Practical and Ideological Interpretation of Race Do Battle in New Drama

Beads and Mirrors

by Roslaie O'Brien directed by Rosalie O'Brien at the Winthrop Junior Common Room April 16, 17, 18

"Beads and Mirrors," the very short original play by Rosalie O'Brien playing in * he very small Winthrop Junior Common Room, packs more wallop than most larger Harvard shows can manage. And though technically and logistically encumbered, it conveys an intelligence and maturity that is too often bypassed for cheap theatricality.

The story is simple; there is no time for plot build-up. Daryl Downs (Pamela D. Meekins) is an exotic art dealer who happens to be black and who wants to buy a painting from Steel (Patrick Sylvain). Steel is an artist from Trinidad who repeatedly refers to his work as "his soul," implying a symbolic tie to his African heritage. When Steel refuses to "sell his soul away" for money, intra-racial conflict ensues between those espousing more practical and more philosophical responsess to prejudice.

It's not as traditional, nor as one-sided, as it sounds. O'Brien, who also directed the show, never allows the audience to jump to any conclusions abut what message should be received. Instead of choosing sides, she offers complexities and subtleties, relying smartly on the professional and thoughtful dialogue to provoke audience thought.

When Daryl and Steel argue, we are left with a sense of urgency and stagnation, fostered by the eloquence of both sides. It is as if we are watching an action play, only here the actions are words which nevertheless leave us entirely involved.

The case, though flawed, captures well the feeling that this is a play that ought to be heard more than seen. They are each strong and confident in their portrayals. Meekins, who seems to gain confidence as the show progresses, maintains Daryl's haughtiness without losing depth and understanding. Her character is helped by her recitation of a poem by Maya Angelou. Here Meekins manages to convey a hidden intensity that saves her character from becoming just another corporate executive senseless to the social implications of her work.

Sylvain, respectable and assured through out, fills Steel with an emotional charge that is entirely appropriate. When he declares that New York is a great place only for those who live "above it" in high-rises and office buildings, his voice and mannerisms speak a bitterness that is an thoughtful as it is sad. Sylvain's native accent pits him strongly against the upper class world that surrounds him, from the distinct professionalism of Daryl to the portrait of a former Winthrop House master on the back wall. And Matthew Gelbert, who has the important role of a white English colleague of Daryl, refrains from overplaying just enough to be believable and effective. As a clear third party, Gelbert's role is potentially more disagreeable than Meekins', yet he too grounds it in a complex realism that is surprisingly three-dimensional given his time on stage.

Certainly, the cast and the play, particularly the somewhat rushed opening scene, need work. Character and story development suffer needlessly due to the time constraints. O'Brien might do herself well by trying to expand the length of the show, or at least slow it down. Not only would it establish the play as a more serious piece of work, it might allow the audience to digest more of its valuable message. Right now, it is so jam-packed with intelligence that some of it can't help but leave us feeling a little illiterate.

Yet, the imperfections can be easily brushed aside in light of the passionate sophistication of O'Brien's words. She is a potentially excellent playwright with a strong sense for the allegorical. At last, a show that enables Harvard students to do what they supposedly do best--it will make them think.