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

Negro literature is lacking In Drama
One great play has boon written ro..
the Negro "The Emperor Jones'. by
the celebrated playwright, |, eugene
O'Nen, and Ridgeley Terrence, tn.
poet has given lis three lovely poetic
bits of drama: Granny Maumeo,"
, "T'he Rider Of Dreams, and q. Simon.
!: The 'Cyrene." Tie co,ored peopYe them
; selves except in musical comedy and
; farce have not turned to dramatic ex-
! preston until very recently when
Miss Angelina Grimke presents us
with her three act play Rachel"
Rachel reads extremely we'll. It
does not re'y upon situation and "busl
ness but is Ibsen- like in it's real
ism. One wonders q 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
! We're not" THE play is laid In q north
err city and shows a widow with lie,
, 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 WIKI see first as q
girl OF fifteen, bright and happy, n lit
tie tomboyish with an Intense love for
, children. The maternal feeling Is
the deepest part Of her nature. We
, see her n young woman in the next
: act. falling III qove and promising to
! marry the hero of the play who Is the
least convincing character in It .
, Then through the suffering of the little
chtM whom she and her mother have
adopted Rachel begins to feel with
terrible intensity the tragedy Of life
IN tho colored world. This part of tho
play Is most e%Quisitely done. One can
not get away from this new "Cry Of
the Children" and one understands
the nding when tire woman, who cares
for nothing so much Us to have emu.
dren Of her own, sends away her Low
err.
In the last act Rachel, a,one ny,,
hears the child she has brought into
her nome sobbing in his dreams. AS
sho listens she weeps for her own chill
dren that are never to be: "My little
children, my little children! I shall
never see--you-now. Your little
! brown, beautiful bodies, shall never
see your dimp.es-everywh
laughter-your tears-the beautiful
i lovely feel OF your love. (Rats her
hands against h.r hearty Never-nev
er-to be. But you are somewhere
ana wherever yo uare you are mind
>; All Of you! Every bit Of you! Even
God can't take you away. Little chit.
dron! My little children! No more
need you come to Observation-Disclosures
ing--You may be happy now--yonl are
The play Is a beautiful piece of art
ana we hope will mark tho BEGINNING
OF n series of great dramatic works
ny colored writer's. Negro critics have
declared it too pessimistic. Whetke,
thls be true or not it Is unfortunate
that work of art should be Judged
from the viewpoint of propaganda
Inc Negro today is unfortunately q,
q period in his development when he
is apt to look upon everything write,
ABOUT him over-sensitively. Thus tho
emperor Jones has been severely cru
clZed because its hero has committed
murder and throughout The play dis
plays great fear. Surprising Shakes
peare had been thus shaclled by The
critics OF his time and had been un.
able to protray the character of Mac.
beth. But if Rachel seems too pessimis
Tic to tho colored world I have found
1t noble piece Of propaganda among
the whites. It's central figure is life
IKE and infinitely appealing. II
has made its readers think and that
after all Is the most important thing
that book can do.