A History of the Negro Passion Play

Is this an original play and/or who wrote it?

In order to answer this question I need to provide some additional background. The Negro Passion Play came out of my curiosity around passion plays (one of the more populist, if not most popular, forms of theatre in the world), and for a few years now, I had been thinking about producing one with an uniquely American storyline. The impetus for producing and presenting the play in 2014 came from receiving an email about the Endowed Mission Fund back and a brief conversation with colleagues about this “idea” at the SU President’s Welcome in 2013. I had not decided on whether to use an existing script or to commission a playwright to write an original one. It was suggested that I contact Harmony Arnold about the process of “devising” with an ensemble to create the play. So, November 13, 2013, Harmony Arnold (Assistant Professor of Theatre, Costume Design; Seattle University)and her colleague Rich Brown (Associate Professor of Devising and Acting Movement; Western Washington University) held a full-day devising workshop with the following participants:

• Tina Austin
• Marlon Brown*
• PePe Etxeberri
• Pearl Klein*
• Hillary Locke
• Dani T. Long*
• Jasmine Jamillah Mahmoud
• Liz Pilati
• Daveda Russell
• Kenneth Shook*
• Mikol  S.
• Zorn B. Taylor*
• Sharon Nyree Williams

*has continued with the project in some capacity since last year

From this workshop, I was able to come with a “process for working” on my “hunch” I had around the questions of:

•  what would have happened if Christ and been a born a Black man in the American South during the late 50’s and early 60’s
• what would the American crucifixion be?
• what role did religion play in the oppression of African Americans 

From that workshop, I moved forward to creating an ensemble that went through a “pre-rehearsal” process with me. This “pre-rehearsal” period included a very informal audition process and meeting for about four weeks with some combination of the following people (depending on their schedules): 

• Pearl Klein (took on Assistant Director role)
• Marlon Brown
• Veronica Pugh
• Diane Beall
• Tee Deonard
• Rick DuPree
• DQ Robinson
• Swan Isis Etiquette
• John Ruoff
• Karen DeMaster
• Alyson Circeo
• Heidi Beck
• Claire Jolie
• Pearl Klein
• Kenneth Shook 
• Michele Edwards
• Leslie Heickey
• Trinity Glover (6 years old)
• Queston Glover (11 years old)
• Treonna Glover (14 years old)
• Darryl Glover (Father of the three kids 

We had one invited showing of our devising process and progress on Monday, March 3, 2014 and transitioned into the actual writing of a script, which became a group writing process (Diane Beall, Pearl Klein, Swan Isis Etiquette, Alyson Circeo with a lead writer (Diane Beall), and me editing and writing as needed.

Post March 3, 2014 we sought out additional company members and as of this email have the following cast:

Jesus of Nazareth

Jamaar Smiley

The Twelve Disciples (both men and women)

Marlon Brown
Tee Deonard
Rick DuPree
DQ Robinson
Veronica Pugh
Diane Beall
Claire Jolie

Sadducees

John Ruoff
Karen DeMaster
Heidi Beck
Pearl Klein

Romans

Kenneth Shook 
Alyson Circeo

The Women

Michele Edwards
Beverly Brown (my mother)

The Children

Trinity Glover
Treonna Glover
Queston Glover

Gentiles

Darryl Glover

Splinter Dance

Justice Beitzel
Tameka Lampkin
Ali Vice
Denise Rounsavelle
Robin Campbell
Brenna Feely (2 shows)
Thomas Glass (3 shows)

Here is a basic list of our Production Team

Michelle Pelletier, Conference & Events
Hannah Frelot, Stage Manager
John Clark, Technical Director
Pearl Klein, Assistant Director and Playwright
Dani Long, Choreographer
Brynne McKeen, Costume Designer
Evan Maeda, Graphic Designer
Kenneth Shook, Photographer (Candid Rehearsals Shots)
Zorn B. Taylor, Photographer (Official Production Shots)

Without giving too much away, is it possible to provide a brief explanation as to how the play connects the trial, suffering and death of Jesus Christ with the civil rights movement?

Here is an update to the “imagine” narrative:

“It is a Sunday, nineteen-hundred-and-fifty-five, in a small American town. A young woman, Mary Magdalene (Zenobia Taylor) and Martha (Treonna Glover), enters a church in the midst of morning service. They make their way down the main aisle and sits alone in an empty back pew. They are two young Black children and this is an all-white congregation nestled deep in the segregated South. His sermon interrupted, the Pastor Caiaphus (John Ruoff), demand the “negress leave the sanctuary” and Mary respectfully declines and bravely “stands her ground.” Soon the local authorities are called and she is arrested. A short time later a little known negro preacher, Jesus of Nazareth Baptist Church (Jamaar Smiley), and his twelve deacons “hear tell” of the arrest and quickly move to intervene on the young woman’s behalf. Soon Jesus and “the Twelve” find themselves thrust feet first into a burgeoning movement to integrate “The Church” and headlong into the fulfillment of his prophesy...”

FYI - Next Monday, March 24^th at 6:30pm in the Pigott Auditorium we are having our second "invite showing” of progress on THE NEGRO PASSION PLAY. After a successful “invited showing” earlier this month, we have decided to invite a select audience to see our progress (with the actual script) and to participate in a formal Critical Response Process led by Jasmine Mahmoud.

What are you are hoping audience members take away from the play?

We our cast this same question during our process with the question “…what does the show need to do (or mean) for the people who come to see it?”

It needs to send a message of hope, but also a message that clearly displays the struggle that has been fought and the freedoms and liberty that we have as a result of the struggle of those before us. I want the audience to walk away feeling inspired but also knowing that we haven't achieved Dr. King's dream and that they have a role in helping to move us as a people closer to that dream. - Rick DuPree

I think the play seeks to remind people that the workings of freedom and truth are always from the ground up, wittingly or unwittingly sought by everyday people as agents working collectively, as successfully, by applying some level of the spiritual playbook to persistent social issues. - Diane Beall (Lead Writer)

Jesus has the power to bring together men and women from very different backgrounds whose paths would otherwise not have crossed and who alone would not have made the difference they made when united. - Claire Jolie

I feel that many believers have forgotten this: "Master, which is the greatest commandment and the law?" Jesus said to him "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment.  The second resembles it: You must love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang the whole law and the prophets too."  This play should be a reminder that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, and that includes people who are different than us, as he tells us in the story of the Good Samaritan.  In order to do that people need to see how people who were different were really treated.  We should NEVER go back to the way our country was at that time. - Karen DeMasters

The show ultimately needs to clearly express a story that someone – even without a great deal of knowledge about the Passion Play and/or background in the Civil Rights movement  - can clearly follow. - Heidi Beck

How important was the funding from the Endowed Mission Fund?

It was very important for these reasons:

• it gave me to the impetus to move forward with my idea for a passion play
• provided much needed financial and institutional support (conference and events, OMA, CAPS, Student Development, and IT)
• it gives the project some credit / recognition

Is there anything else notable about the play—how the idea for doing this came about, anything unexpected learned along the way, etc.?

I think that people are going to be pleasantly surprise by what we have be able to create from a “hunch” and then devised, write, rehearse, and present in very little time (the “devising” process was based on a year-long process, that we had to condense into eight weeks).

I am also amazed by the dedication of those who have been with me from the start. This has in many been an ‘act of faith” on their part to see the process and the production through. I find myself getting emotional many time after rehearsal, because I can’t believe that this “bucket list” project of mine is coming to fruition.

Also, the individual stories of some the ensemble and their connection to the time period we are setting the play is interesting. For instance, Teotha “Tee” Dennard (playing the Disciple John) is 70 years old and his participation in the production has brought up some profound memories of his friend as a boy – Emmitt Till. Tee is also a man of faith and really “gets” the story we are trying to tell by juxtaposing the Civil Rights Movement with the Passion of the Christ.

How long have you been at SU and a brief overview of the roles you’ve had during your time here, and your impressions of working here?

I first starting working here from 2007 – 2010 as the Administrative Assistant for the Office of the President, which morphed into me being the Administrative Coordinator the Vice President for Student Development (for both Dr. Robert Kelly and Dr. Jacob Diaz). I took of advantage of the employee benefits and received my MFA in Arts Leadership in 2010. Then I applied for a directing fellowship with the Drama League in New York., and after that came back to Seattle. Was asked to temp for the Center for the Study of Justice and Society at Seattle University in 2011, the temped for the Office of Student Development, and the applied and was hired full-time by CAPS as the Administrative Coordinator in 2012.

I enjoy my work at SU and my role as the Administrative Coordinator for CAPS allows me to have a different relationship to the campus. Working for six psychologists I see the other side of SU’s mission to educate (and care for) the whole person. I also appreciate working in an environment that provides space for my “artistic endeavors” and allows me to grow personally, professionally, and artistically through opportunities afforded through things like the Endowed Mission Fund.

Can you provide a brief overview (i.e. highlights) of some of your other theatre work?

Tyrone Brown (CAPS, Administrative Coordinator) is a Seattle-based theatre director and producer. Directing credits include POOF!, Hot Grits: A (Punk) Play On Music, Black To My Roots: African American Tales from the Head and Heart ( Fringe First Award winner at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburg, Scotland), Wreck The Airline Barrier, and Hamlet X: The Tragedy of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz. He holds a MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University, Bachelors of Arts in Theatre from Western Washington University, and is an alumni of the Drama League Directing Program in New York. He is currently the artistic director of Brownbox Theatre, a company dedicated to the creation, development, and production of re-imagined Black theater.

When did you start Brownbox Theatre?

I founded Brownbox Theatre in 2001, it is basically the producing entity and name I work under as a theatre director and producer. Please note the following:

The company name is ALL ONE WORD - Brownbox (not Brown Box or BrownBox) and theatre is spelled "re" at the end - Theatre.

The official tag line for Brownbox Theatre is "Re-Imagined Black Theatre"

The mission statement for Brownbox Theatre is the "creation, development and production of re-imaged Black theatre."

Web presence is www.facebook.com/reimaginedblacktheatre

Email address is brownbox@gmail.com

Attached is the official logo for Brownbox Theatre (designed byKemeya Harper)

Is it possible to get a photo of some sort to run with the story?—most ideally, a shot of you in action behind the scenes, but whatever’s available will do…

We are taking some candids this Thursday and Saturday during our rehearsals. Kenneth Shook (former SU employee and play the role of Pontius Pilate) will be the photographer.