Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-12-17

Negro literature is lacking in Drama
Ono great play has been written 70,
the Negro, "The Emperor Jones', by
tho celebrated playwright. Eugene
ONeh, and Rid5eley Terrence, the
poet has given us three lovely poetic
bits OF drama: Granny RIaumee,"
"lhe Rider Of Dreams and Z" Simon,
The 'Cyrene." Tile co,ored peopYe them
selves except in musical comedy and
farce have not turned to dramatic on
preston until very recently when
Miss Angelina Grimkc presents MS
with her three act play Rachel"
Rachel reads extremely we'll. II
docs not re'y upon situation and "busl
ness but is Ibsen- Like in its real
ism. One wonders n little why Miss
Grimke on her title page did not uso
the quotation that marks the signifi-
cane OF her heroine's name: Rachel
weeping for her children because they
. were not. " The Play is laid In q north
er city and shows a'widow with he,
. son and daughter growing up In as
. favorable conditions as one can expec,
to find in the United States and yet
weighted down by the tragedy OF col
or. Rachel herself WIZ see first as a
girl OF fifteen, bright and happy, n lit
tie tomboyish with an intense love for
children. The maternal feeling IL
, the deepest part Of her nature. We
see her a young woman in tho next
. act, falling IN hove and promising to
marry the hero Of the play who is the
least convincing character in. It.
, Then through the suffering of the little
chid whom she and her mother have
adopted Rachel begins TO feel with
terrible intensity the tragedy of life
In the colored world This part Of tho
, play is most tNquisitely done. One can
not get away from this new "Cry Of
the childrcn,' and one understands
! the nding when tire woman, who cares
for nothing so much as to have emu.
dren OF her own, sends away her low
) err.
In the last act Rachel. asone nu>,
hcars the child she has brought into
: her home sobbing in his dreams. AS
she listens she weeps for her own chill
dfen that are never to be: "My little
children, my little children! shall
never sec-you-now. Your little
! brown, beautiful bodies, shall never
see your dimp.es-everywhc
laughtcr--your tears-the beautiful
I lovely feel Of your 7ovc. (Bats her
hands against h.r heart) Nevcr-nev.
; or-to be. But you are somewhere
ana wherever yo uare you are mind
All OF you! Every bit of you! Even
F., Hod can't take You away. Little chill
dron! My little children! No more
h"cd you come to Observation-Disclosures
lnG-fou may be happy now-yanl arc
The play IS a beautiful piece of art
and we hope will mark the BEGINNING
OF II series Of great dramatic works
by colorcd writers. Negro critics hav.
; declared IT too pessimistic. Whether
TINS be true or not it is unfortunate
mat work of art should be judce,l
from the viewpoint Of propaganda
lhe Negro today is unfortunately a,
"a period in his development when nc
Is apt to look upon everything write,
about him over-sensitively. Thus the
emperor Jones has hcen severely crit
ci%cd because its hero has commit ca
murder and throughout the play dis
plays great fear. Surprising Shakes
peare had been thus shacllled by The
crltlcS OF his time and had been I'M
aDle TO protray the character of Mac.
h"lh. But If Rachel seems too pessimi<
TIC TO the colorcd world I have found
It noble piece of propaganda amonc
the whites. It's central figure is life
like and infinitely appealing. 1t
mas made it's readers think and that
after all Is the most important thing
that book can do.
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