Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-06-11
WHERE Do | CO FROM
HERE?
The story OF II Man Who, Even With
Il Great Success TO Ills Credit,
Asks Himself That Question
and Finds No Answer.
(By Mary b. AIullctt.)

an actor 1;llncu AnolicS -. hllpln. III
IL play by Eugene ONcill, called The
Emperor Jones'" the title roe WAS
played by Gilpin with Il breadth or
feeling which ranged from fine come
dy to tragic intensity.
Inside or n few weeks after its pro
duction, all New York was talking of
the new star. The critics called his
work "a magnificent piece Of acting
they declared he showed a great pow
er and great imagination" that his
performance was "the crown to a re
markablc play; that it was ~ genu'
inc impersonation, being Of flesA
and blood and brain.
But did they predict for him dis
tinguished career and did they talk
of his giving the public more Of his
magnificent acting?"
They did not! For Charles S. Gill
pin is Il Negro-and-thero VOW arc.
The drama was produced by the Prov
incctown Players at their little thea.
ter, Il madc-ovcr stable in Greenwich
Villagc-that extraordinary section of
New York City where new movements
in art and near.art have their habitat.
The Provincctown Players arc white.
But instead of having one of their
number "black-up" for the role OF
Emperor Jones, they sent for Charles
Gilpin. The result was that, night
after night, the one hundred and
eighty seats in the little playhouse
were packed. Adoiph Klauber then
took the play to al uptown theatre
where it ran for months. 1t was in
corner back of the stage, after the
performance, that Charles Gilpin told
me his story.
lie is not full.bloodcd Negro, but
rather light in co.or. His hair, which
is very thin on top of his head, is not
| harsh and woolly but line and almost
! straight. His eyes are profoundly mel
ancholy.
! The accumulated bitterness OF years
Of disappointment has left its trace
and SO has the anticipated bitterness
Of diSappointmcnts yet in store for
him. For he knows that his problem
is an almost unsolyable one. But
while his eyes never lost their sad
, ness he managed to smile sometimes
though it was Il smile which rather
hurt one to sec 81 he talked OF tic
past and Of the future.
! He was horn in Richmond; Virgin
III in the early seventies. His mother
was II nurse in the ;aichmond City
, Hospital for colOrcd people. His faith
er worked III the steel mills. They
were poor but not abjectly poverty
stricken.
Like many Of the Richmond AMI
Baltimore Negroes, the Gilpins were
Roman Catholics, and the small boy
received the beginning OF an cduca-
ton at ST. Francis, School-ior col
ored children, Of course.
Il didn't get far with my school
ing" he said, because when l WIS
twelve, | went to work rs y printers
| devil on the Richmond Planet
Most Of my education, such rs IL
| is, | have gained by rubbing elbows
with the world. | never went to school
| again after l had left it to learn the
printers trade.
My becoming an actor was not
due TO any dreams of Il stage career,
but simply because | was trying TO
earn my bread and butter. | drift"d
into it because l had taken part in
little plays and entertainments at ST.
Francis School, where one OF the
| teachers had given me some train
inS in speaking and acting. But as
Aoi nav uii ulllDlllOll W become Il
real actor-wcll, hitching ones waS-
on to Il star is not an attractive past
time for a colorcd boy. All the stars
seem to have keep on signs, so RAJ
as he is concerned.
"Ilowever, my job as printers dee.
il put so little money into my peck
cts that | had to do something to ac-
cumulatc enough coins even TO Jingle.
SO two or three other boys and my
self hit on the scheme OF giving Il
song and dance in Il restaurant.
1t was Il cheap place of the 'honly
tonk variety, tables where people sat
and drank, while relays OF performers
came and went on Il rude stage at one
end Of the room. When our turn was
over, the proprietor used to run rs
out, rs If the place, poor as it, was,
would be contaminated by our pres
encc.
"rhere wasn't any glory, and there
certainly wasn't any pleasure, in the
experience. But there were few eX
ira dollars il week, so / hung on to
this ragged edge of the show business
In time, | gradually got a little firm
CT grip on it. I had Il good voice. |
could sing and dance and make folks
laugh So after Il while, | edged my
way into cheap vaudeville.
Il said that for Negroes there are
Keep Off signs Oh most OF the stars.
| reckon that's an eXaggeration In 10
gard to some Of the things a colornd
person might want to attempt. But t
is not an eXaggcration in regard u
the theatre. A Negro can be a darby
comedian and give people q chance
to laugh at him and ut his race. He
can introduce a bit of pathos. if he IS
clever-just as all clowns are permit
ted to do, provided 1t doesn't interfere
too much with their clowning. Bat
this seemed about all that white peo-
pie wanted from n Negro on the
stage.
They used to come to hear us rs
Jubilee Singers and there was n
time when Negro MINISTRIES would
draw. I've been everything; vau.lc-
VILE comedian, Jubilee singer, Negro
minstrel everything except travel
with circus. But always was judg-
az o,,1