“Separate and Equal” is a very powerful, beautifully executed piece of theater presented by the University of Alabama in partnership with the Birmingham Metro NAACP and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The story is about a basketball game that took place in 1951 on a court in Birmingham, Ala. between three white teens and three Black teens, something that was illegal at the time. Segregation was alive and well and the Black teens weren’t even allowed to be on the white teens’ basketball court. This production is inspired by testimonials from the Oral History Project at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. That’s right, there is testimony that a game truly happened.
When you enter Theater B—and make sure you enter on time because there is no late seating—you sit in seats that outline the room and a basketball court lies in front of you. Screens on either side of the theater project different images, such as the difference between a decrepit colored bathroom sink and the whites’ pristine sink.
When the play starts, Calvin has sneaked onto the white teens’ basketball court. He is then joined by Emmett and Nathan. Although he knows this act is forbidden, Calvin wants to practice. Emmett and Nathan try to tell him he’s Negro. He’s not supposed to be on this court. It’s too dangerous. After a few things happen, enter three white teenagers—Jeff, Edgar and Wesley. These white teenagers are surprised to see colored teens on their court. Jeff tries to be aggressive toward Calvin and accuses him of practicing on their court. Jeff is very racist at first. Edgar, who knows Calvin because his mother Viola is Edgar’s family’s maid, is not aggressive. They have grown up knowing each other. Then you have Wesley, who is not racist at all and doesn’t really see color. He boldly suggests that the white teens need to practice and suggests playing against the black teens. Now, of course, the theater is small and you wonder how will they accomplish playing basketball? Well, basketball hoops are projected on the screens and when players play with an invisible basketball and take a shot, a ball is shown on the screen going in for the shot or missing.
The cast performs gracefully, passionately and powerfully as they do choreographed dance moves while pretending to dribble, catch and throw a basketball. The choreography, by Lawrence M. Jackson, is in fact so brilliant that after a while you accept that there is a ball being dribbled and shot.
Playwright and director Seth Panitch definitely delivers a riveting story, as during the basketball game, we listen to the players say racially charged things to each other, but also in revealing back scenes, we see what these characters’ back stories are. You see the hatred that Edgar is being raised around as his mother Annabelle discourages him from playing with Calvin, although they grew up together. She tries to instill in Edgar that coloreds are liars, simpletons and not ever your friend. Her hatred for Blacks is blatant and at times disturbing to watch. Wesley, on the other hand, is being raised by a father, who unlike the rest of the town, does not hate colored people, but tries to help them. Jeff is a straight out racist and represents the ignorance and hatred of the racist community. Yes, we see where the white teens are coming from and we learn about the negative things the Black teens have experienced, like family members being murdered by racist whites. This play is very deep!
Through the teens playing basketball and finding a common interest, the impossible begins to happen. The barricades imposed by society seem to decay, but that is short-lived. You’ll have to go to see what happens. Just know you will learn a lot. You will experience a lot of emotions and realize that young people would be better off without the negative teachings of adults, because when a message is drilled into one’s head and into the fabric of a society, it is never going to end well for someone.
The cast is brilliant and will have you mesmerized as they dance, play ball, work up a real sweat and tell a riveting story, and it includes Adrian Baidoo as Calvin, James Holloway as Emmett, Edwin Brown III as Nathan, Steven Bond Jr. as Jeff, Ross Birdson as Edgar and Dylan Guy Davis as Wesley. The cast also includes memorable performances by Will Badgett, who was captivating in the three roles he played; Pamela Alexis as Viola, Calvin’s mother, a woman trying to protect her naïve Black son; Barbra Wengerd as the racist, hate-filled Annabelle, Edgar’s mother; Jeremy Cox as the fair-minded Lt. Dixx; and Ted Barton, who showed great versatility as he played the extremely opposite characters of the negro sympathetic Mr. Finch and the physically violent, negro hating, racist police Lt. Connor. The play has Tom Wolfe as composer and is a unique creation featuring marvelous scenic/lighting/projection and sound design by Matt Reynolds. This production will only play through Sept. 30 and would also be great for a young teen audience to experience. Segregation and racial hatred is a timeless issue, and unfortunately the latter has recently started to truly rear its ugly head in this country. This play is extremely relevant for today’s Trump climate.
“Separate and Equal” is produced by the University of Alabama in partnership with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Birmingham Metro NAACP at 59E59 Theaters. For more information, visit www.59e59.org.