This powerful 60s drama by Lonne Elder III is often compared to A Raisin in the Sun for its then-contemporary examination of the disintegration of a Black family in the midst of the great social revolution in America. The Parker men are dependent on Adele to keep the family solvent. When she demands they find jobs or be evicted, the men form a partnership with Harlem Decolonization Association leader Blue Haven whose mission is to rid the ghetto of white businesses so Black people will have work.
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Ceremonies In Dark Old Men Review Round-Up
| Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Elder's characters are complex-victims of their own failings as much as society's-and his themes remain depressingly relevant 43 years after the play's New York premiere. But in his indifferent staging for ETA Creative Arts Foundation, Vaun Monroe has trouble settling on a consistent tone. Some cast members play tragic flaws as comic quirks."
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Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Vaun Monroe may have been too reverential to the material to provide enough structure so the story unfolds excruciatingly slow, with lackluster pacing. Although the set design and lighting are effective, the best thing about the production is the music. From Big Mama Thornton’s rousing original rendition of “Hound Dog” at the beginning, to Nina Simone’s dramatic cover of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” in the second act, the musical expressions of the blues managed to say everything that the play did not."
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