The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-03-11

paving public still ringing in -
wake
DISTRAUGHT by thu wicked
II ness Of the peop' ne created.
de LaWd of the parable play de-
clares: Even bein' God isn't any
bed of roses" And neither has
II been all easy sailing for the IA
nous Biblical fable At first there
were questions Of possible accUSa-
lions Of blasphemy; England had
decided definitely that no man
would be allowed to imperSOnate
God And then there were dark
doubts about racial prejudice
doubts dispelled in the deep south,
but realized in a few regions Of
the southwest.
The future of The Green Pas
lures" is uncertain, too. In any
event, the horizon stretches west
ward. AT the end Of its current
New York engagement, which is
indefinite, the production may be
made into a motion picture. Cine
ma companies, moving in mySteri-
Gus detOurs their wonders to per-
form, still are shy of the Negro
miracle play. If Hollywood doesn't
buy it, the company will go on
tour again, this time through Can
ada and down our Pacific coast.
q
TIVE YEARS have brought a lot
Il of changes in the cast of rs
Negro performers. There have
been several deaths. And since
pickaninnies must grow up, three
different crops of cherubS have
frOlicked at the fish-fry. A few
OF the players have dropped out
because they just couldn't stand
prosperity.
Most of the original roles,
though. still are in the hands of
their creators. Richard Harrison,
who will be 70 years old in few
months, hadn't missed a perform
ance until after the reopening in
Manhattan. DE Lawd' has been
i'll sometimes, and often weary
from the rigorS of playing one
night Stands and speaking at
luncheon clubs. colleges and from
pulpitS. But he refused to take
a rest until the other day when
he was definitely ordered to do so.
DE Lawd" has an understudy,
of course. He is Charles Winter
Wood. whose regular role is that
of Father Abraham. Charles
Moore. a mellow gentleman of rs,
still teaches Sunday school and
and eXDounds the parallels which
introduce the play. Stout Anna
Mae Fritz remains the First Nam
my Angel, ano Daniel Haynes is
Adam. George R2ndOl still sits
on OF King Pharaoh's throne.
DHARAOH'S current son, bear
Il ing the name of Wilbur Cohen
Jr., was one of the original cherubs.
JazzlipS Richardson Jr., another
little angel of the cast in 1880, has
graduated-if that's the term
into the role of young gambler.
A third ex-cherub, Nonnie Sim
mons, has become one of the fav-
orites of the wicked King of Baby
lon.
Noah and Eve were married last
summer. with feasts and singing
backstage. Cain, who is Thomas
Russell. took himself a wife among
the angelic choir. Jacob and two
of the magicians of PharaohS
court married girls whom they met
while the show was on tour.
For four and a half years, aged
Alonzo Henderson was the Moses
who led his people out Of bondage.
through the wilderness. and within
sight OF the promised land. The
children of Israel trudged on to
their destiny. leaving him there by
the wayside. Soon he could hear
their hymn of triumph: Joshua
Fit de Battle of Jericho" And
soon de Lawd came and told
Moses not to feel so bad. He had
done mighty good. said de Lawd,
and now he was going to a Pro-
missed Land that was a thousand
times pretuer than Canaan. Then
&c Lawd lifted Moses and to-
gether they began walking up a
paper mache hill. and audiences
knew that Moses was going to
Heaven.
One night last October there
was prophetic realism in this
scene. Henderson was very i'll,
but insisted on appearing. He
scarcely could regain his feet
when Harrison came to him. and
his breathing grew labored as
they trUdged their allotted few
steps before the curtain came
down. Spectators acclaimed the
stirring episode They didn't
know that Moses really was dying.
THE first Gabriel, Wesley Hill,
l. died in New York. His sue
cesSor, Samuel Davis, died in In
dianapoiis. The third Gabriel.
D0do Green. played the important
role for four years. and didn't
believe it was linked. Broadway,
with Harlem nearby. was the pro-
missed land for the performers.
But Dodo never reached it. On
the eve Of the reopening here the
boss men gave his gilded wings
and his polished horn TO another