Theater as History Lesson

Our knowledge of slavery in America is pretty thin. For instance, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free the slaves owned by Indian tribes. Renowned actor Morgan Freeman’s ancestors were slaves to the Cherokees and were kept in bondage until a much later date.

   Another surprising reality is that many Southerners who fought for the Confederacy were Jewish slaveholders.  This little-recognized fact serves as the catalyst for Matthew Lopez’s play “The Whipping Man,â€� at Barrington Stage Company’s Second Stage in Pittsfield, MA.  Ironically, the end of the war in April 1865 coincided with the Jewish holiday of Passover.

   The play centers on Caleb DeLeon (Nick Westrate,) a severely wounded Confederate soldier, who struggles back to his homestead after the war has ended with the signing at Appomattox.  He is met by the former slave Simon (Clarke Peters) who is protecting the house from marauders.  He, along with a younger freed black man, John (LeRoy McClain), must amputate Caleb’s right leg without ether or proper instruments.

   Caleb’s father never appears but his existence hovers over the men.  Being former slaves in a Jewish patriarchy the two black men were taught to accept Judaism. Simon earnestly practices the religion, as the more rebellious John continuously refers to the obvious hypocrisy of a Jewish slave owner celebrating the release of his ancestors from bondage in Egypt. While this conflict resonates through the play there are other levels of greater personal drama that divide and unite the three men.

   As they take part in an improvised Seder, experiences and attitudes are revealed that will influence their futures as they attempt to decide their futures. Conflicts and joys from the past fill their conversation at this sparse feast, and reveal secrets.

   Lopez’s writing is structured and his dialogue, realistic. Unfolding material gives us insights into the characters’ relationships and pasts.  The historical moment is also incorporated with references to the end of the war, the devastation of the South and Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.  But when Caleb wakes up  a day after the amputation he unrealistically participates in lucid and emotional conversations with Simon and John.

    The acting is strong but some flawed directorial choices intervene. Director Christopher Innvar allows the cast to overact, especially in the latter part of the play, turning what should be emotionally true moments into melodrama. John’s monologue describing his meeting with the whipping man, however, works.

    Sandra Goldmark’s set conveys the devastation of the house and the South; the walls lean inward imposing themselves above the men, just as the past hangs over them.        

   Despite the flaws in the play and the production there is much to be learned and admired in “The Whipping Man.â€�

   “The Whipping Manâ€� runs at Barrington Stage in Pittsfield, MA, through June 13.  For tickets, call 413-236-8888.