By ROGER SMITH
MADISON - - The curtain has gone up on another crowd pleaser at Rabbit Run Theater in Madison.
"Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years" is an edifying piece of drama that causes one to remember just what it was like in the pre-Civil Rights era when violent prejudice was based on color.
Presented as a conversation between the sisters and the audience, the playwright strives to wander through the history of this country from post-Civil War days through 1999 when the last of the Delany sisters departed 'this side of glory.' And wander he does, as the characters play off each other and are reminded of anecdotes that become part of the conversation.
Born to an emancipated father who could read (and eventually became the first black bishop of the Episcopal Church) and a mother of mixed-race parentage, the sisters ponder why the world would want to hear what two old Negro women have to say. Pondering aside, the sisters delve into their history from early ancestry to the present day - - their father's birthday anniversary.
Robin Echols Cooper portrays Bessie Delany, and Maria Thomas Lister is cast as her sister, Sadie Delany. Though sometimes Cooper struggled with lines, the storyline was not damaged; the gist of the conversation remained intact.
It is obvious that director Yvonne E. Pilarczyk has done an outstanding job in casting these two women in their respective roles. The actors were able to maintain the balance between a high-spirited sister and the personality of the other which seemed to border on passive-aggressive, but only when it suited her needs. Cooper and Lister did an outstanding job of creating an environment where the audience felt as though it was sitting in their living room and their kitchen.
The script calls for them to be able to finish each other's sentences, and they do - - too often not to be tedious. They are funny, too. Bessie points out that blacks must be sharp to get ahead: "But if you're average and white, honey, you can go far. Just look at Dan Quayle. If that boy was colored, he'd be washing dishes somewhere." And they offer their own brand of wisdom: Sadie says, "Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."
"Having Our Say" is a comfortable, enjoyable evening of theater that walks one painlessly through half the history of this country. The show continues tonight and Saturday night at the barn theater on Chapel Road in Madison. Tickets may be reserved by phoning the box office at 440-428-7092.
Star Beacon Print Edition: 6/29/2007
