A heartfelt “thank you” to the Smithfield Little Theatre, and in particular all those who worked to make the theatre’s recent presentation of “Ragtime” possible.

At a time in our history when the often hard-and-painful truths of our past are being modified, homogenized and sterilized in an effort to convince us of a world that never was, the SLT stepped forward and delivered a powerful lesson in the complexities that have made up the American experience.

“Ragtime” was directed by Charity Robinson, a board member of the Peninsula Community Theater who is working on her degree to become a teacher of theatrical arts. The musical, she wrote in her note to audiences, dramatizes “love, heartbreak, discrimination, industrialization, hope, the realization of the American Dream, and where it falls short.”

In a later interview, Robinson said: “It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever been involved with. It touched on a lot of themes that we are dealing with now.

“Ragtime,” the musical, was adapted from a novel by that name written by E.L. Doctorow a half century ago. It portrays the interaction of three groups of people in New York City in the early 1900s — upper-class whites, African Americans struggling in the Jim Crow era, and Eastern European immigrants. Doctorow’s book was declared one of the 100 best novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library Editorial Board. It was taken to the stage by the renowned playwright Terrence McNally and was first performed not in the U.S., but in Toronto, Canada — in and of itself an interesting fact given today’s world.

The timing of the presentation here, as Robinson noted, was stunning, given the current turmoil over immigration as well as efforts to erase much of our painful racial history. But the timing was largely coincidental. SLT schedules its plays more than a year in advance. (They are already publicizing next year’s.) So, there was no way the selection committee could have known how profoundly significant the timing of the play would be this spring.

Coincidental or not, the timing was perfect.

“We were all aware of the timeliness of this play,” Producer Mark Hall said, adding that it became an emotional experience for the people in the cast and crew that brought it together. “There were tears almost every night.”

When word got around that the SLT was producing “Ragtime,” there was an outpouring of volunteers for roles in the show and to assist with the production. Eighty-plus people worked on the musical, and it was the most racially diverse group ever to come together at SLT, Hall said. 

Robinson confirmed that, saying people wanted to be involved in any way that was helpful.

The musical also was an emotional experience for audiences, because the writers pulled no punches, and neither did the SLT. The book and play were written in the language and culture of the early 20th century, and when it’s performed honestly, as its writers insist it must be, it can be shocking. There were several audible gasps the night we attended when the “N” word was first used, and Hall said that was true every night it played. But the unfolding drama would not have worked without its historic context.

The cast had to deal with the racial and ethnic slurs, especially the use of that word, and Robinson told them the play wouldn’t work without it. She told the actor who was to use the word that she wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to have that job “because I know your heart.”

This was not a “fun” play. I would call it painful but therapeutic — an opportunity to reflect on what have been dramatic improvements in our society during the past century, and what continue to be our failings.

The musical ran at SLT for three weeks and the theater was sold out for every performance. Thus, roughly 2,100 people had the opportunity to experience this cathartic look at our roots.

We can always find lessons in art. What we read, see and hear can, at times, bear the mark of truth explicitly or subtly — and that’s certainly true in “Ragtime.” The dreams of immigrants, often meeting reality head-on, the long and painful journey of African Americans toward full citizenship, and our impulse to mistrust anyone who doesn’t look or act like us were all on display.

The biggest lesson imparted by the musical, however — and one that might be helpful to us as a nation right now — comes near the end of Act II when the character of Mother sings “Back to Before.” The conclusion of the song and the musical is that “We can never go back to before.”

At a time when Americans are being warned to sit down and shut up, the Smithfield Little Theatre stood up and delivered a message worth hearing. Kudos to all who made that possible.

 

John Edwards is publisher emeritus of The Smithfield Times. His email address is j.branchedwards@gmail.com.