The stage at CCBC Catonsville Theatre has been transformed into Seth and Bertha Holly’s boarding house. The year is 1911 and we’re in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. Boarders come looking for a home, looking for family, looking for opportunity in a post-slavery world that, for many of them, holds no place for their lives, their dreams, or their songs.
CCBC Catonsville welcomed Dr. Harvey Young of Boston University for a post-performance discussion and seminar on the themes and ideas presented in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Dr. Young has never seen a performance of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, he truly enjoyed! All who attended are better for the conversations.
The Theatre at CCBC Catonsville is also a temporary home for a few days to guest director, Donald Owens. He was recommended by Maria Broom and invited by Cohen Ambrose. By day Donald is the Artistic Director of Baltimore’s Arena Players, the oldest continuously operating African-American community theatre in the United States. He says his experience with the academic theatre has been great, for the most part. It has taken him back to the beginning, a kind of refresher course that he welcomes.
Donald says the challenges of bringing this script to life were many. The cast, student actors, had to first learn about the history, which includes the spiritual and physical diaspora of the people their characters represent. They have migrated north to get jobs in the mines, the mills or the ports. The catch was whites were coming for the same things. Donald notes these issues are still present today. To see the students grasp the fact that some blacks owned property and knew that they should never give that up, even if it meant taking another job, was a joy to Donald.
Clinton Wair, Donald’s foster father, taught him similar values, to be fierce and different. “Everyone has their day but most dummies let it pass them by. Never look back at what you should had done”. Advice that he follows to this very day.
Among his responsibilities with Arena Players, Donald finds and brings all types of entertainment including plays, writings, studies and community activities. He takes on the challenge of both established and new playwrights while teaching acting and directing. A final thought, he says “I’m sure I scream much too much.”
Every production at CCBC Catonsville Theatre involves set and lighting design. Joe Turner’s Come and Gone was designed by G. Maurice “Moe” Conn with CCBC student Everett Simkins providing sound design, costuming by James J. Fasching and stage management by Carli White. Moe is the full time Technical Director and Designer for CCBC Catonsville and loves what he does. Getting students involved and excited about design and building scenery or doing lights is what drives him. He also loves that everyday brings a challenge. Moe says it’s important to note that this production is a collaboration with the director and other members of the design staff.
As the scenic designer it is Moe’s job to create the world of the play based on information provided in the script. There are many details, from time period to time of day, to the actual setting. Lighting design needs to consider when, where, and what era. 1911 would have been the early stages of electric light, most homes were not using electric light until 1925. Gaslight would have been more common and gives a much different feel and style of light.
The technical director balances the technical aspects of the entire production. For Moe this includes overseeing lights, scene changes, properties, and music. Attention to detail is important and ensures the audience is presented with a believable experience.
Donald Owens closes with these words, “This play is a cry to free ourselves and move forward both mentally and spiritually. It also shows how remembrance of your past (heritage) is the key to freeing yourself without forgetting who you are.”
