Paul Robeson Play Opens to a Full House at the Carlyle Club

A full house greeted actor Hugh Staples, playing Paul Robeson, last weekend at the Carlyle Club.

The production, starring Staples, written by Phillips Hayes Dean and directed by Cody Jones, was lively and engaging.

Paul Robeson was an athlete who became a lawyer and then turned to acting and singing when the prevalent racism of the time kept him from fully practicing as a lawyer.  A baritone with strong charisma, he quickly rose to fame in the entertainment industry, even internationally. Despite continuing to experience racism, Robeson did not shy away. He used his star power to speak against it. 

Through this nonfictional historical play, the audience was taken on a journey in which through the voice and acting of Staples scenes became quite vivid.  The play addressed Robeson’s home life. He was born in 1898 in Princeton, N.J. His father escaped from slavery in North Carolina, joined the Union army and eventually graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania with a Divinity degree.

Staples, who resembles Robeson, was entirely believable as the famous scholar, athlete and performer.

Accompanied by Michael Hill, who played simple melodic background music on the piano and the supporting actor in some scenes, Staples narrated the story in first person recreating the events that took place in Robeson’s life. Even though there were no costume changes and the setting was essentially a piano and two arm chairs, it appeared to be much more with the changing of the lights and focus, the tempo of the music, the detailed descriptions of location, and the booming voices of Staples and Hill.

At times, Staples as Robeson spoke directly to the audience.  For example, when going into the scene at Columbia University, Robeson asked if there were any lawyers or Columbia University graduates in the audience. Robeson entered Columbia Law School in 1920 while he supported himself by working in the post office, acting, coaching basketball teams and playing professional football.

Robeson attended Rutgers University, one of only two blacks on campus during his four years there. He lived with a black family in New Brunswick as he was not allowed housing in the dormitory. He was a star football player there although his locker was separated from his teammates.

He went on to become an international performer on stage and in film. In one of the scenes of the play Robeson and his wife were forced off a train in Russia.  He had to prove he was in fact Paul Robeson, as stated in his passport, by singing in a midst of freezing weather at a train station. Robeson, known for having brought gospel spirituals to the stage, in one scene sang preludes to three gospel songs.

In another memorable scene, Robeson was accused of being a communist and had to answer to a stern judge, played by Hill. His passport was revoked for his seemingly warm regards toward Russia, where he believed there was diversity and for speaking against the United States, especially its treatments of blacks, while he was abroad.

Robeson’s career was negatively impacted by these allegations, and he sought to clear his name. His passport was reinstated eight years later.  Toward the end of his life, he came to be known as one of the activists who influenced the civil rights movement. He died in 1976.

Audience members enjoyed the performance.  “This was an excellent performance.  The gentleman had command of the material; he was convincing.  I liked the setting, the atmosphere was good,” said Miller Taylor.  Gwen Cloutier said she really enjoyed it and learned a lot about Robeson.    

Latif Tarik said, “This was public history in the making.  The actor interacted with the audience.  People became drawn into the personality of Paul Robeson.  The dinner theater is still needed in the community.”

Pam Cressey expressed amazement at the actor’s abilities and said such a performance in a one-man show required much research, courage and creativity.

Aspiring actor and high school student Brandon Johnson, said, “The actor was pretty good at switching scenes while keeping the energy up.”

The performance was a success.