e’ve all been there— felt like we didn’t
belong, like we weren’t accepted or
valued. Those are universal feelings
that make Crumbs from the Table of Joy
easy to identify with.
And although this play indeed has serious
themes, it has plenty of humor, too, and I
needn’t have worried about attending after a
very short night of sleep, because it has more
than enough going on to hold the interest of
any theatergoer— even a sleepy one.
Set in 1950, the play centers around the
coming of age of a young black girl, Ernestine
Crump, whose father, Godfrey, has moved her
and her younger sister, Ermina, from Florida to
Brooklyn. In an effort to deal with the pain of
his wife’s death, Godfrey has begun following
the teachings of Father Divine, the real-life reli
gious leader of the Peace Mission Movement.
When the girls’ wild aunt Lily comes to live
with them, things get interesting, as they are
tom between the strict religious beliefs of their
father and the seeming freedom and adventure
of Lily’s lifestyle.
Playwright Lynn Nottage and director
JoAnn Johnson do an excellent job of bringing
the black experience of 1950s Brooklyn to
vivid life, with references to music and culture
of the times.
The entire cast has a chemistry suggesting a
high level of comfort with each other. Their
loving, fussing, funny and belligerent interac
tions reminded me several times of the lyrical
take-no-prisoners banter in my own family. I
almost flinched in sympathy during one scene
involving hair and a hot comb.
In addition to being entertaining, the story
offers insight into a period of black culture that is
not often written about. “In the African Ameri-
A full meal
by
New production brings slice of
A frican American experience to life
K ronda A dair
sometimes lapse into
flights of fancy that
catch you off guard,
then return you with
a snap back to the
“real” story.
And don’t he too
surprised if someone
breaks into song once
in a while. (It’s not as
jarring as it might
sound.) Although the
play has no gay
theme, Godfrey and
his second wife,
Gerte, struggle for
acceptance from his
daughters and sister-
in-law, which will
ring true for gay audi
ence members, espe
cially entering the
holiday season.
Gay actor Jesse Holmes sees parallels between his character’s struggles
Portland gay actor
and the difficulties faced by gays and lesbians coming out
Jesse Holmes shares
can community, there are only a handful of sto
some thoughts about what drew him to Crumbs.
ries that deal with that period,” Nottage says. “In
“Once I read the play before auditioning, I really
a lot of images on television and in film, the
was excited about it. Godfrey is a complicated
period was idealized, and I want to demystify it.”
man, a very complex character, and those charac
Crumbs is a drama that doesn’t take itself
ters are more enjoyable and challenging to play.”
too seriously. It has plenty of laugh-out-loud
Holmes also sees a universal connection for
moments, most coming from the loving hut
gay audiences. “Ernestine’s coming of age— the
gruff communication style typical of black fam
depth of her love for life, wanting more—
ily interactions. Then, too, the characters-
reminds me of what gay and lesbian people have
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to go through when we’re coming out: learning
to find ourselves and to love those around us."
Despite being a veteran stage actor with 18
years of experience in New York, Holmes is too
young to remember the Father Divine move
ment, so he had to conduct a hit of research
first. “I remember his death, seeing the picture
in the paper and hearing my mom speak about
him dying,” he says. “In 1965 it was rare to see
an African American on the front page. I read
a hook called God, Harlem USA that was very
informative. I tried to understand why some
one like Godfrey would he drawn to the move
ment. I think Godfrey is looking for solace,
answers to get him over the death of his wife,
and he thinks Father Divine will provide him
with the answers he’s looking for.”
Holmes’ next move is to pursue his dream
of working in television and film in Los Ange
les, where he says the closet is alive and well.
“In TV, there is still a stigma, once you’re out,
of being cast in only gay roles or not getting
hired at all. It’s not uncommon to he shunned
by closeted gay actors and directors who see
being associated with an out gay actor as the
kiss of death.”
Before he heads for the screen, be sure to
catch Holmes’ stellar performance in Crumbs. Oh,
and he sure to take a nap before the show, because
trust me, you don’t want to miss a word. J D
C rumbs from the T able of J oy runs through
Dec. 16 at Artists Repertory Theatre, 1516 S.W.
Alder St. Tickets are $15-$28 from 503-241-1278.
K ronda A dair is a book-sellin’ , coffee-pimpin',
Buffy-imtchin’ entrepreneur who loves to write
and sometimes gets paid for it. Write her at
ephany@myexcel.com.
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