A really cool thing about theatre is that it can bring history back to life. You can watch people completely embody historical figures. Watch them breathe life back into people and situations long dead, long gone. It’s different from a movie. I know I say this about theatre a lot, but it’s so true. And I think watching a historical figure come to life on the stage is one of the most amazing things to experience. I want to feel like I’m in the presence of someone who’s long gone. I want them to come back to life for me.
There are lots of cool ways to do this. For me, I really think about shows like Hamilton. We get to see historical figures in their true history (okay, I know Hamilton isn’t 100% accurate, but have you seen the size of that biography?) The thing is, people are always going to put their spin on these things to breathe life into them. But although Hamilton is one of the more famous shows in this vein, there is so much out there that’s beyond that. And some of it is much easier to experience.
I spend a lot of time at People’s Light, something I know everyone knows by now. The show currently running there is Thurgood, a one man show of Thurgood Marshall, famous Black lawyer and advocate, as well as the first Black Supreme Court Justice. As I have already written up a post on one person shows, it’s pretty obvious I’m a big fan of them. And I definitely think it’s pretty damn cool to have one person telling their story. I swear I was watching Thurgood Marshall up there.
This was a beautiful and complex show. The structure of it was very cool…it was framed as a lecture given at a college. The stage lights didn’t even go down all the way until a few minutes into the show. Honestly, I was totally entranced from the start and didn’t notice the lights going down all the way.
Brian Marable is Thurgood Marshall. I mean…damn. I would say I don’t know what kind of magic they pulled, but I don’t think they had to do much. Because it wasn’t just about the (uncanny) looks and all, it was the way he embodied this important historical figure. We heard Thurgood’s story from start to end, all told by Thurgood himself. Even more, as we’re watching a one man show, we’re experiencing other historical figures from Thurgood’s life. Every character has a life of their own, all performed by one person. It’s awe inspiring.
History is something I love. Admittedly, ancient history is more my thing, but I’ll take it all. Something sacred about this sort of thing is that we hear different parts of the stories. A lot of it we don’t learn in school, or we do learn from a completely different lens. I remember learning about Brown vs. Board of Education and Kenneth and Mamie’s doll experiment in my eighth grade history class. But watching Thurgood, I realized there was so much more going on that they just didn’t tell us about. There are reasons, I’m sure…but I’m also sure there are reasons it could be fought. Thurgood brought the history we weren’t taught to life. Watching that sort of thing is just amazing. Watching an actor fully become a historical figure is just amazing. But truly, I wasn’t watching an actor. I really was watching Thurgood Marshall.
There is a lot to be learned from a show like this. I think it really speaks to a lot of people on a lot of different levels. I love the fact that it shows that everyone has a voice, and that they just need to learn how to use it. That everyone has something to contribute to the world. That everyone can make a difference. We’re not always taught that, especially with minority groups. I think so often, as with any minority group, we don’t always get to hear the voices of the ones fighting. We hear from the allies; the white people, the straight people, the Christians, and not so much the minorities themselves. We often don’t have a chance to, honestly. And there are reasons for this, both reasonable and unreasonable. It’s a fact of life.
Theatre gives everyone a chance to speak. Theatre allows Brian Marable to become Thurgood Marshall and tell us stories and teach us lessons. And I think, only in a theatre, only at a show like this, do you see a packed theatre during preview week. And a standing ovation! We just sat in the theatre together for ninety minutes, learning things that most of us probably didn’t know about it. It’s truly a beautiful thing that we’ve been given.
Shows are selling out. That’s such a telling thing. In the area I live in, it’s a pretty big deal to let minorities do the talking. We see it all the time…like I said before, we don’t always get a voice. But People’s Light took a chance to present a strong Black man, and it’s paying off. As it damn well should. Perhaps some of the most amazing things aren’t as hidden after all.
I got the chance to ask Brian Marable some questions, so be on the lookout for a Thurgood Part 2 with that!
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