ALABAMA STORY at the Old Academy Players – featured: Nicole Gerenyi and Mark Johnson
By Ellen Wilson Dilks
East Falls’ Old Academy Players begin their 2024/25 Season with a piece grounded in a true story of the segregated South. Set in Montgomery in 1959, Kenneth Jones’ ALABAMA STORY deals with an event that reveals the sad state of things in the “Jim Crow” era. Director Carla Childs’ production runs next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Playwright Jones happened to read the obituary of Emily Wheelock Reed in the New York Times in May of 2000. Ms. Reed worked in a number of administrative positions in library systems around the country, including Washington DC. In 1957, Reed was appointed Director of the Alabama Public Library Service Division. In this role, she made budget requests to the legislature, and was responsible for the selections and purchases of library materials across the state. Soon after she assumed the position, Reed found herself at odds with state politicians. In 1959, she added The Rabbits’ Wedding to the children’s sections of the state library system, and thus began a battle over censorship—led by one of the most vocal segregationists in Alabama. All because one of the rabbits was black and the other was white. (author Garth Williams’ illustrations were in black and white!)
The tech team has done their work well, from Sarah Swearer’s simple yet serviceable unit set to Renee Theis’ lighting that places the focus where needed at any given moment. Helga Krauss does a great job creating the 1950s ensembles for each character, while Sarah Labov gets the viewer in the mood with a nice soundscape. Judy Van Buskirk served as dramaturg, and it shows that the performers had a real grasp of the story and the culture of the era.
Director Childs has assembled a solid cast from top to bottom, giving them guidance and support without being heavy handed. She was ably assisted by Vanessa Ballard. Robert Toczek does double duty as a passerby and a reporter named Harry Branch. His years of experience come through. As an aging “good ole boy senator, Clint Cleaver is great playing Bobby Crone, hitting all the right notes. Douglas Tague charms the heck out of the viewer as the author Garth Williams; his warmth and humor are just right.
ALABAMA STORY at the Old Academy Players – featured: Mort Patterson and Lorraine Barrett
Mike Zaleski is quite believable as Herschel Webb, a reporter who’s seeking the full story. There is a fictional subplot of two childhood friends who are now constrained by the prejudices of the era. Mark Johnson nicely portrays Joshua Moore, a civil rights advocate who visits his hometown on a regular basis to register black voters and work for other rights. As sheltered Southern belle Lily Whitfield, Nicole Gerenyi gives a poignant portrayal of a woman who wants a return to the antebellum days of her youth. Lily has blinders on to the realities of life for black Americans in Alabama. Connor Patrick plays the buttoned-down assistant to Ms. Reed, Thomas Franklin. Patrick’s performance is deftly delivered. Mort Patterson is terrific as he relishes showing us all the smarmy charm of a Southern politician diving full tilt into the role of Ms. Reed’s nemesis, Senator E.W. Higgins. And then there’s Lorraine Barrett’s nuanced portrayal of Emily Wheelock Reed. Barrett brings warmth, humor and wisdom to this trailblazing woman.
It is truly sad that in recent years censorship has reared its ugly head yet again. Works of literature that could start important conversations are being denied to adults and children alike because an unenlightened few find them too challenging. Who feel an ignorant populace is easier to fool. I was born in 1953, so I would have been six when this story played out. Perhaps it’s because I’m from the north, or because I was part of the middle class, but the only books I remember being banned were titles like Tropic of Cancer. I read To Kill A Mockingbird at 10, and have returned to it many times since. Books free our imaginations and get us thinking about things in new ways. That should never be banned.
WHEN YOU GO: ALABAMA STORY runs Friday, September 27, Saturday September 28 and Sunday September 29, with a running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, including the intermission. It is recommended for all ages. Old Academy Players is located at 3544 Indian Queen Lane in the East Falls section of Philadelphia, PA (19129). Tickets can be purchased on line at www.oldacademyplayers.org or by calling the Box Office at 215–843-1109. There is off-street parking behind the theatre, and there is limited handicapped seating. Call the box office to arrange getting your special needs cared for. There are a few eateries within walking distance, as well as several others on nearby Midvale and Ridge Avenues. I can personally recommend The Black Squirrel on Midvale.
COVID Protocols: Old Academy is following the current recommendations of the CDC, and masks are not required at this time.