Colony's Free Man of Color Resonates

Free Man of Color/by Charles Smith/
directed by Dan Bonnell/
Colony Theatre/
through September 12

The true story of John Newton Templeton, the fourth African American to earn a college degree in the US, is beautifully and engagingly told in Charles Smith's play Free Man of Color, now onstage at the Colony Theatre. This is thought-provoking material at its finest with three outstanding performances, under Dan Bonnell's caring direction.

The beauty of the play is that it never becomes maudlin or sentimental. If one feels sympathy for Templeton, it is only because he is truly a victim of the establishment. He himself is a nonconformist, who will not do what is expected if it does not make sense. This very brilliant man would not accept a position as missionary in Liberia because he came to the US to be successful here, to be treated with equality. When it is clear to him that the college in Ohio in a deal with the ACS (American Colonization Society) wants him to leave the country, he refuses to do so and stays on to eventually become a prominent teacher of black children. It is of interesting note that the years depicted 1824-1828 are long ahead of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862, which officially freed slaves in America. Although referred to as a student servant, the whole concept of houseboy/slave is used in relation to Templeton's status. Through Smith's eloquent script, we root for Templeton in his personal struggle to champion his cause for the public good of all black men.

Kareem Ferguson makes John Newton Templeton a man of steadfast conviction and stature, an unforgettable portrait. As the Reverend Wilson, Templeton's mentor and father figure, Frank Ashmore is simply riveting in creating a complex man, stubborn and opinionated, yet mellow on the inside. Kathleen Mary Carthy as Wilson's long-suffering wife Jane is sensational. At first seemingly Templeton's enemy, she little by little unravels, warning him of his future misery and misfortune and thus becoming his trusted friend. Having lost all three of her sons, her deep- seated pain has caused her to be outwardly cold and austere, but vibrant scenes of tender recollection show her to be a woman of real dimension.

Bonnell directs with just the right pacing, not too fast nor slow and David Potts' functional scenic design - that serves exterior and interior venues - with orangy-yellow sky light as backdrop signals the play's spirit of light & hope.

This is a very satisfying evening of theatre - great script, direction and acting - that will stay with you long after you have left the theatre. Smith's literate writing simply glows.

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