ATLANTA SHAKES-The Book of Will at Theatrical Outfit

~Reviewed by Doc Lawrence

Celebrating First Folio

Commenting about The Book of Will, Theatrical Outfit’s Artistic Director Tom Key asks “where would we possibility be without Shakespeare’s words, his characters, his stories that we watch again and again, these bridges across incomprehension and chaos?”

Who would we be without them?

The catastrophic possibility that Shakespeare’s plays would have not made their way from 1600s London hovers over Lauren Gunderson’s masterful play, chosen to launch Theatrical Outfit’s 2018-2019 Season of Beauty  

A few year’s after the Bard’s death, his friends embark on a mission to publish his plays after reconstructing the original scripts which are lost, scattered and even distorted in pirated versions. The Herculean task is the mission of John Heminges, Henry Condell and actor Richard Burbage, determined to produce a collection for posterity known as First Folio.

A Spectacular Cast

Decatur, Georgia native Gunderson, an Emory University alum, creates words that live in actors and audiences. As the most produced living playwright in America, she works magic with those words for two hours. Her terrific comedy about the effort to preserve Shakespeare’s works unfolds as one of the seminal events in preserving the cultural heritage of Western civilization. You can only wonder how barren our language and empty our hearts would be had First Folio not been published.

Will has some hilarious moments and with the appearance of curmudgeon Ben Johnson, played brilliantly by William S. Murphey, the audience is reminded that Shakespeare created memorable characters that often resembled his colleagues be they a besotted windbag or lovable romantic. 

Much of the play revisits those days in London and Stratford-upon-Avon when a group of high-minded actors and friends of Shakespeare recognized the existential horror of losing the enormous body of his works. Eliana Marianes as Alice Heminges delivers an important message: Shakespeare understood women, perhaps better than any playwright then or now. 

Will chronicles the saving and preservation of Shakespeare’s plays. It also uses the stage to communicate a universal message. Words matter. Today, they may mean more than ever. Civilization is rightly measured by how well it honors cultural treasures.

Imagine a world without these words from Shakespeare: “It’s not enough to speak, but to speak true.” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream); “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” (All’s Well that Ends Well); “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” (Twelfth Night); “To be or not to be, that is the question.” (Hamlet)

Ms. Gunderson’s play is entertaining and convincing. There was a moment in time when Shakespeare’s words could have disappeared. That they are with now with us affirms the hope that they will survive, continuing to provide that bridge of understanding what is good and what makes us stronger.

The Book of Will is a wonderful vehicle to introduce younger generations to Shakespeare. Two hours of endearing laughter and suspense powerfully delivered by a stellar cast surrounded by an amazing set is something to behold, an effort that a movie would be hard pressed to equal. 

Directed by David Crowe. Through Sept. 9, 2018. Images: Casey Gardner

www.theatricaloutfit.org 

The Bikinis-Laugh, Cry or Limbo!

~Doc Lawrence

Meet The Bikinis

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA-It’s the new millennium and after 20 years, The Bikinis are getting back together. That girl group born in the sixties that everyone loves is bringing back the sun, fun and all the great songs they sang down on the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore… all to raise money for the good folks at Sandy Shores RV Resort.

In front of a live audience, The Bikinis, who could be called Jersey Girls, relive their heyday and beyond, with everything beginning the summer of 1964, the night they got their name, winning the Belmar Beach Talent Contest wearing their bikinis. The four members of The Bikinis are Jodi and Annie, two sisters from Passaic, New Jersey; Karla, their first cousin from Philly and best friend Barbara, from Staten Island.

For two hours, the intimate confines of Art Station Theatre rocks and rolls through 38 songs covering  hits from Under the Boardwalk, Heat Wave and Hank Ballard’s timeless, The Twist, on through  classics by Elvis, the Everly Brothers to Donna Summer and more. 

Way above as quality entertainment compared to the tiring summer fare of the countless “Della’s,” this is a challenging musical where only top voices can work because the audience has warm memories of the songs. Every red-blooded American surely has the wisdom of  Mama Said, by the Shrieles branded somewhere in their mind. 

Opening Night Partiers

A salute to the cast: Aretta Baumgartner (Annie), Wendy Bennet (Karla), Adena Brumer and Janelle Lannen (Barbara) have almost perfect voices and deliver sweet harmonies and powerful solos flawlessly. It’s a long journey covering everything from The Drifter’s to the Mama’s and the Papa’s, Bobby Darin, Connie Francis and the King.

Karen Beyer’s tight, skillful directing keeps everything flowing.

Take someone with you to see this. It’s timeless and pure Americana. Have a margarita before and one after the show. Some will want to attempt the Limbo or The Twist. Or, sing out loud, "When will I be Loved?"

Free & ample parking. 

Tickets: (770) 469.1105; www.artststion.org

The July 4 Feast-Southern Style

South Georgia has a distinctive culinary heritge. The top authority on what’s cooking there for the Fourth of July feast is the Emmy Award winning chef from Albany, Lara Lyn Carter. No matter how busy her schedule, Lara Lyn always has a special recipe or two for our great celebrations. 

To go along with Jim Sanders Georgia Brunswick Stew and the slabs of baby back ribs I’m serving around 3 p.m. on Independence Day, here are two of Lara Lyn’s creations that I know you’ll enjoy.

Cajun Potato Salad

2 lbs. sweet potatoes cut to 1-inch cubes

3/4 lb. Cajun turkey sausage sliced

1/2 cup Vidalia or sweet onion chopped

6 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. creole mustard

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Roast the potatoes for 35 minutes or until tender on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper together and set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage and onion together until the sausage is done and the onions are tender. Add the potatoes to the sausage mixture. Pour the liquid mixture into the skillet and stir into the potatoes and sausage. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the parsley and scallions and toss well. 

Sweet Southern Barbecue Sauce

12 oz. tomato paste

1 ¾ cups water

¼ cup molasses

½ cup honey

1 ½ garlic powder

1 ½ tsp. onion powder

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. dry mustard

¼ cup coconut sugar

Combine the tomato paste and water into a large sauce pot over low heat. Stir frequently until the tomato paste and water are well combined. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well until all ingredients are blended. Simmer over low heat for five minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.

BEAVERAGES: For wines, try a Cru Beaujolais like Morgon, served slightly chilled. A white wine (chilled), pour a dry Riesling or RagApple Lassie (North Carolina) Viognier. 

Georgia Brunswick Stew-Jim Sanders Family Recipe

~Doc Lawrence

For many years they gathered for barbecue, Brunswick Stew, fine French wines and elevated conversation in the rear of his legendary Atlanta wine store. Jim Sanders was rightly called the father of fine wines in Georgia. He also was a genuine gourmet with a highly develop palate, who loved to entertain.

Sanders, a bear of a man, was well-educated with a Master's in English from Emory University. He was proud of his service in the Army during World War II, when he was wounded five times during the Pacific Campaign. A native of Covington, Georgia, his culinary skills reflected Georgia and French influences. 

Just prior to his death, Jim gave me his notes which contain many recipes. His Brunswick Stew recipe was handed down through generations of his family. It has the flavor of America with a distinctly exciting Southern accent.

JIM SANDERS GEORGIA BRUNSWICK STEW

INGREDIENTS:

1 four-pound baking chicken

4 pounds ground pork

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1-tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoons cayenne pepper

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup red wine, preferably Rhone style

3 to 4 tablespoons bacon drippings

36 ounces tomato juice

4 ounce tomato catsup

3 cups cut shoepeg corn

Kosher salt and black pepper

PREPARATION:

Boil the chicken until it is very tender, cool, de-bone and chop the meat finely. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, braise the pork until half done. Add half the chopped onions, one chopped garlic clove, chili powder, thyme, cayenne pepper and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. Continue to braise until the meat is well browned, stirring every few minutes to break up any lumps and combine with chicken. Add the tomato juice and catsup and simmer for 11/2 hours. Add the rest of the chopped onions, another chopped garlic clove and simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste for salt and spoon off the fat before serving.

Jim always served a Beaujolais or Rhone wine with this dish. Iced tea (sweet) and fresh-squeezed lemonade are also wonderful beverage accompaniments.

NOTE: I have a limited number of Jim's cookbooks. Contact me is interested: 

doclawrence@mindspring.com

An African Voice in Alabama-Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo. Hardcover – Deckle Edge, May 8, 2018 by Zora Neale Hurston with foreword by Alice Walker

Reviewed by Doc Lawrence

I visited Africatown two decades ago during a press trip to Mobile, Alabama’s charming port city. While I was fascinated by the history, a mixture of the tragedy of slavery and the power of human determination to survive, I left unaware of Cudjo Lewis who lived there and is buried in the community cemetery. With the publication recently of Zora Neale Hurston’s stunning Barracoon, a book she wrote from around 1927 to 1931, but was rejected by publishers until 2018, we are beginning to learn first-hand Cudjo’s story of childhood in Africa, his kidnapping by slave traders, a  nightmarish journey to Alabama where he was sold into slavery. 

A strange word, Barracoon was the infamous holding facility for kidnapped Africans awaiting a trans-Atlantic journey.

What makes Hurston’s interviews spellbindingly original is best described in Barracoon by the author.  “Of all the millions transported from Africa to the Americas, only one man is left. The only man on earth who has in his heart the memory of his African home; the horrors of a slave raid; the barracoon; the Lenten tones of slavery; and who has 67 years of freedom in a foreign land behind him.” 

Cudjo with Grandchildren

The  recently discovered slave ship believed to be the Clotilda has rested underwater in Mobile Bay and was the transport for Cudjo’s harrowing middle passage into bondage. He remembered the ship, its human cargo and the recalled the suffering endured as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean. 

Zora Neale Hurston

During Hurston’s visits with Cudjo, they established a friendship while regularly enjoying peaches and watermelons from his garden. Cudjo's name from birth was African, Kossola. When she first spoke his name, he tearfully told her, “Nobody don’t callee me my name from cross de water but you.” 

Cudjo spoke in a unique vernacular which Ms. Hurston respectfully records but which was, according to many accounts, one of several reasons publishers didn’t want to take a chance on the book for decades. Contrast this rejection with Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus Stories, where African vernacular interpreted by the white author was a commercial success.

Alice Walker’s introduction is a tutorial on Zora Neale Hurston as well as a reminder that the legacy of slavery and the sting of its painful progeny racial segregation have not slipped into the dustbin of antiquity. One of the most gifted members of the Harlem Renaissance, Ms. Hurston’s books, particularly the American classic, These Eyes Were Watching God, have only recently garnered well-deserved acclaim. The isolated world of her childhood, not too much different from Cudjo’s, is on display in Hurston’s hometown of Eatonville, Florida, a black city founded by former slaves who  have maintained much of their culture. 

Hurston, who died impoverished, was buried in a pauper’s grave near Fort Pierce, Florida. A giant among American authors, she was cleaning houses when she died. Alice Walker located her grave and placed an appropriate headstone. Africatown was added to the National Register of Historic of Historic Places in 2012. Cudjo is buried in the cemetery.