BWW Reviews: FETCH CLAY, MAKE MAN Highlights Great Men and Great Actors

Round House Theatre's FETCH CLAY, MAKE MAN illuminates a thrilling piece of history: a little known friendship between two monumental men - one, a monument in the boxing ring, and the other, a monument in Hollywood.

First in the ring is Cassius Clay, better known as Muhammad Ali, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers in history. Next up is Lincoln Perry, better known as Stepin Fetchit, an incredibly successful black actor in Hollywood in the 1920s and 30s. What unfolds is a fascinating look at these two men and the way they individually deal with being black icons in a white-dominated time.

FETCH CLAY, MAKE MAN, written by Will Power and directed by Derrick Sanders, is presented by Round House Theatre as a co-production with California's Marin Theatre Company. Unfortunately, while based on the enthralling story of Ali and Perry, the narrative idea behind FETCH CLAY, MAKE MAN proves to be more interesting than the narrative itself. While audiences are sure to soak up this little-discussed exposé, the over-ambitious script and unexciting scenic design fail to live up to their subject matter.

Power's text works to tell too many stories in parallel; first and foremost, the tale of Ali and Perry's burgeoning kinship. In addition to that central story, we learn about Ali's strained relationship with his wife (expertly portrayed by Katherine Renee Turner), the pressure on Ali to more strongly emphasize his newly-adopted Islamic ideals, and most disparately, the rise and fall of Perry's acting career over the course of many years. This last story is told concurrently, and is staged entirely on the stage left apron, allowing Perry to often step directly from one world into another. With so much narrative, the true heart within these stories-the personal relationships formed and broken-is muddied and the audience is left with a great deal of historical knowledge, but not much else.

Unfortunately, the script is not helped by the world created by Set Designer Courtney O'Neill, which comes across as static and uninteresting. The bulk of the play takes place within a poorly-defined location that is half locker room, half athletic office within which O'Neill has committed to a realistic framework (including a tiny door lock that is both over-used and forgotten throughout the piece). The stage does get more interesting however, when you expand your view to include the two massive fringe curtains which flank the locker room/office, dropping from the ceiling and providing a unique projection surface, effective masking for moving set pieces, and a half-hidden private location for select scenes. However, despite the clever use of the curtains, the entire set is a flat one level and ultimately seems an odd mishmash of both abstract and realistic locations.

The production's strongest assets are its director Derrick Sanders and its two leading men, Roscoe Orman as Lincoln Perry, and Eddie Ray Jackson as Muhammad Ali. Indeed, in the sure directorial hands of Sanders, the incredible artists involved in the piece are able to navigate a challenging script and find truth in each moment. Sanders elevates the script's content and hones in on the depth of each character's emotions, the weight of all that which Ali and Perry grapple.

In the main role of Lincoln Perry (stage name Stepin Fetchit), Roscoe Orman displays incredible range as he kicks off the play with a snippet of his lazy, bumbling character Stepin Fetchit, and immediately is able to transform into a world-weary aging actor in an unfamiliar Maine locker room. He excels in comedic moments, conveying great depth with a look or a twitch of his mouth. Orman makes the audience fall in love, not with the over-the-top Stepin character, but with Perry the ingenious negotiator, Perry the kind-hearted marriage counselor, and most importantly, Perry himself.

Eddie Ray Jackson as Muhammad Ali hurtles onto the stage with such charisma, such energy that the audience repeatedly spontaneously bursts into applause at his antics. Jackson shows us the mischievous and fun-loving side of a man known for his stunning ability to knock people out. Seldom still for a moment, Jackson "dances" like Ali did in the ring - working on his footwork, throwing out jabs, composing impromptu poems, and above all, sweating! When pressure builds for Ali, Jackson takes it in his stride, expertly navigating the conflicting impulses of a troubled man with a hero complex.

Projections by Caite Hevner Kemp, making her Round House Theater debut, are stunning. Using a mixture of old photographs and videos, Kemp solidifies the time and place for the audience, as well as provides a necessary escalation to the play's stakes. As Ali's infamous fight with Sonny Liston grows nearer and the boxer's world starts to crack, the pictures grow more stark and aggressive. Displayed on the mercurial fringe curtains, images fracture and distort slightly, adding to the effect.

Other design standouts include local favorites Colin K. Bills (Lighting Design) and Christopher Baine (Sound Design). Bills expertly lights the tricky scenes behind the fringe curtains, and is able to effortlessly transition between realistic moments and memory scenes played almost entirely on the apron. Baine employs brassy, jazzy snippets in the scene changes that seem almost like mini-compositions, each with a beginning, middle, and end. They are energetic and vigorous like Ali, but are able to remain reminiscent of the 1960s setting.

Despite the challenges the script provides and a less-than-imaginative set design, Director Derrick Sanders has managed to mold FETCH CLAY, MAKE MAN into an intriguing story of two seemingly disparate people interacting on an enormously personal level. Perhaps the script's moral dilemmas seem over-simplified and the emotional turmoil feels disingenuous, but in the considerably talented hands of Roscoe Orman and Eddie Ray Jackson, audiences will no doubt be content to get an insider's look at this intriguing corner of history.

Photo Credit: Round House Theatre website

FETCH CLAY, MAKE MAN: Co-produced by Round House Theatre and Marin Theatre Company. By Will Power, Directed by Derrick Sanders. With Eddie Ray Jackson, Roscoe Orman, Jefferson A. Russell, Robert Sicular, and Katherine Renee Turner. Artistic Team: Scenic Designer Courtney O'Neill, Costume Designer Heidi Leigh Hanson, Projection Designer Caite Hevner Kemp, Lighting Designer Colin K. Bills, Sound Designer Christopher Baine, Props Artisan Kirsten Royston, Stage Manager Bekah Wackenfeld.

FETCH CLAY, MAKE MAN runs October 10 through November 2, 2014 with performances on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3pm. Running time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

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