BLUES FOR MISTER CHARLIE
by JAMES BALDWIN

Directed by Yvette Hardie

Blues for Mister Charlie is an explosive drama set in the American South in the early 1960's, when the Civil Rights Movement was galvanising the nation. James Baldwin's play deals with a racial killing in a small town, the aftermath and the ensuing trial. Combining the suspense of courtroom drama with heightened theatricality, the play explores racial attitudes and the brutality, fear and contempt which underlie them. Blues for Mister Charlie is extraordinary in its scope: even well-intentioned white is implicated and even the killer receives his share of compassion. Ultimately a hope for integration is expressed in which blacks, as Baldwin said, "with love shall force our brothers to see themselves as they are, to cease fleeing from reality and begin to change it".

Gospel and Jazz play a major role in the piece, with the dialogue reflecting the improvisational rhythms of the blues. The title indicates that the blues are being sung for "Mister Charlie" - the white man. At its first production, the play was described by the New York Times as having "fires of fury in its belly, tears and anguish in its eyes, a roar of protest in its throat".

REFLECTING ON THE BLUES: A Director's Thoughts: by Yvette Hardie
Blues for Mister Charlie is an experience that I look back on with great pride, most profoundly because of the remarkable achievements of the cast in this very challenging text. I must admit to being initially very intimidated by the task I had set myself. (Yes, teachers get intimidated too!) Directing a very long, very intense, many peopled drama, which didn't have obvious audience appeal, was a huge challenge, and there were moments when I wondered if I hadn't bitten off more than I could chew. However, the power of this extraordinary play and the talent and commitment of my extraordinary cast kept me positive and focused.

I was particularly excited about the learning opportunities that Blues offered us as a cast, both in terms of exploring issues and events of great relevance to us as South Africans, and in terms of providing tremendous acting challenges for so many students. The theatricality of the play impressed me and I felt that it offered a fresh approach to dealing with racial prejudice, something which is still very much alive in our society, but about which we so often feel jaded. The fact that the play was set in a context different from our own, allowed us more objectivity. Exploring the American South of the early 1960s, when the Civil Rights Movement was galvanising the nation, we discovered events and attitudes that were all too familiar to us as South Africans. I hope that the cast felt as I did that the play brought us to a fresh understanding of racism. Baldwin's analysis of racism is an interesting one, recognising the brutality, fear and contempt that is often at the heart of racial prejudice. Yet the play is extraordinary in its scope: even the most well-intentioned white is implicated, and even the killer receives his share of compassion. Baldwin's even-handed approach appealed to me greatly, as did the fact that the play ultimately expresses a hope for integration. It was Baldwin's vision that "(blacks) shall with love force our brothers to see themselves as they are, to cease fleeing from reality and begin to change it". This is the vision that I hope each person carried away from the experience of being in the play.

However, it wasn't enough for us to understand the issues involved or to get fired up and carried away by our numerous improvisations around prejudice and racial hatred. We had to put Baldwin's demanding text on its feet. We were provided with a very beautiful and evocative set created by Ilse van der Merwe, Lisa Younger and Robert Joseph, as well as wonderfully accurate period costume design by David Stevenson. Ultimately though, it was the quality of the acting which would decide whether the play succeeded or failed.

The characters are all larger than life, and require passionate, committed performances from the cast. It was an exciting process of discovery and I was amazed by the maturity and dedication of my very talented actors. It is impossible to single out performers in a production where every person made such a vital contribution (down to our non-speaking jurymen and our foreign journalists!), but I would like to compliment the leads in particular on their amazing achievements in very difficult roles. Ultimately though, to the whole cast, thank you for creating a true ensemble, where your commitment and dedication to the play and to one another resulted in a truly moving experience for all who witnessed it. Your realisation of the rhythms which make Baldwin's writing so much like jazz music and your ability to sustain your audience's involvement through three long grueling hours are achievements of which you can be very proud.

SINGING THE BLUES FOR 'BLUES': through the eyes of an actor: by Larissa Cornellius: Grade 12

Productions are not an easy thing to participate in this school, because there is a lot of pressure to keep up the standard, keep up one's marks and still rehearse...and with any luck, still have some time to sleep. Of course when you're in matric, you also need to be able to go out and have a good time! 

It's actually not as bad as it sounds, because the pros definitely outnumber the cons: the teachers make it easier (or should I say "our directors"), one gets to work with fellow student from different grades and best of all, one has the opportunity to make an amazing piece of art. 

Blues for Mr Charlie was the highlight of my years at the school. It was my first opportunity to perform in a real theatre, so it was rather intimidating, but it was great! The cast was amazing; we all became very close and had a huge amount of fun, as well as our fair share of fights. It was hard work and a huge production to get on its feet - but thanks to Yvette Hardie, our incredible director/guru/role-model/friend/teacher, the play was extremely successful! After Blues for Mister Charlie, I came out stronger as a performer and as a person. I learnt a lot about owning the space, being a character, working in a group, and even coming to terms with breaking away from my own fears. All the cast members are still very close, and it was definitely a production to remember. I shall miss the late nights of rehearsing, fooling around, fighting, learning, performing, the school, the play, Miss Hardie, the cast, and all that this wonderful production entailed.

PUTTING RACISM ONSTAGE: by Leyla Baleson: Grade 12

Blues was a very interesting experience for me. The subject matter of the play was very distressing and I found it quite hard to deal with how sick and narrow-minded the Mississippi characters were. The darkness in people's hearts was unbelievable, and though black and white had to be mortal enemies on stage, black and white backstage realised the sickening and terrifying effects of racism. All of us formed a strong bond as a cast and helped one another get through the harsh bits. I have also learnt the joy of teasing my hair into a beautiful 60s hairdo. A fond memory of the rehearsals was trying to walk over the grass in stilettos! 

Ms Hardie taught me how to make my voice much deeper and more powerful without straining my throat - which is a technique I have come to treasure. It was a grueling rehearsal period and quite a grueling play, but the play made me realise that actors have a duty to show extremely uncomfortable subject matter to an audience. Blues helped me understand that everything is as evil, important or brilliant as one makes it.

THE IMPACT OF JAMES BALDWIN ON MY LIFE: by Johnathan Tweedie: Grade 12

My eyes scanned the black words emblazoned on the stark white pages - the script that lay before me told the story of those black words fighting the overpowering whiteness. 

James Baldwin had a way of filling my soul with his words and driving me forward every time I reached a dead-end with Parnell's dilemma; his dilemma opened my eyes to a wider spectrum of emotion and human suffering. Never before had I taken the time to contemplate the American struggle of the 50s and 60s. But, sitting in the corner of the drama department, taking in each member of the cast... I realised that our eyes had opened and our thinking had been changed. We lived and worked together - indifferent to prejudice. We had learnt to accept one another, and that is what we were striving to achieve with this marvel of American theatre. 

Blues for Mister Charlie moved all who witnessed its explosive power, especially me. It was a hard journey, but the destination proved far more satisfying than I could ever have imagined. Thank you to the cast and crew and especially to Ms Hardie - the South African embodiment of James Baldwin, able was able to change our thinking with this hard-hitting production.

THE JOURNEY OF THE BLUES: by Lesedi Mogoatlhe: Grade 12

Four months of pelvic jabbing, high gospel notes, a lot of make-up and aching feet from the high heels finally paid off in an amazing performance of Blues for Mister Charlie at the WITS theatre. Working with a splendid cast and director also proved to be a growing experience, not only in terms of drama, but in terms of life itself. The production demanded a completely different journey into the past, travelling to the "Deep South" of America to face issues that proved similar to those found in South Africa. Tackling the incessant racial issue in a different culture, assisted me in developing my character of Juanita and forced me to consider how similar issues affect us globally.