Ceremonies in Dark Old Men: A Play - Softcover

Elder III, Lonne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0374507929 ISBN 13: 9780374507923

Publisher: Hill and Wang, 1969

Synopsis

Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, a classic of American theater, is the poignant story of a family in 1950s Harlem. In timeless prose, Lonne Elder explores the discontent of a generation that has grown old before its time, and the determination of the next generation to avoid such a fate. In the play, Russel B. Parker is a prodigal father and failed barber who exists on memories and "ceremonies" for survival. He spends his time recounting atmospheric tales of his life in vaudeville and tells, in darkly comic detail, about his days on the chain gang. Just beneath the surface of Elder's work lie the terrors of day-to-day life in a racist society--never directly mentioned, but always simmering unforgettably.

Ceremonies in Dark Old Men had its debut Off-Broadway in 1969. It received enthusiastic reviews and moved into an extended run. Since its first performance, the play has been produced numerous times both on television and on the stage, with the leads being played by an honor roll of actors, including Laurence Fishburne, Denzel Washington, and Billy Dee Williams.

About this title

Review:

Set in Harlem, Lonne Elder's 1965 drama follows a chronically unemployed black man who is so endlessly nagged to get a job by his working daughter that he finally goes into illegal numbers and a corn whiskey business with his two similarly unemployed sons as a way of gaining some sort of pride. But tragedy awaits. The characters and situation may seem clichéd now (substitute drugs for whiskey), but that's only because the play was a seminal and endlessly imitated work of contemporary African American fiction. The original is stark, simple, and still powerful. It deals with issues that have become the very fabric of social debate in America: who is responsible? The problem below that is self-respect. And the problem below that is shaking off the spiritual legacy of slavery.

From the Inside Flap:

This classic play by Academy Award nominee Lonne Elder III gives us the portrait of a Harlem family that dreams of a better life, but pursues it in tragic ways. First produced by the Negro Ensemble Company in 1969, the critically acclaimed Ceremonies in Dark Old Men opened the door for a new generation of African American playwrights, including August Wilson and Lynn Nottage.

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Rocky Carroll, Brandon Dirden, Jason Dirden, Julia Pace Mitchell, Charlie Robinson, Glynn Turman and Michole Briana White.

Directed by Judyann Elder. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hill and Wang
• Publication date: 1969
• ISBN 10: 0374507929
• ISBN 13: 9780374507923
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192