The Emperor Jones

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Eugene O’Neill, one of America’s all time great playwrights, is about as subtle as a ham sandwich in a synogogue, which is probably what takes him to the top of the list. That, along with his perceptive insight and mastery of words.

The Emperor Jones at the Aurora Fox.

Written in 1920, O’Neill penned the stunning play as a “thinly veiled” reminder of the occupation of Haiti by the United States.

The Aurora Fox’s current production is, without a doubt, one the most gorgeous breathtaking productions to cover that stage, and should not be missed under any circumstances.

Directed by donnie I. betts, it features Keith L. Hatten as Brutus Jones and Greg Price as Henry Smithers.

A jungle replaces the stage through the ingenuity of scenic designer Charles Dean Packard, who also produced the show.

A great deal of territory must be covered by Jones, in escaping his enemies and his demons, a much greater territory than what the stage allows. Moveable pieces of the scenery smoothly roll into place creating the illusion of several different areas of the jungle as Jones desperately seeks refuge further and further into the overgrown foliage. Created with a sense of depth, the illusion becomes stunningly believable.

Sent to prison for killing a man in the United States, the African American Jones escapes, stows away on a ship to a West Indies island not yet determined by White Marines and bamboozles the natives. Thinking he possess super natural powers, the natives bow down to him as their emperor. What he does posses is greed, arrogance, and a thirst for power. For two years he lives the high life bleeding the natives dry of everything they own while forcing them into slavery. While he sleeps, the natives revolt. His personal servants and slaves disappear into the jungle.

Norma Johnson as The Old Woman sets the story into motion. Her words, her actions, and her body language immediately captures attention. Johnson is overwhelmingly magnificent with her razor sharp piercing eyes. Wise, patient, perceptive the Old Woman knows and understands. It is she who explains the situation to Smithers, a slimy white trader who would sell his own grandmother if he smelled a profit, spending most of his time in illegal activities taking advantage of everyone and everything. Price disappears into the slime with a knockout performance. Having developed a tenuous love-hate relationship with Jones, neither one trusts the other, but they need each other to survive.

Power soaks the theatre with the confrontation between Smithers and Jones who shows no fear or hesitancy in waking the sleeping giant. With his own brand of arrogance, Smithers gleefully informs Jones of the revolt. This is where Price’s expertise comes into play. He projects to the audience his glee, while pretending a concocted concern for Jones. Fearing for his life, Jones leaves the now empty palace that was set apart from the jungle by four white sheets flowing from the rafters.

Since most of the play rides on the strength of the actor conveying Jones’ thoughts, fears, and anxieties through monologue, this play could fall flat on its face without an incredibly powerful actor endowed with artistic expertise. Hatten has it. Hatten delivers.

Immensely confident in the beginning, knowing his physical strength, courage, and cleverness, Jones senses he will and can make it through the jungle escaping the now empowered natives.

As exhaustion strangles his muscled body, there is something Jones wasn’t taking into consideration becoming a much greater torment than rebellious angry natives. Himself.

It took O’Neill a couple of years to figure out the logistics of writing this play that thrust him into the spotlight as America’s number one playwright. The hearing of drums provided him with depth perception. Drumming from simple slow soft beats building to loud rhymic excitement moves the play psychologically, mentally, emotionally. Behind the drumming is Fred “BaBa Ilu Ile” Jordan who magnificently handles the drums as though they are part of his own body. The drums speak, whine, dance, announce, dominate with such richness the heartbeat attempts to match the rhymic torrential power. At times he can be seen visibly and if it wasn’t for the thrust of Jones’ agony and the awesome dancers, it would be difficult to keep the eyes off of him.

Dancers? Yes. Choreographed by DeAndre Carroll, the dancers appear to Jones in a frazzled state of mind representing his demons, his memories, and his past. Crisp, clean, original, and in sync, the chorography and the execution of the choreography take the breath away over and over again. These astonishing people are: Chelley Canales, April Charmaine, Mimi Jorling, Kent Randall, Daymeon L. Rembert, Robin Wallace, and Carroll. I have witnessed many incredible dancers and amazing choreography, but these pieces and dancers leave the mouth and eyes wide open. With grand lighting designed by Shannon McKinney, the apparitions fade in and out of Jones consciousness, and in the midst of the jungle before the eyes of the audience. The spectacular costumes designed by Linda Morkin flavor the illusion of the jungle and apparitions.

President Woodrow Wilson ordered the invasion “to rescue our friendly neighborsÉand ensure Haitian independence”. The U.S. occupation by American troops lasted 19 years.

O’Neill’s plays reaches far beyond the specifics he wrote about garnering a universal appeal. The Emperor Jones launches into a detailed psychological profile of a man in isolation, a man projecting to his world what he isn’t, a man bullying his way to power concentrating only on his wants. That what he wishes to forget, refuses to leave him alone, haunting him, eventually destroying him. Yes a bullet kills him, but his over blown confident arrogance melts under the torment of who he really was, creating impossible sound judgment.

Hatten’s timing throughout the action of the play is magnificent, realistic, and believable. Makes you wonder what will eventually happen to Smithers.

Fortunately and unfortunately The Emperor Jones isn’t produced very often. It takes the power of a Keith Hatten, the versatility of a Greg Price, the creativity of a DeAndre Carroll and disciplined gorgeous dancers, and the drumming of a Fred “BaBa Ilu Ile” Jordan to bring it to its thrilling frightening, complex life.

All of the above is why this Aurora Fox production should not be missed. It could well be a once in a lifetime opportunity.