Ensemble Theatre Translates ‘Ceremonies’ for Young Ears

ORANGE —  Ensemble Theatre director Roosevelt Blankenship Jr. generally doesn’t shy away from plays with strong language. Last summer, for instance, he brought playwright David Mamet’s foul-mouthed real estate salesmen to the stage with “Glengarry Glen Ross.”

But for the Ensemble production opening Friday , the African American classic “Ceremonies in Dark Old Men,” Blankenship decided to turn the profanity down a few notches.

The reason, he said before a rehearsal at the 45-seat theater this week, is to bring in as many students as possible--especially black students--so they can hear playwright Lonne Elder III’s message about racial oppression and the dangers of quick-fix solutions.

“In order for young people to get to see it, I felt it was best to take (the four-letter words) out,” Blankenship said, noting that he didn’t excise all gritty words. “If you can use them on TV, they’re here.”

Although “Ceremonies” is set in the Harlem ghetto of 1969, Blankenship said this hard-hitting play “definitely parallels the present time.”

“Today, like back in 1969, you have a lot of young people who want to take the short route,” Blankenship said. In the play, the eldest son illegally sells corn liquor to make some fast money. And in 1994, many youths try to get ahead, he pointed out, “by selling drugs and joining gangs.”

“They want the flashy things in life,” Blankenship said of the play’s characters, “but they don’t think about the risks. Or that maybe it could tear the family apart.”

The father in “Ceremonies” is Russell Parker (played by Mellow Martin), a former vaudeville dancer who dreams of making his barbershop a success. Customers are a rarity, however, so he idles away the time making up stories and trying to beat his friend, William Jenkins (Ray Jones), at checkers.

Parker’s daughter, Adele (Meta King), had quit college and moved back home in an attempt to get her family back on course. But frustrated at being the sole breadwinner, Adele issues an ultimatum to her brothers: “Get jobs or get out.”

The youngest son, Bobby (Michael Harris), tries to make money by shoplifting, which he believes to be his only alternative.

Eldest son Theo (E.J. Gage) turns to moonshining and becomes dangerously involved with a local gangster, Blue Haven (Lee White), who plans to drive all the white business owners out of Harlem.

Jennifer Ryan portrays a seductive young hustler who works for one of Blue Haven’s adversaries.

There are comical moments in “Ceremonies,” such as when the father “tells all sorts of lies” about working on a chain gang. But tragedy is the inevitable result as the family’s misguided attempts to achieve a better life go horribly wrong.

“It’s not a preachy play,” Blankenship said. “It’s very realistic.”

He also characterizes “Ceremonies” as being “very similar in tone” to a better-known African American play, “A Raisin in the Sun.” Lorraine Hansberry’s drama will open the Ensemble Theatre’s 1995 season in late January.

The 35-year-old director will be among the cast members in “Raisin,” along with his 6-year-old son, Roosevelt Blankenship III.

The elder Blankenship has been active in Orange County performing arts since 1987, when he helped form Eastern Boys Productions and rented theater space for the productions. Since opening the Ensemble Theatre in 1992, Blankenship has produced a diverse range of about 15 plays, including “Master Harold and the Boys,” “My Sweet Charlie” and “A Hatful of Rain.”

When selecting plays, the goal is “to give audiences something they can think about later,” he said, “something they’re not going to forget the minute they walk out the door.”

“I just want quality, well-written plays,” Blankenship said as his cast members began arriving for rehearsal. “And actors who can meet the challenge.”

* Lonne Elder III’s “Ceremonies in Dark Old Men” opens Friday at 8 p.m. at the Ensemble Theatre, 844 E. Lincoln Ave., Suite E, Orange. Through Dec. 17. $10 to $15. (714) 998-2670.