'Lasting Impressions'
As Greensboro’s bicentennial celebration winds down, I’ve heard little about the historical play, “Lasting Impressions,” which raised its share of skepticism when the project was announced several months ago by the Greensboro Historical Museum.
I was one of the skeptics.
I questioned whether such a production could be interesting (I envisioned suffering through a Clara Edwards-directed pageant on the founding of Mayberry. Or watching paint dry. Or some combination thereof).
And I questioned whether it could be honest about less-savory chapters in the city’s history, such as the Klan-Nazi killings on Nov. 3, 1979.
But having attended the play two weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised. It is packed with facts and dates and compresses 300 years into an hour and 25 minutes ... and it succeeds.
Further, it is funny and entertaining, and does not gloss over the good, the bad and the ugly in Greensboro’s history.
For instance, it touches upon the 1960 sit-ins, the 1979, Klan-Nazi killings and the vision, philanthropy and compassion of the Cone family -- as well as the unhealthy conditions in some of their plants and their sometimes cruel responses to labor organizers.
It also presents a powerful portrait of Josephine Boyd Bradley, the black girl who integrated what is now Grimsley High School.
The play was commissioned by the Historical Museum, “ and was written by Brenda P. Schleunes, producer and artistic director of the Touring Theatre of North Carolina.
She cobbled her script from diaries, newspaper clippings, letters and other documents from the museum’s archives.
And she confronted me before I could enter the building and politely but firmly challenged me to tell what I honestly thought after seeing the production.
The Greensboro Historical Museum people tell me that the play may make return for encore performances throughout the community.
That would be a good thing. More people could benefit from this entertaining and informative production.
Meanwhile another Bicentennial-related play, “Periphery,” debuts tonight and runs through May 18 at the Historical Museum. Tickets and reservations are available at www.ctg.org
Comments (1)
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I envision suffering through a breakneck and disjointed melange of various micro-melodramas, symbolic speeches, heart-rending pathos segments, history-by-the-dollop, acting too earnest by half, and simplified complexities. Actually, I envision other people suffering through these things. I saw "Unto These Hills" one time.
I would have gone more conceptual/guerilla: something like Ed Bullins's "It Bees Dat Way," wherein the actors rough up the audience members for their bourgeios shortcomings.
Posted on May 15, 2008 1:29 AM