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Cuttin’ Up @ Alliance Theatre
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cuttin’ Up. Alliance Theatre.
Through May 13. 404-733-5000. www.alliancetheatre.org
At Howard’s Barbershop, African-American males from lawyers to preachers to sullen ghetto hip-hoppers feel free to swap stories and gossip, tell jokes, brag about their sexual adventures and comment on the latest rave in the media.
Don Imus, Hurricane Katrina, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin’s road projects and the war in Iraq are among the hot topics. The mythical Atlanta barbershop, though, is a timeless place, with a 1950s belief in old-fashioned values such as hard work, religion and patriotism. In the age of the Internet and cellphones, Howard’s is like a place remembered from childhood, where youngsters are initiated into the rituals of manhood and where men working and battling in the working world can escape and try to hold on to their youth.
The barbershop is the setting of “Cuttin’ Up,” a play that swings from hilarity to poignancy at the Alliance Theatre.Written by Charles Randolph-Wright based on oral histories collected by Craig Marberry in the book of the same name, “Cuttin’ Up” is a broad celebration of the importance of the barbershop in black culture. Kent Gash’s direction keeps a play loaded with black history and personal stories moving quickly, leaving the audience with a rich and varied theatrical experience.
Howard, the owner, is a World War II veteran who seeks to instill his bedrock values into two younger barbers, Andre and Rudy. Rudy loves his work as a barber, but he’s a modern, low-pants-wearing kid enticed by violent rap lyrics who likes to come to work late, to Howard’s constant annoyance. Andre, a searching, sensitive man in middle age, has drifted from city to city cutting hair. He’s haunted by a ruined marriage to a successful female singer.
Played by Helmar Augustus Cooper with humor, generosity and compassion, Howard is wise man of great character, community spirit and love of church and family. He’s the kind of man whose values gave quiet strength to the black community from the days of segregation to the triumphs of the civil rights era.
He’s kept his faith, sacrificing and keeping his shop going so his three sons can become a doctor, a lawyer and a professor.
As Andre, Keith Hamilton Cobb, who created the role of Noah Keefer for ABC’s “All My Children,” lights up the stage with high-wattage star power. Telling stories about his experiences to Rudy, interacting with Howard with combined exasperation and tenderness, he gives a memorable performance. Physically appealing, valuing Howard’s love of black history and self-improvement, sensitive to the needs of others, Cobb makes Andre a deep and complicated male with a tinge of tragedy and the possibility of fulfillment.
Eugene H. Russell IV’s Rudy is the perfect foil for Howard and Andre, learning from both older men while trying to hold on to what’s best and vital in hip-hop culture. He and Cobb achieve fine comic and dramatic timing, and their interactions with Cooper build warmth and understanding..
While Andre, Rudy and Howard’s stories form the backbone of the play, it’s also interspersed with vignettes from legendary African-American barbers from around the country, including a stirring portrayal of Ophrah Winfrey’s father Vernon, a Nashville barber, by Donald Griffin. Griffin’s performance is the highlight of a strong ensemble cast, including E. Roger Mitchell, Carl Cofield and Marva Hicks, who’s especially striking as the successful singer once married to Andre.
Howard’s Barbership celebrates the virtues of African-American men, but it’s worth visiting by anyone who loves the power of human storytelling, faith and endurance.
Comments
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By Lisa
April 27, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this
I saw the play TWICE and loved it so much I’d see it again! While the three leading actors were great, I thought the ensemble cast was exceptional. They must have played at least a dozen different characters, all unique and all true to life. It was funny and moving and a great reminder of who Black men really are. Go see it and enjoy!