New Directions

Volume 2 | Issue 4 Article 4

10-1-1975

Joseph A. Walker: Evolution of a PlaywrightGrace C. Cooper

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Recommended CitationCooper, Grace C. (1975) "Joseph A. Walker: Evolution of a Playwright," New Directions: Vol. 2: Iss. 4, Article 4.Available at: http://dh.howard.edu/newdirections/vol2/iss4/4

10 Evolution of a Playwright

By Grace C. Cooper

Joseph A. Walker gives an autobiographi-cal statement in one edition of his highlyacclaimed play, "The River Niger." In thestatement, clues to the influences onWalker in his choice of a career and hisapproach to his work are given. He states:

Bom 6:44 P.M. on February 24, 1935,under the sun sign of Pisces, moon inScorpio, rising Leo-Virgo via a Cancermother and an I-don't-remember-whatsign daddy, who was a bad-Ioud-talking dude of five feet eight inchestall, who I once saw beat up a man sixfeet five because he insulted my seven-year-old dignity by beating the day-lights out of me ... my pop was somedude-used to sleep out on the backporch in the dead winter because hedidn't want ma to know he was drunk,because my ma, man, was a scomfulbittersweet lovable crazy lady ...

These remarks note the two strong in-fluences on Walker: his parents-espe-cially his father-and astrology.

The influence of Walker's father iscrystalized in "The River Niger." Walkerbelieves that Black fathers are often notgiven the proper respect. In the dedica-tion to the play, Walker writes: "This playis dedicated to my mother and father andto highly underrated Black daddies every-where." In an interview published in theDecember 31, 1972 edition of the NewYork Times, he said, "It's rough being aBlack and a father in the white world. I'mamazed more Black men don't commit.suicide ... I refute Daniel Moynihan'stheory that the Black society is a totalmatriarch. Our women are strong but menlike my father aren't weak. They're bitter,disillusioned men, forced to take onenormous responsibility and to abandontheir own dreams."

The influence of astrology was to affecthis choice of, and approach to a career.He had at first chosen a direction otherthan drama-philosophy. He attended

Joseph A. Walker

Joseph A. Walker

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Howard University, majoring in phi loso-phy and minoring in drama. Itwas while atHoward that he played a key role in thethen new work by another playwright,James Baldwin. Walker portrayed Luke,the retumed husband, in the first (1955)production of Baldwin's "The Amen Cor-ner." Walker was building up his interestin theatre and was drawing away fromphilosophy. Later, both Baldwin andWalker were to receive the GuggenheimFellowship award. "The Amen Corner"was not Walker's only stage experienceat Howard. He appeared in other produc-tions, including Tennessee Williams'"Summer and Smoke," before receivingthe Bachelor of Arts in 1956 and continu-ing with graduate studies in philosophyand drama. But his interest in drama wasstronger, and his belief in astrology en-hanced his choice of a career. Leo, hisrising sign, is the sign of the lion; it is alsothe sign of the stage. Inhis autobiography,he states: "I love lions 'cause they is so,so motherf ... so goddamn motherfuckingsweet. I started to become a professionalphilosopher ... changed my mind on ac-count of I got what you may stuffily call anartistic temperament and I like to do mythinking through plays and things."

Walker received the Master of Fine Artsfrom Catholic University in 1963. He isnow studying for the Doctor of Philosophyin the Cinema Studies Department at NewYork University.

Like most writers, at least when theyare starting out, Walker had to take non-writing jobs to make a living. He joinedthe Air Force and was enrolled in naviga-tor's school, only to quit because he foundhimself preoccupied with writing poetrywhen he should have been completingthe "night celestial examination." Heworked for the Post Office for a while butwas let go for talking too much. He thenreturned to teaching, which proved morecompatible with his writing and dramaticaspirations. He taught high school inWashington, D. C., and also in New YorkCity before moving on higher. For ex-ample, he was at Yale University from1970to 1971as a playwright-in-residence,

and at Howard during the spring of 1973as a visiting professor. Presently, he is anassociate professor at the City College ofNew York.

Although actively engaged in teaching,Walker's first love is the stage. Besideswriting, he has extensive experience as aprofessional actor and has appeared insuch productions as "Once in a Lifetime,"at the Arena Stage in Washington, D. C.;"Raisin in the Sun" and "Purlie Victorious"at the Olney Theatre in suburban Mary-land. Also, he has appeared as a singerin musicals such as the off-Broadwayproduction of "The Believers," which heco-authored. His television cred its in-clude an episode on N.YP.D. and a nar-ration for the program, In Black America.

Walker's experience as an actor nodoubt added to the success of his play-writing. But teaching, acting and writingwere not all that filled his developingdays. In 1970, Walker and his secondwife, Dorothy Dinroe-Walker, founded theDemi-Gods, a professional music-dancetheatre repertory company based in NewYork. Walker served as artistic directorand his wife as music director. The troupewas young and poor but full of talent andinspiration. This writer, seeing the Demi-Gods in a rehearsal in a warehouse in1973, captured the following contrast ofthe drab setting and the shining talent:

"On a cold, rainy, grey Saturday in Feb-ruary; members of the Howard Uni-versity Drama Department entered agrey, worn building in Harlem and saton a cold, damp, grey floor to see ayoung company of actors, dancers andsingers rehearse a production writtenby their founder-director with musicwritten by his talented wife. The roomwas bare except for two long benches,an old piano and assorted articles ofclothing and dishes. The room wasbare until that old piano started play-ing and the performers came al ive. Forthe next two hours, that grey, dampbasement was transformed - trans-formed into Africa's jungles, the South-ern plantations, the Northern streets.Transformed with the power and the

brightness of the aptly named crew-The Demi-Gods."Undoubtedly, the company provided

for Walker the necessary intimate contractwith theatre-a contact of much value toany playwright because it provided theopportunity to test one's material beforeunveiling it to the public. And Walker'sefforts paid off well. Although he is moreknown as the playwright for "The RiverNiger," his credit line is long. Let's justexamine some of his earlier works:

"THE HARANGUES," one of Walker'sfirst professional productions, opened theNegro Ensemble Company's (NEC) 1969season, with the help of Moses Gunn, theactor, whom Walker had been under-studying.

This play is actually a series of shortplays and scenes put together under acommon theme of the anger and frustra-tion of the Black man at his oppression.There is a prologue in the form of a ritual-istic drama, a look into the past at anAfrican father who drowns his new-bornbaby rather than have the chi Id capturedby slave traders. There follows a play of ayoung Black man in love with a white wo-man whom he has impregnated andwishes to marry but whose father opposesthe match. The young man plots with hisfiancee to kill the father. Next is an inter-lude, a look into the future inwhich a Blackrevolutionary convinces his wife not to diewith him but to live and raise their son asa freedom fighter. Lastly, there is a one-act play set in a bar and centered aroundthe ranting and raving of a demented oldman who, supposedly, utters truths dur-ing his wi Id-eyed harangues. The old manhurls accusations at Blacks as well aswhites.

Writing in the New Yorker of January 24,1970, Edith Oliver, compared the ravingmonologue of the crazy old man to asimilar, in theme, monologue in LeRoiJones' "The Dutchman," but deploredBlack writers' "tradition" of "diatribes."Nevertheless, she saw real talent in Walk-er's first effort. Oliver wrote: "Mr. Walkeris so far no LeRoi Jones, but there aremany hints, scattered throughout, that he

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12 is a much more talented, original andsophisticated playwright than he wouldhave us believe." The critic went on tocomment, however, that Walker appearedto be ... "writing down to his audience inthe manner of the worst of the old timepropaganda writers ... " Although OliverWqS not impressed with the plots of theone-act plays, she found humor in manyof the incidential lines and in the stagebusiness.

Henry Hewes, writing in the SaturdayReview of February 14, 1970, said he didenjoy the plots, and found amusing satirein all of the sections, especially the lastsection. Hewes noted lack of depth incharacter development. However, hefound this not to be a real fault as theauthor's intent was to provide "ha-rangues," ranting, passionate protest ofthe Black situation.

"The Harangues," therefore, repre-sented a first step toward success in play-writing for Walker. Though it receivedmuch less attention than "The RiverNiger," this play, without a doubt, broughtforth Walker's strengths as a playwright.

"00000," is another of Walker's earlyplays. When this play opened the 1970season of NEC, many whites were offend-ed, perhaps frightened, by it. [The Demi-Gods presented it at Howard in 1973.]

Commenting on the strength of theBlack theatre, Ron Milner, playwright anddirector of the Spirit of Shan go Theatre inDetroit, wrote in the introduction to BlackDrama Anthology, "It wi II be a theatre hav-ing to do with love of one's self, and one'spersonal, national and international fam-ily, with wariness and hatred of one's per-sonal, national and international enemies;which, ideally, points as to how to breaktheir grip and splatter their power."

Walker, speaking of "Ododo" (and "YinYang") once said: "A lot of critics thoughtthese plays were loveless. Not true, theywere about the Black man's love and howit's thwarted, corrupted by racism ... Westart out loving everybody." A few linesfrom "Ododo" will show how it fits bothMilner's and Walker's descriptions and

how it might be upsetting to some viewers.The following selections are from Act II:

"Abe Lincoln, a hero?Hell no, you Negro.Let me write the booksThe way it really looksNot just to keep aliveThat legendary jive ...He'd put you in your graveTo give this country peace and unityIt's dumb to sayHe gave you your liberty."

"Hero with an afroMajor in indigoGonna overthrowThe status quo."

"You gotta dig yourselfNyeusi, (Swahili word for black)

yeah."

"Remove hair from under most highermammals, you will find that the skinunderneath is pink or white. Blackskin is therefore-

Suprahuman!White skin?

Subhuman.Except for sheep, most higher

mammalshave straight hair. Kinky hair istherefore-

SuprahumanStraight hair?

Subhuman.Most higher mammals, the gorillabeing the prime example, have widethin lips. Thick lips are therefore-

Suprahuman!Thin lips?

Subhuman."

"Ododo" is a revue, using music anddance and colorful costume, but sparsescenery. It is not at all as sophisticated as"Niger." At many points, it is adolescentin appeal. At times, one finds Walkeragain writing down to the audience. Theemotional pitch is high, giving it highappeal to the young. The Walker in"Ododo" does not show the more subtleapproach of the Walker of "Niger." Yet

in his forth play, "YIN YANG," the emotionat times is uncontrollable. Though thisplay was written after "The River Niger,"it belongs more with Walker's earlierworks.

"Yin Yang's" 1973 premiere perfor-mance was at Howard's Ira AldridgeTheatre, on an alternating bill with "Odo-do." It is the most non-traditional of Walk-er's plays. Writing in the New York Timesof August 5, 1973, Walker had this to say:"It ("Yin Yang") is a highly stylized, surre-alistic piece which attempts to dramatizethe ago-old battle between good and evi I.Good is represented by God, a hip-swing-ing, fast-talking Black mama. She is inconflict with Miss Satan, who is also aBlack female swinger." Walker's play isnot, as it may appear at first glance, afantasy for children. The allusions are tooobscure for them. Also, the Ian gaugewould cause many a parent to scurryyoungsters out of the audience. Walkeronce confided to this writer- just beforethe Howard Drama Department presentedthe Demi-Gods in "Yin Yang" -that thework was the result of a dream he hadwhile on LSD. This description is oftenthe only logical explanation for some ofthe words and actions of the characters,words and actions which often are carriedout at a fever pitch seem ing Iy unmotivated.

Walker draws from the books of Joband Revelations. "Yin Yang" is a zen term,Yin meaning destruction (evi I); Yangmeaning construction (good). The play-wright's note to the New York productionof the play asks several questions: "IsGod Satan and is Satan God?" "Whydidn't God completely destroy his archrebel?" "Or is Satan eternal and, there-fore indestructible?" From questionsabout general Biblical topics, Walkerturns to the influence of the church onBlack life and writers: "Why not utilize thechurch for revolution? ... There's a lot ofpower in the Black Jesus bag." He has,according to him, long felt a symbolicparallel between Job and Black people,for both continue to believe no matterwhat their level of suffering. Also, hepoints out in the program of the New York 3

Cooper: Joseph A. Walker: Evolution of a Playwright

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Joseph Walker as "Luke" with "Sister Margaret"(played by Mildred Ellis) in the premiere perform-ance of James Baldwin's "Amen Corner."

Joseph Walker as "Reverend Winemiller" inTennessee Williams' "Summer and Smoke."

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT McNEILL

production that Satan, according to theRevelations, was cast out to earth.

In the New York Times article, Walkergave the following critical and lay reactionto "Yin Yang's" premiere and subsequentperformances: "The critical and lay re-actions tothis playwere really a 'yin yang.'A few of my white friends and associateshated it. An equal number felt that it wasmy best work. But most Blacks were en-thralled by it, and they expressed theirapproval vocally . the first night thehouse was about 60 percent full, the sec-ond night it was close to 80 percent, andthe third ... it was standing room only."

It is "The River Niger," of course, thatbrought Walker national recognition andthat showed his development as a play-wright. This award-winning play expressesmany of the same strong feel ings of earl ierworks, but screams less loudly. Thus,Walker is able to get his point across toa larger audience. Despite its widerappeal, "Niger" is not a washed-outcapitulation to whites-as Woodie Kingand Ron Milner say (in Black Drama An-thology) about Black plays that succeedon Broadway: "She (Broadway) wants youto be a singing hyena, dancing on thegraves of yourself and everyone youknow."

Walker presents his characters realis-tically. He shows a true view of Black life.A treatment of "Niger's" depiction of realBlack life is shown in the following excerptfrom a letter to the editor of the New YorkTimes:

"The other night I saw 'The River Niger'and I was so transported, right out ofthe present time and place, back to mychildhood in Harlem ... The sense ofidentification I felt through the play,the nostalgia it so delightfully evoked,linger on ... There were no exaggera-tions or distortions in the story ... I'mstill chuckling to myself about epi-sodes that I swear took place in my ownchildhood ... "

For all its adherence to Black life,"Niger" has those elements of universalityand realism that give it a wide appeal.

The realism of the play is derived in partfrom Walker's reliance on his own experi-ences as references for the play. As statedat the beginning, Walker's family had agreat influence on him, especially hisfather, whom Walker uses as a model forJohnny Williams, the father in "Niger."Most of the play is, indeed, autobiog-raphical although Walker's father nevershot anyone and Walker grew up in Wash-ington, D. C., rather than in New Yorkwhere the play is set. The father in "Niger"and Walker's own father were both housepainters and alcoholics; both had twoyears of college education and spent theirtime constantly "railing against the sys-tem" (from a 1973 Washington Post inter-view) "and reducing all arguments to thenitty gritty ... reduce bull ... to ashes... (being) poetic because of the way hesaid things, a poet in his soul."

Besides using his father as a rolemodel, Walker draws his characters froma variety of Black backqrounds, reflectinga Black cross-cultural interchange thatwhites often do not note. Thus we have aJamaican doctor, a Black South Africangirl and an elderly lady who proclaimsloudly of her "Indian blood." One critic,Henry Hewes, writing in the Saturday"Re-view of the Arts, February 1973, made apassing reference to this array of Blackcharacters while admiring the "bitinghumor, rich dialogue, and honest state-ment of how things look from a varietyof Black positions."

Language is an important aspect ofrealism in characterization. Walker paysattention to style as well as grammar andsyntax of different dialects. At times,whites find it hard to grasp the total mean-ing, yet the use of stylistic featuresdeepens the sense of realism.

"The River Niger" was one of the fewfinancial successes for the Negro En-semble Company. And Walker's successis not just his own; it is for all Blackpeople. 0

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Grace C. Cooper is an assistant professor of Englishat Federal City College in Washington, D. C., and acandidate for the Ph.D. at Howard University. 4

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