AMERICAN THEATRE | Robert Hooks: All the time Concerning the Ensemble

Now, I’m doing one of many play’s leads, Deodatus Village, which is only a nice function. I got here in to interchange the good James Earl Jones in that function and had labored my ass off onstage to make the function my very own. The evening when Dr. and Mrs. King are within the viewers and having fun with the present, I’m centerstage as Village delivering a commanding monologue. At one level in my speech, I select a member of the viewers; I at all times selected to handle a girl within the viewers. On this case, Martin and Coretta had been sitting proper on the aisle within the St. Mark’s Playhouse. I zeroed in on Coretta, considering she could be a bit of nervous, however that’s okay—I’d have enjoyable with that. However she wasn’t. It was like she was part of the solid, she was so good. She was responding to me and I’m taking a look at Martin, and Martin is taking a look at her as if to say, “What the heck’s happening right here?” I did the entire monologue together with her—to her. They got here backstage afterwards. We took footage, after which we went and had meals and drinks at our favourite after-show hangout spot, the Orchidia, all on the tab of our producer, Sidney Bernstein.

Now right here I’m sitting throughout the desk from our righteous hero Martin Luther King, apologizing to him for not being with him and the others on the frontlines within the South—I imply, I’m up on the stage appearing and having enjoyable in New York. He mentioned, “No, no, no, maintain on. Simply cease proper there, younger man.” And that’s when he defined to me, “What you all are doing on the stage, what these writers, the Black writers, are writing about, what you’re doing up on that stage for the Black neighborhood and everybody else is simply as essential as what we’re doing on the entrance traces within the South. So hold doing what you’re doing, representing Black people.”

That encouragement from Martin actually meant lots to me. Malcolm was doing his factor his means, and Martin was doing his factor his means. And I admired them each. I befriended them, and we had been buddies through the years.

In 1960, you made your Broadway debut changing Louis Gossett Jr. in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin within the Solar, and you then went on the nationwide tour with the play. You talked about that you simply’d seen the unique manufacturing of Raisin within the Philadelphia tryout earlier than it arrived in New York Metropolis. Let me ask you three questions collectively on this one: How did you make this occur? What was it like working with that solid? And what was the expertise like working with the director, Lloyd Richards?

It was a terrific and life-changing expertise for me. It took place principally as a result of after I noticed the play in Philadelphia, the primary Black play I had ever seen in my life, the expertise prompted me, a couple of months later, to only pack up and transfer to New York, as a result of I knew I wished it. When that curtain went up on A Raisin within the Solar and the lights went up, I believed I used to be in my very own front room on Horton Avenue. That’s what it appeared like, and that type of obtained to me. I’m sitting there on the finish of the play crying like a child due to what I felt watching individuals who appeared like me on that stage telling their very own story; it simply took me aback emotionally. The applause was so thrilling and wonderful; I used to be the primary one on my ft, yelling “Bravo” and clapping—a lot so, I broke the band on my wristwatch and the entire thing fell on the ground and I couldn’t discover it, I used to be too busy clapping and yelling. That outlined it for me.

After I noticed Raisin in Philadelphia on the Walnut Avenue Theatre, I simply needed to go backstage to fulfill this wonderful solid. I couldn’t get into Sidney Poitier’s dressing room as a result of it was too crowded; I couldn’t get into Claudia McNeil’s dressing room as a result of it was additionally too crowded. After which I appeared down on the finish of the corridor to the boys’s dressing room, so I am going down there to fulfill a few of the guys. I stroll in, there’s Ivan Dixon, Lou Gossett, Douglas Turner Ward, there’s Lonne Elder III. And there’s younger Glynn Turman—on the time he was only a teen enjoying Travis within the play. Now he’s doing grandfather roles, for crying out loud! That’s how way back it was. Anyway, I begin speaking to those guys, and I inform them I’m a neighborhood actor, and ask them what they thought I ought to do. I mentioned, “There are not any roles for me right here in Philly.” Lonne Elder chimes in, “Nicely, come on as much as New York and be part of the unemployment line like all people else.” All of us obtained an enormous giggle! They had been so good to me; I couldn’t imagine the nice and cozy welcome they gave me.

A couple of months later I had moved as much as New York to pursue an appearing profession. By then, Raisin was an enormous smash hit on Broadway. I am going backstage, and I began hanging out with these nice guys I’d already met in Philadelphia. Someday I’m strolling down forty seventh Avenue and I run into Ed Corridor, an actor who was within the play—really, he was an understudy for Lou Gossett and Ivan Dixon. And he says, surprisingly, “Bobby, it’s best to recover from to Phil Rose’s workplace now, as a result of Lou Gossett is leaving for Hollywood they usually’re going to interchange him.” I believed wow, that is my alternative, proper? However I’m additionally considering, Ed Corridor was the understudy for Louis and Ivan—why isn’t he changing Louis within the function? I by no means realized the reply to that. However I ran up Broadway to 57th Avenue, 10 blocks up Broadway to get to Phil Rose’s workplace to audition, to be Lou Gossett’s substitute within the greatest Black play on Broadway. I run into the constructing. I am going as much as the seventh ground, and I don’t know which room it’s, however the elevator door opens, and this little man seems; I virtually ran over him. I requested, “Might you inform me the place Phil Rose’s workplace is?” He says, “It’s proper over there.” I rush in and the little man is available in proper behind me. Sure, it was Phil Rose that I virtually took out popping out of the elevator.

Phil Rose requested his assistant to carry a script in so he may audition me. He requested me how I knew in regards to the function, since they hadn’t even formally introduced it. I mentioned, “Ed Corridor informed me about it. And Mr. Rose, I actually don’t want a script. I do know the function; I do know all of the traces; I do know all of the traces of all people within the present.” He mentioned, “Nicely, do you thoughts if I’ve a script? I don’t know the traces.” I learn with him, he preferred my studying, and he known as the theatre instantly. He informed me to go to the theatre as a result of director Lloyd Richards was there. I’m blown away. I’m going to go learn for Lloyd Richards, to interchange Lou Gossett! I get to the theatre. I stroll out on the stage. I’m standing there and Lloyd Richards walks out, after which from the wings walks the actress Billie Allen, who was Diana Sands’s understudy within the play. She and I get set to learn the 2 scenes. After the primary scene, Richards preferred what I did and gave me a few notes for the second scene. I learn the second scene as properly. I’m feeling nice, I’m feeling unbelievable. And he dismissed Billie and he says, “We’re not going to audition another actor for this function. It’s yours. Have your agent name Phil Rose’s workplace.” Nicely, guess what! I didn’t have an agent. I didn’t inform him that, however lengthy story quick, Diana Sands was so completely satisfied for me, that Diana known as her agent and he represented me and made my deal for A Raisin within the Solar.

In 1961, you changed Billy Dee Williams within the Broadway manufacturing of A Style of Honey and went on the nationwide tour with that present. A Style of Honey was being produced by David Merrick, and on the similar time you had been in his present, you had been picketing Merrick’s Subways Are for Sleeping, which was on Broadway and didn’t have any Black dancers or singers. I additionally learn that at that very same time, Merrick was mentoring you to change into a producer. What’s the story behind this?

David knew that I used to be picketing Subways Are for Sleeping whereas I used to be doing A Style of Honey. I did three Broadway performs for David Merrick. He preferred me, regardless that I used to be picketing one other one in all his exhibits. He understood my dedication as a Black artist. Someday whereas I used to be on the picket line, his right-hand man, Jack Schlissel, walked over to me and mentioned, “You already know David Merrick likes you. He has to love you since you would have been fired in a scorching minute for picketing his present.” I realized lots from David Merrick, who was one of many high producers on Broadway on the time, although not the nicest man to different actors.

You changed actors in lots of your Broadway roles, however in Tiger Tiger Burning Shiny in 1962, you lastly created your personal function with the character Dewey Chipley. I discover that your title was listed as Bobby Dean Hooks at the moment.

That was my actual title earlier than I modified it. I modified it after I did Dutchman, as a result of my expensive pal Roscoe Lee Browne got here on opening evening to see me in that, and we went out for drinks afterwards and he says, “You’ve obtained to eliminate that Bobby Dean. What you probably did on that stage tonight, you had been Robert Hooks.” I modified it whereas I used to be nonetheless doing Dutchman. From that time on, my skilled title was Robert Hooks, however all people that knew me from again within the day nonetheless calls me Bobby, and that’s okay.

You talked about that in 1962, you changed James Earl Jones in Jean Genet’s The Blacks. Each main Black actor of the time was in that legendary manufacturing. What else may you share about that manufacturing that most individuals have no idea?

To begin with, it was a legendary play, and the unique solid was simply phenomenal. Lots of people who had been in it—Roscoe, Cicely, Maya Angelou—would go off and do different exhibits, TV exhibits or no matter, and the producer would allow them to go. Then they might at all times come again to the present when that gig was over. I did it thrice, as a result of I used to be within the play for fairly a bit, however I’d be known as off to do a film or TV present or one other play, and I may at all times come again. Lots of people didn’t perceive how the understudies took that. Nicely, the producer let all people know he was going to do that. All of us wished to return to The Blacks as a result of it was so unbelievable, and the producer at all times allow us to come again.

In 1964, you had been in Tennessee Williams’s The Milk Prepare Doesn’t Cease Right here Anymore. You performed the function of the stage assistant and Tallulah Bankhead was the star. What are you able to inform me about that have?

I had an exquisite relationship with Tennessee, and with a number of of the opposite folks within the play, together with Tab Hunter, who was doing his first Broadway play on the time. Tennessee and I drank after the present; he drank like loopy, however what a superb man. And I had a good time being his pal.

The function that I performed in The Milk Prepare Doesn’t Cease Right here Anymore was not written within the unique play. They’d completed the play the yr earlier than, and Tallulah Bankhead wasn’t in it then both. The 2 new characters Tennessee wrote for this manufacturing had been known as Stage Assistants. They had been type of like Kabuki characters, performed by me and the advantageous actor Conrad Mathieu. We had been the 2 characters that had been added to the brand new manufacturing of the play that was completed the next yr; the play had opened in 1963 with a distinct solid. It didn’t work, it obtained horrible opinions, however Tennessee Williams mentioned, “Look, let’s get Tallulah Bankhead to do it.” They did it the very subsequent season, which is de facto uncommon.

Tallulah Bankhead, this splendidly proficient lady, drank lots, however when she was in motion onstage you’d by no means know she was soused! Additionally, Tallulah possessed a mane of thick, beautiful hair, and she or he preferred me to come back in and brush it for her. It was enjoyable. She known as me in each evening; I’d brush her hair and we’d speak politics and Civil Rights. She jogged my memory she was a pal of the Kennedys. We’d speak presidential politics. Then one afternoon, whereas in rehearsal, got here the second that stopped time for us on Broadway, and for a lot of around the globe. Conrad and I had been taking a break; we’re standing there, and vehicles began screeching and pulling over, folks had been yelling, “They shot John F. Kennedy in Dallas!” I knew John F. Kennedy was a pal of Tallulah’s.

I needed to go in and inform Tallulah what had simply occurred, as a result of she was onstage working with the director, Tony Richardson. She’s sitting on the stage in a chair. Tony’s on the apron of the stage they usually’re speaking, and I stroll in, and Tony appears to be like at me as if to say, “Come on, Bobby, I’m rehearsing right here.” I walked over to Tallulah and I whispered in her ear that John F. Kennedy had simply been shot and he’s lifeless in Dallas. She has this nice voice, a really heavy voice. She set free this sound; it was virtually scary. It was like out of one of many horror films, and she or he raised herself out of the chair and fell backwards and fainted on the stage. Tony, after all, was going out of his thoughts. “What the hell is occurring?” I informed him. So when folks ask, “The place had been you when John F. Kennedy was shot?” It’s simple for me. I used to be doing a play with Tallulah Bankhead, and we had been in rehearsals, and it was an incredible, scary scene, as a result of I believed perhaps she was lifeless.

You really performed Clay within the unique stage model of LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman in 1964. Most individuals know the film model with Al Freeman Jr. as Clay. What was it like creating Clay for the stage?

I noticed a studying of that play after they had been making an attempt to get the producer for it. Al Freeman Jr. was studying the function of Clay. They lastly ended up taking the play to Edward Albee and his firm, Theatre 1964. Then I get a name from my agent, saying that they need me to come back in and speak about doing Dutchman. I say, “However I believed Al Freeman Jr. was doing it?” For some cause, they nonetheless provided me the function. Al by no means did the play in any respect onstage. The play was an enormous success they usually purchased it for the films. Then Al did the function within the film, however lots of people get confused and assume that Al Freeman Jr. initially did Dutchman and I took over the function from him. Al did the film model; he was great within the film, as was Shirley Knight—however Shirley was no Jennifer West. I did the play with Jennifer West. Man, she was so good each evening. The play Dutchman hit the dwell audiences tougher than the film model.

In 1965, you performed the lead within the New York Shakespeare Theatre Pageant’s manufacturing of Henry V. It was known as a “triumph” by a critic, who mentioned, “Robert Hooks’s King Henry was particularly good, combining fiery grace with an virtually tragic sensitivity.” You had been 28 and also you had been the speak of the city. What did all of this imply to you at the moment?

At that time, after all, Joseph Papp, the producer of New York Shakespeare Theatre Pageant, had seen me do Dutchman and The Blacks. He had additionally seen me do Tiger Tiger Burning Shiny. He mentioned, “I’ve been following you. I’d such as you to contemplate doing Henry V within the park.” And I believed, ”Am I able to do Henry V?” I requested Papp that very same query. He mentioned, “No drawback, no drawback, I’ll work with you, and also you’ll be advantageous as Henry.” Often, they’d go after James Earl Jones or any individual, however Papp wished me. We labored exhausting on my method to the function, and it turned out fantastically ultimately.

By this time, I had already began my first theatre firm, the Group Theatre Workshop, with a gaggle of children from the imply streets of New York who wished to be within the theatre. I used to be understanding of my front room. I even reconstructed it, and along with the scholars constructed a stage proper there in my rented residence. I had these nice youngsters off the streets of New York, from all 5 boroughs, perhaps 60 or 70 college students, coming into my residence day-after-day, finding out appearing, voice, motion, and studying and performing poetry. There have been some extremely proficient younger actors: Hattie Winston was one in all them, Antonio Fargas was one other. Simply a number of excited younger theatre wannabees, 18- and 19-year-olds.

As a result of these had been kids, and I wished to experiment and do an actual grownup stage piece, the younger performers must play grown-up roles. Douglas Turner Ward, who had written two hilarious new comedies, Pleased Ending and Day of Absence, had gotten a producer pal to choice his performs and was making an attempt to get financing to supply them. I had personally helped him in doing it. We’d consistently do backers’ auditions. However his pal couldn’t increase a dime or get any curiosity from backers in any respect. I requested Douglas to let me do the smaller play, Pleased Ending—it’s a four-character play, and I had some good younger actors who may play the grown-up roles.

Whereas producing, you continued your appearing profession. In 1967 got here Hallelujah, Child!, which received the Tony Award for Finest Musical, and obtained a younger Leslie Uggams the Tony Award for Finest Main Actress. Arthur Laurents was the e book author for the present. Did you will have any dealings with him?

He and I had a couple of little issues with how I used to be deciphering my character, who begins off as a Pullman porter, then goes into the navy, after which he turns into a Civil Rights advocate. I didn’t have any severe issues with Arthur’s tackle my character portrayal, as a result of it was understood from the very starting that it was as much as me to do the function as I noticed and felt it, and if some dialogue wasn’t proper, I simply mentioned, “I can’t say that.” Burt Shevelove, who directed it, and Betty Comden and Adolph Inexperienced and Jule Styne, 4 of essentially the most heavyweight Broadway musical folks ever, had been with me all the best way. They wished me to be proud of my character. Arthur and I had our little story factor, however all people else was proud of what I used to be doing. I used to be appearing, singing, dancing, and making a dynamic character. I didn’t win the Tony Award, however I used to be nominated for it, which for me was simply as essential career-wise.

What occurred the evening of the particular televised Tony Awards to the world was a bizarre and mind-blowing expertise for me. I used to be up for the award with three different actors: Robert Goulet, Tony Roberts, and David Wayne. Diahann Carroll had been requested to provide the award for the Finest Actor in a Musical. She got here backstage, glided into my dressing room and we hugged, and she or he mentioned, “Oh, I hope you win.” Thoughts you, she was presenting the award. I had written a bit of acceptance speech, simply in case. I’m sitting out in the home after we did our efficiency. Lastly it comes right down to the Finest Actor in a Musical. Diahann is up there wanting beautiful, and she or he’s obtained her envelope. She opens the envelope, and she or he appears to be like over my means and she or he mentioned, “The winner is Robert.” I really had gotten up and I’m out of my seat, I used to be on my means out to the aisle…and she or he completed, “Goulet.” And there I stood within the aisle, wanting like a idiot. I’ll always remember that. I went backstage afterwards, and I mentioned, “Diahann, how may you try this?” She mentioned, “Nicely, you realize, Robert Goulet is a pal of mine too.”

You had been one of many founders, together with Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald Krone, of the Negro Ensemble Firm. There was a lot shared about how the Negro Ensemble Firm got here into existence. What do you assume has not been informed in regards to the creation of that firm?

Nicely, it was lengthy overdue. It was an organization the place we knew precisely what we wished to do. We wished to create a continuum; we wished to do greater than only a play right here, a play there. We wished to do a sequence of performs each season. We had a coaching program; by the way, the Group Theatre Workshop, my early firm, turned the coaching program for the NEC. No one had ever completed it earlier than. No one’s ever completed it since; we’ve created alternatives. We’ve completed over 450 performs. Actors, you title them, they got here via the Negro Ensemble Firm, together with Denzel Washington and all the remainder of them. I’m happy with our accomplishments. We determined we wished to create one thing completely different. We wished to create one thing that would go away a legacy, which we’ve completed. Not too many different theatre firms can say that.

In 1980, you, Sidney Poitier, Maya Angelou, Brock Peters, and Cicely Tyson went to Washington to testify earlier than Congress on the state of Black folks within the leisure trade. What would you wish to share about that have?

We had been making an attempt to get the trade to open its doorways and degree the enjoying subject for Blacks to come back into the trade as producers, administrators, writers, no matter. There have been all types of issues with white producers doing Black materials; they simply wouldn’t do it. So there was a dire want. Washington needed to hear it. We had been buddies with congressmen and congresswomen. I feel it was Mickey Leland from Texas who was with us once we went to Washington. We additionally did one out right here with one of many Congress folks out right here, however we obtained them to open up. It’s within the Congressional Report. We did it twice in Washington with the folks you simply named—all of us sat in entrance of Congress and allow them to know what the issues had been within the leisure trade. And it labored. After we did these Congressional hearings, the trade opened its doorways to Black producers. One in every of our expensive buddies, Charles Johnson, turned one of many high Black producers within the trade. We wished to degree the enjoying subject for Black expertise on all ranges, not simply actors or dancers and singers however in administration, producing, designing.

How would you wish to be remembered?

The primary factor I need folks to recollect about me is that my profession and my success are greater than myself, which is de facto the title of my upcoming e book. What I’ve completed, the legacy that I depart, is what I’ve completed for others, what I’ve been in a position to do for different artists on this trade, Black artists on this trade. Performing is ok, and the credit are good and all that, however that’s not why I’m on this trade. That’s not why I’ve been profitable on this trade. It’s as a result of I’ve completed issues for different folks. And I’ve loved doing issues for different folks, beginning all the best way again to the Group Theatre Workshop with these youngsters I obtained off the streets of New York after they didn’t have anyplace to go. And now their careers are blooming. That’s what I need to be remembered by.

Nathaniel G. Nesmith (he/him) holds an MFA in playwriting and a Ph.D. in theatre from Columbia College.

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