THE EMPEROR'S LAST PERFORMANCE by MELVIN ISHMAEL JOHNSON is the first of three plays Robey produced in 2010. The play was developed through the company's Writers Workshop, which makes this a world premier. It is truly a marvelous idea for a play. Ishmael has written a historical drama about EUGENE O'NEILL'S groundbreaking drama THE EMPEROR JONES, the first play in theater history to feature a black man in the lead. Before 'Emperor' white men played black men in blackface make-up. O'Neill was truly in the vanguard. However, today most people know "The Emperor
Jones" as the play that put PAUL ROBESON on the map in the early 1920s. As it turns out, Robeson was only O'Neill's second choice. A now forgotten actor named CHARLES GILPIN took on the character first. And Gilpin was by all accounts magnificent as Brutus Jones, an African American escaped convict who lands on an island in the Caribbean - that looks a lot like Haiti - and becomes the dictator of the superstitious native population there. According to Broadway legend, Gilpin's stardom was cut short when O'Neill fired him for changing the dialogue in the play. More specifically, Gilpin objected to the writer's use of the word NIGGER. Undoubtedly, Gilpin considered himself a “New Negro" in the ilk of the Harlem Renaissance, felt the N word was better left in the 19th century. Melvin Ishmael Johnson's 'LAST PERFORMANCE' makes me think about the prevalence of that word today, both on the streets, and in art - especially art created by African Americans themselves.

FOR MY PART

This video promotion is NOT a clip from the play. It is my own creation. The play itself is quite conventional and straightforward. I wanted to experiment a little. Imagine that it's 1920 and you are watching an INTERVIEW with Gilpin and O'Neill just before the play opens. We establish the fact that The Emperor Jones is the first drama of its kind, breaking racial barriers, etc. Both actor and writer are excited about the prospects for the plays success, proud of their contributions to it. Then the conflict begins to creep in. By the end of the video we know what the play is about. I think it turned out ok. You be the judge.

CREDITS

Dwain A. Perry as Charles Gilpin

Jonathan Palmer as Eugene O'Neill

Costume Design, Naila Sanders

Music: "Overture" by Odean Pope
Performed by The Uptown String Quartet - Max Roach Presents.

Promotion written, directed & produced by Roy Hurst

BTW: If you are a graphic designer, an illustrator, or motion graphics person and think you might like to work together in the future, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you. griot21@gmail.com