Asolo's 'Clybourne Park' As Much About Grief As Racism

Sarasota audiences may come to see Clybourne Park for the discussion on race, but do not ignore the depression of a grieving father.

The play staged at Asolo Rep confronts racism and embracing differences in a real way in two very different times—the 1950s and 2009. It runs through May 2 with special programs scheduled on select dates (see below). Tickets range from $20 to $72.

Clybourne Park follows the story of a family in suburban Chicago that sold their home in the 1950s. But Russ and his wife Bev catch hell from the neighbors because they ended up selling the home to a black family in an all-white neighborhood. The story continues in the same home during the second act when we're brought to 2009 with a young black couple making sure that the white family purchasing the home doesn't redevelop it and ignore the history and character of the neighborhood that significantly changed over time to a predominately black neighborhood.  

A lot of people will focus on this conversation on race—and it gets serious at times with moments of levity to break the tension.  (Pre-show discussions about the plays issues will be hosted before each performance.) 

Take the scene in Act II for instance. We see a pregnant Lindsey played by Sarah Brown justify that she's not racist because "half of my friends are black," while her husband Steve, played by David Breitbarth even calls her out asking her to "name one," earning a chuckle from the audience. The jokes do get racy like "Why is a white woman like a tampon?" You'll have to see the play because there's no way I could print the answer.

So while I fully expected a heavy discussion on the role of race in neighborhoods, I didn't think that I'd pay so much attention to the guy eating ice cream lounging in the chair.

That's Douglas Jones, who plays the grieving father Russ. The reason why he and his wife Bev are moving out is that their son died. We later learn that he came back from the Korean War and amid accusations of killing civilians, their son Kenneth took his own life in the home.  

Russ doesn't want to be bothered with anything. He's stuck in his own place, and for the most part during Act I, that place is his bathrobe, boxers and chair with that box of comfort food. That also means being stuck in an anger stage.

The family is doing what it can to move on from a traumatic experience, and who could blame them wanting to move out of a house where their son had took his own life? Selling a home or land is complicated enough, and it doesn't get any easier when there's a grief element.

So the last thing you need is some guy showing up to your door, pleading to reconsider selling the home, finding some way out because it doesn't make him happy. (We're looking at you, Karl—also played by Breitbarth.)

Between Karl and the minister Jim in his home dictating what to do with his decisions, Russ is traditionalist and doesn't want anyone coming into his home telling him what to do with it or about his life, so he's straight to the point and tells Karl to go "frick" himself, but you know, much harsher. Strong language is used in this play throughout.

I'm sure Douglas Jones is a great guy, but he can sure play a guy who can lose his temper in a second. (He did the same in Glengarry Glenn Ross.)

All of this playing out hit me hard because in my own family I have seen this entire situation of a grieving old guy trying to move on, but he can't, and he's left to deal with the details of an estate and all of a sudden people come in at the end to offer advice or find someway where they're better off, too. It's not a pretty situation at all, and the anger from grief can trigger blind rage the moment someone crosses the line and says something they shouldn't have. A man can only handle so much.

In Clybourne, the squabbling is with neighbors, which I don't know if it makes it as worse. At least you know you won't see those neighbors again—kind of hard to totally avoid family.

So, while you think to yourself inside the Asolo about how race fits in this community, think about the grieving process people go through. It's tough to help some people can't get pass feeling sorry for themselves, but don't come in and trying to be the martyr du jour with your own issues because it won't end well.

Could you broach a larger conversation and get the person to open up? Sure, but just like the conversation on race that takes place in the play, there's principal and practicality. We try to live based on principals, but we can't live in a world of principal, because practicality gives way to factors out of our control.

The cast explores that concept in Act II where the two families get down to the point of where we're at in today's times—I don't have to like everything you like, but I can respect what you like and respect our differences, and won't hate what you like based on your race. We just like different things.

You might like the discussion on race, but not the underlying depression of Russ. Maybe you're the other way around. 

But you don't know if you like or dislike something unless you try it, and consider giving Clybourne Park a try.

IF YOU GO

Clybourne Park

Asolo Repertory Theatre

Tickets: $20 to $72. Call 941-351-8000 for box office information.

Schedule

2 p.m.— April 3, 10, 13, 18, 21 (Meet The Actor Night), 25, 27, 28; May 1

7:30 p.m. — April 9, 30 (Both are Tuesday Talkback Nights)

8 p.m. — March 22, 30; April 4, 6, 12, 17, 18, 20, 24, 26; May 2

Special Programs

Inside Asolo Rep— 11 a.m. to Noon March 27 inside Cook Theatre

Director Michael Donald Edwards leads a panel to give audiences an inside look behind the play. Tickets are $5 for the panel discussion only.

Meet  The Actors—April 21

Participate in a moderated talkback with the cast following the 2 p.m. matinee. 

Tuesday Talkbacks—March 19, April 9 and April 30

Meet the cast and creative team on the mezzanine following the 7:30 p.m. performance for a moderated talk.

A Raisin in the Sun—April 22

Asolo Rep is partnering with West Coast Black Theatre Troupe to present a special reading of A Raisin in the Sun in the Mertz Theatre. Clybourne Park takes several cues and plays off of Raisin. Tickets are $15-20.