors. But of major import is the incorporation of Dunbar’s words, whether dialect or not, which transport the audience into another world, another time. You may remember the words of a tuneless favorite, Little Brown Baby with Sparklin’ Eyes, or We Wear the Mask. Projected from one of the carefully crafted segments of the set, it is deeply moving to hear them in Mario van Peeble’s sonorous voice. One can share the pride that Mario’s mother displayed as she sat with hushed silence in our audience on opening night. Lea C. Franklin, Scott Kealey, Elza Minor and Tonye Patano are supporting cast members whose contributions add immeasurably to the windows on the brief life and times of Paul and Alice Dunbar.
The magic of Oak and Ivy reflects the creative genius of Kathleen McGhee-Anderson. How did it all begin?
Ms. Anderson was born in San Antonio, Tex., and was reared in Detroit. She loved, growing up in the vibrancy of that midwestern metropolis. As a child, she felt there was absolutely nothing she couldn’t do. She sincerely believed that whatever she aspired to do, she could achieve. As a youngster, she was active in the theatre in Detroit. She once played the role of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. She actually sang, she recalled, and in truth, she could not sing at all. But, as she said, “To dare to do it before an appreciative audience made me realize I could do anything.” From Detroit, she moved to Atlanta and enrolled at Spelman College. She became a member of the Morehouse/Spelman Players and enjoyed a creative life as an English major while there.
Upon graduation, Kathleen McGhee-Anderson matriculated at Columbia University and chose filmmaking and directing as her course of study. At this point in her life, she wanted more than anything to become a director.
Because of the extreme difficulty in breaking into this genre, in the interim, she became a film editor for the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles. Her professional writing career began there.
She was invited to become apart of the Women’s Warner Brother’s Minority Writer’s Workshop. That experience resulted in the creation of her episode of Little House on the Prairie. The late Michael Landon was impressed, purchased it, and this provided her first break-into the business – “I received a paycheck,” she recalled. It was not easy to make a living after that, but she remained steadfast and created episodes for Benson, Webster, the Cosby Show and others. In spite of these successes, her heart was always in the theatre.
A number of years passed before Oak and Ivy was selected by the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in Waterford, Conn. Lloyd Richards chose her to be an O’Neill playwright, and it was at this point that she started working seriously on a career in theatre. Kathleen gratefully acknowledges every production she is able to get, despite the fact that they are few and far between. One of the highlights of her career is the recent production of her play, Venice, at Lincoln Center. Hers, one of five plays that embrace Shakespearean themes, is a contemporary, political play. It deals with how much communities change, with how separate and yet how connected we all are.
Surprisingly enough, she has Vineyard ties that go back to the 1940s. By the 1970s, Kathleen, with her mother and father, Reginald and Christine McGhee, were regular visitors to the Island. Her father is now deceased, but her mother enjoys a long summer season, from May until October, at her Oak Bluffs home. Kathleen has always wanted to have a play on the Island, and having it here and seeing it come to life is the ultimate experience for her.
She describes Oak and Ivy as a love story that addresses contemporary conflicts, and it does so with amazing energy. For Dunbar’s wife, it addresses issues that define an audience that resists the voices of women.
Kathleen McGhee-Anderson has survived. She readily acknowledges that the major forces in her life, during all these years, have been raising her child, a son, and writing. No longer engaged in child-rearing, she can now put all of her energy into writing.
Her interest in Paul Laurence Dunbar began when she realized he was the first African-American to make his living as a writer. This accomplishment as a writer is one thing, she acknowledged. To become a poet is quite another. Imagine, he was Poet laureate of the nation! There was a publication of his works in almost every household, she said. It took her 10 years to develop the play. It began as a musical, and it grew from there. In researching material on Dunbar, she discovered Alice Dunbar Nelson, and chose to develop her from Alice’s point of view. It proved to be a challenge, not only as a creative artist but as a wife, as well. Too, it provided an opportunity for Kathleen to learn about herself.
Kathleen and the play’s director, Marla Blakey, have been close friends for many years. Marla’s contributions to theatre on the Island are legend by now. But you can imagine the joy it must have been for both of them to share this tapestry of theatrical delight in this setting that has meant so much to both for so long. Their accomplishment, given the time limits for the production, is little short of miraculous. Everything was completed within two months. Four weeks ago all the details were confirmed. This left only 10 days for rehearsal. It was a tight schedule, but the actors are all fine, professional and mostly New York actors, and they were able to bring it all together.
Marla is grateful to M.J. Munafo, producer, for making it all possible. There are not enough words of appreciation that she can offer to the Playhouse crew. They are fantastic, according to Marla. Nor can she forget the contributions of her late parents, who have been her strong supporters in her theatrical endeavors since she was 16 years old. And to all on the Island who have supported her since the 1989 production of Colored Girls, she is eternally grateful. Marla will direct the Eddie Heywood Tribute that will bring Ossie Davis and Dick Gregory among the participants to the Island later this summer. Look for it.
