Who is the most pious of them all, according to the mirror on the wall?During its production of The Amen Corner, written by renowned author and Civil Rights activist James Baldwin, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre addresses this idea of purported holy righteousness.
Baldwin created two plays and was in the process of writing a third when he passed away in the 1980s. He is best known for his books and essays that explore the Black experience in Jim Crow America. In 1965, The Amen Corner made its Broadway debut. According to the account, actor Marlon Brando, who was friends with both Baldwin and Moore, was persuaded to lend Baldwin $75 so that he could write the play by actress Juanita Moore.
After having doubts about Christianity and its tenets, Baldwin eventually abandoned the Black church where he was raised. However, the religious culture never truly leaves you, as anyone who has gone through a similar path as this author will attest to. Whether religious or not, it permeates your life in enigmatic ways and is deeply ingrained in African American culture. Baldwin understood this.
Ken-Matt Martin, a native of Little Rock, is the director. It was initially scheduled for 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily closed In The Rep, The Amen Corner, Pastor Margaret Alexander’s apartment and church in Harlem are placed on top of each other. Margaret leads her congregation to believe that she was abandoned by her divorced husband, a jazz musician. Margaret was rescued by Christ in spite of that adversity, and as a result, she became a pastor and later judged her members for committing worldly sins that she had left behind.
Margaret chastises a member of the congregation for accepting a job operating a liquor truck in her very first sermon. She later asks a young mother who comes to her church to get treatment for her ailing child where her husband is. Since Margaret strongly urges her congregation to abstain from the wicked ways of the earthly world in order to be welcomed into the heavenly one, her worldview does not have much place for sinners.
As Margaret, North Little Rock native actress Gillian Glasco excels. She is so convincing in her roles as judge, jury, and executioner that I felt she was criticizing me for not being good enough, even in the quiet moments when she was sipping water in silent contempt after a sermon and gazing out toward the crowd. That this was not a real church service was something I had to remind myself of.
As they take their seats and wait for their pastor to speak, churchgoers chant Hosanna (Blessed Be the Rock) as they walk down the theatrical aisle at the start of the show, which is filled with gospel songs. Together with the soulfully performed musical performances by the other cast members, Margaret’s son David (Tyrese Shawn Avery) has a lovely falsetto that highlights the emotions you’re meant to experience at different periods. Several choirs from the Little Rock area play at each event, and Saint Mark Baptist Church made an appearance at the close of Friday’s performance of The Amen Corner to perform a tune.
After her husband, Luke, suddenly arrives home, Margaret soon finds herself in trouble. As the whole narrative of her relationship’s demise is soon revealed and everything is not quite as the pastor framed it, Margaret’s entire character is called into doubt.
Phyllis Yvonne Stickney as Sister Moore and Aaron Smith as Brother Boxer effectively embody many of the play’s humorous qualities, despite its focus in serious problems like racism, sexism, and poverty. The two contribute a brightness that also highlights their own shortcomings as creatures of this earth. Speaking of fallibility, the entire cast does a fantastic job portraying a church whose primary belief is gossip.
In addition, Jermaine McClure’s portrayal of Luke serves as a powerful counterpoint to Margaret, reminding her that despite her best efforts to persuade her son and her congregation otherwise, they are simply human and cannot transcend the material world. Rhindi White’s portrayal of the young mother with the ill child also serves as a reflection of some of the situations that have caused Margaret and Luke distress.
As The Amen Corner progresses, Margaret’s life becomes increasingly fractured, which causes her supporters to turn against her. Like Margaret in the play’s opening scenes, the congregation continue to feel that they are morally upright and above sin, even when their imperfections start to apparent following Luke’s arrival.
It makes you wonder: In a church full of gossip, who will be the next to lose favor once exposed? Margaret is forced out of her position, and other members of her former church take control. Given that they are simply human, who can truly assert that they are the most pious, sanctified person?
Through August 24, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre will host the Amen Corner. Tickets range from $20 to $65 and the performance times are 7 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
It’s dragon-slaying time!
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