THE WHIPPING MAN

Who would have thought that a three-man play that takes place in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War could be so entertaining? Certainly not I.

I was actually sort-of dreading seeing The Whipping Man, at the Pasadena Playhouse, especially when it began; the perfect set by Tom Buderwitz gave me a sense of foreboding. And parts of the first scene have actions that are a little hard to watch, made harder by the excellent acting. (Don’t worry, though—no one gets whipped in the show.)

But, pretty soon after that on opening night, the light chuckling began. At first, I felt bad laughing at what was in essence a sad situation. That whole time period was like that. I think the audience was with me, not knowing if we were allowed to laugh. But, once we realized the laughter was built into the script, we all relaxed and let our laughter out.

I don’t want to mislead you—this is far from an uproarious comedy. The whole time, I had a feeling that the mirth couldn’t last, because of the place and time. But, when you see it yourself, don’t dread the pain that you know has to come; rather, just enjoy the ride. (I don’t think there were many real happy endings during and after the Civil War. And this play at least gives one a modicum of hope.)

The story is of a confederate soldier (Adam Haas Hunter) returning to his homestead, and his interaction with his recently-former slaves (Charlie Robinson and Jarrod M. Smith) there. (I hate even writing the word “slaves.”)

The thought of slaves has always made me sick, even when I was a little girl. I could never understand it. (I find it hard to picture a world where people didn’t say “please” to the ones from whom they were seeking help. I even say it to Siri!!!) So, in school, I tried not to pay attention to this shameful period of our history. Therefore, I know very little about it.

So, I was shocked last night to find out that there were not only Jewish people in the south, but that slaves took on the religion of their owners! How weird. Having a Passover seder is part of the action of the play, and I swear, I actually learned some things! I’ve been to dozens of seders in my life, (duh,) but I often space-out during them, whereas I was listening intently to the actors on stage, so I had a couple of “aha” moments during their little ceremony!

I’m recommending The Whipping Man to all intelligent people in Los Angeles. (I just realized—that may make for a small audience!) Just be aware that there will be a little pain, but as with all worthwhile things in life, the good outweighs it.

Since it was the opening night, we were treated to a beautiful after-show fete at the adjacent restaurant, redwhite+bluezz. (How lucky for both that eatery and the Playhouse to have such a wonderful neighborly relationship! We theatre-goers love walking just a few steps after the show to have what’s always delicious food, upbeat service, a buzzing bar scene, and an overall fun time.)

The passed fare was full of interesting choices, and I believe a bit reminiscent of the times portrayed in the show. I had time to taste only the delicious fried chicken, mushroom cakes, and garlic potatoes because I had to get home to write this! The things I do for you guys; it was hard to tear myself away from the place, especially because we were being treated to fabulous music from Jamb Nathan Music, led by guitarist William M. Nathan. That group is dope! They sounded wonderful! The party was a great end to the evening, and made me even more grateful that I live in these times that are so far from the scenes depicted in the play.

The Whipping Man running through March 1, 2015
Pasadena Playhouse 39 South El Molino Ave. Pasadena 626-356-7529 www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org