The Great White Hope at Karamu

EDITOR’S NOTE: Positively Cleveland is routinely asked the question, “I’m coming to town, what is there to do this weekend?” We have, therefore, decided to institute a weekly blog entry highlighting on event or exhibit and detailing others taking place the same week. If you have an event you’d like to get on our radar, send it to Sfryberger@positivelycleveland.com.

 

Long before Muhammad Ali stepped into the boxing ring and Jackie Robinson swung a baseball bat, African American boxing champion Jack Johnson was knocking out as many racial boundaries as he had opponents.

In honor of Black History Month, director Terrence Spivey brings The Great White Hope to the Karamu House. This jarring and raw piece is loosely based on Johnson’s (renamed Jack Jefferson in the story) life after becoming the first Negro heavyweight champion of the world.

“The Galveston Giant” rose through the fighting ranks and won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship in 1903. In 1908, despite regulations that declared the World Heavyweight Championship off-limits to blacks, Jackson defeated Tommy Burns in 14 rounds. Then, in 1910 it took only 15 rounds for African American boxing champion Jack Johnson to defeat “The Great White Hope,” previously undefeated heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries, in “The Fight of the Century.” However, it took decades for society to accept and understand Johnson, a man before whose boisterous personality was years before his time.

Spivey explains that for Johnson, it was not about making a statement for black people or against white people. “He simply was his own man,” says Spivey, going on to assert that society was always looking for some way to knock Johnson down, whether it was physically in the ring or socially and spiritually through implementing laws like the Mann Act.

Karamu’s 2009 – 2010 performance season has been titled “the season of hope and accountability.” Spivey says in this production he has pushed for accountability across the board. From a diverse cast representing society of the era, accurate portrayals of life in the early 1900s, an authentic depiction of Johnson to an uncomfortable slap scene, Spivey’s aim with this play is to “reflect life, both then and now.”

The “now” can be seen though the inventive use of multimedia throughout the performance. For example, three scenes call for audiences to be escorted around the world, but budget restraints required Spivey to be creative with his set design. Imagination and innovation led him to project destination-specific images as the background settings for each act. The result is a fresh and modern feel to a classic play.

The Karamu House opens the Cleveland premiere of The Great White Hope at the Jelliffe Theatre February 18 at 8pm. The production runs through March 14, with show times at 8pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 3pm on Sundays. The performance then travels to Akron’s Weathervane Playhouse April 1 – 18.

You Should Know:

Karamu House is located at 2355 East 98^th Street in Cleveland.
For tickets, call the Karamu House box office at 216.795.7077 or online at www.karamu.com.
Tickets are $25 (Thursday & Sunday) – $30 for adults (Friday & Saturday)
- $3 off ticket price for seniors (62 and older)
- $3 off ticket price for students (with valid ID)
- Group discounts are available.

Other Things to do in Cleveland this Weekend:

• Fall In Love With Valentine’s Day In Cleveland Plus
• Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Now – Feb 21^st (Cleveland Play House)
• 73rd Annual Cleveland Sport Travel & Outdoor Show – Feb 11^th – 15^th (Great Lakes Expo Center)
• Church Basement Ladies – Feb 12^th (Sandusky State Theatre)
• Lake Erie Monsters vs. Hamilton – Feb 12^th (Quick Loans Arena)
• Mardi Gras with the North Coast Men’s Chorus – Feb 13^th (Windows on the River)
• Cleveland Jazz Orchestra – It’s All Love Feb 13^th (Hanna Theatre)
• Mega 80s – The Ultimate Retro Party Feb 14^th (House of Blues)
• Valentine’s Comedy Explosion Feb 14^th (State Theatre)
• Discovery Days – Feb 15^th (Lake Metroparks Farmpark)
• President’s Day Exhibit – Feb 15^th (Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage)
• Fairytales and Frogs – Feb 15^th (Cleveland Metroparks Zoo)

–Submitted by April Prior, Marketing Assistant