As a steady diet of Paradise Hotel, American Idol Babies, Law & Order: Special Dismemberment Squad and so on have left all of us, I suspect, a little deprived in the hi-kulcha department, I thought I'd spruce up the joint a little bit with a nod to the theatre. Today's thespian-themed braindrainer:
In his first major directing job, before he was old enough to vote, a young director unveiled a production of a well-known play, at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem, which opened to a sold-out crowd and intense media attention. The play was set in Haiti (an alteration of its original location), and the cast was entirely African-American.
Who was the director? For extra credit, what was the title of the play?
First correct answer posted to comments wins a tattered copy of Armond Fields biography of Fred Stone, circus performer and star of the musical stage. No Googling or calling that New York City theatre-history-hotline (that's for real theatrical-historical emergencies, pal). One guess per comment, but comment as frequently as you like.
Posted by BT at July 25, 2003 09:50 AMMan oh man, I thought I had today nailed after having read, earlier in the week, the obit for Mort Liverman, who sparked a craze in the 1970's with his whimsical "I'm with Stupid" shirts.
(He is survived by his wife Gladys, btw, who is credited with coming up with the the less well selling but still iconic "I'm Stupid" shirts.)
Posted by: Scott on July 25, 2003 10:36 AMAlthough Mr. Fracture cannot be arse to lift his fingers to the keyboard---nor, in fact, his head from his pillow---he weighs in with "Orson Wells" and "MacBeth."
Posted by: From the Offices Of Hackly Fracture on July 25, 2003 10:39 AMThat's arsed
Posted by: OoHF on July 25, 2003 10:40 AMSpike [tm] Lee's "Hamlet"?
Well, I hate to wrap things up early -- especially when the winner taunts us working folk with the notion that he hasn't even bestirred his bones from his four-poster. Hackly lucid-dreams his way to another victory, damn his crusted-over eyes. Wells(tm) directed the "Voodoo Macbeth" as it was known, under the auspices of the Federal Theater Project, back in 1936, when us traitorous liberals were running things. Tickets were 40 cents, although scalpers were getting up to three dollars for a seat.
Here's a great photo of the crowd outside the theater.
Tony Kushner?
Posted by: Soren Bowen deSelby on July 25, 2003 11:07 AMThat is a good picture!
I'll be sure to inform our skylarking wombat fan when he wakes up. I'd put his fingers in a cup of warm water if we didn't share a bed.
Hil and Hackley, sittin' in a tree
Underneath, it's raining pee. . .
I feel there is a serious need for more wrong answeres since the quiz ended so abruptly. Therefore I will guess:
Syndey Pointier [sp?] and Carmen Jones
Posted by: teenidol on July 25, 2003 02:44 PMClamato! Bob Hope! The Whiskey Cotillion!
Posted by: Scott on July 25, 2003 05:33 PM