Ceremonies in Dark Old Men: A Play

by Lonne Elder III

Ceremonies in Dark Old Men , a classic of American theater, is the poignant story of a family in 1950s Harlem. In timeless prose, Lonne Elder explores the discontent of a generation that has grown old before its time, and the determination of the next generation to avoid such a fate. In the play, Russel B. Parker is a prodigal father and failed barber who exists on memories and "ceremonies" for survival. He spends his time recounting atmospheric tales of his life in vaudeville and tells, in darkly comic detail, about his days on the chain gang. Just beneath the surface of Elder's work lie the terrors of day-to-day life in a racist society--never directly mentioned, but always simmering unforgettably.

Ceremonies in Dark Old Men had its debut Off-Broadway in 1969. It received enthusiastic reviews and moved into an extended run. Since its first performance, the play has been produced numerous times both on television and on the stage, with the leads being played by an honor roll of actors, including Laurence Fishburne, Denzel Washington, and Billy Dee Williams.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Audiobook, African American

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't get this title... maybe like A Raisin in the Sun it is a literary allusion.

This play has many similarities with Hansberry's classic but felt more helpless; perhaps that is why it didn't appeal to me as much. Or maybe it's that this play is much more about the men (as the title does indicate!) with the only female character underdeveloped.

[Bobby Keniston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow, this play has escaped my attention through my play-reading years, and I am happy to say that this has been rectified.

Lonne Elder III's "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men" takes place in a "small, poverty-stricken barbershop on 126th Street between Seventh and Lenox avenues, Harlem, U.S.A." The play was first presented by the Negro Ensemble Company in 1969. As Clive Barnes wrote, "Mr. Elder is not really trying to prove anything. He is showing a realistic situation, and very much attempting to show black life as it is."

Elder would go on to be the first black man to be nominated for an Academy Award for writing, for the best adapted screenplay for the film "Sounder".

But there is no discounting how influential this play is, and how it has influenced writers, theater artists, and filmmakers for decades since.

[Delta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this on Audible for free in honor of Black History Month. It was a touching family drama and I enjoyed listening to it. It's odd for me to hear a play and not see it, but the effect was amazing. It really felt like I was sitting in the theater watching the show!

The actors were so good. They really made the words come to life, even though I couldn't see them.

Amazing family drama.

[Danita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This play was an interesting read. Theo and Mr. Parker were the two characters who seemed to change the most, it seemed as if Theo grew up while his father regressed. I wish the play was longer; I would love to know how the characters ended up after the tragic event.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit i forgot how good this play was. I read it first in college and saw it performed roughly the same time and this is the first time I've come back to it and I remember some of the shape of the story but getting back to it was amazing. Really incredible performances of a scorcher of a play.

[Gregg Damanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Tragic.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this play believing it was my first time encountering the works of writer Lonne Elder III, and part way through I learned I was mistaken! He also wrote the screenplay for the 1972 film Sounder. So this is my second time encountering the writings of this particular playwright.

I listened to the LA Theatre Works production of Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, and the performances really drove this for me. Glynn Turman in particular gave a fantastic performance, and there were times I think I was moved most by his performance rather than the writing or other actors (although it was good all around in that regard), and he earned it at least an extra half star to my rating.

I'll admit, this isn't really my typical cup, I often tend to prefer things that are a bit more focused on the women in a story, and I can be a bit reticent about tragedies if they aren't at least a few hundred years old. That said, there was a lot I liked. First of all, the only significant woman in the story is underdeveloped for much of the play, but towards the end she gets this monologue where she talks about how she took over her mother's role, knowing that this role is what killed her mother, and it really brought the character to life for me. There is one other woman in the story, and I really didn't love her portrayal in the broader context, but it at least makes sense narratively.

And then of course, the protagonists are primarily the men of the story, Mr. Parker, his two sons,
and his friend Mr. Jenkins. The focus being on four Black men in 1960s Harlem trying to get rich (in act one) and then devolving as a result of their actions (act two) really works to drive the themes forward. The titular "ceremonies" of checkers, lamenting society, concocting schemes, etc, are present throughout and help drive the narrative. The way Mr. Parker looks back on a dramatic past, both real and imagined, to avoid the present is poignant. I also really enjoyed how it looked at his career in Vaudeville before he became too disabled to dance--the way he talked about not being able to face society and the prospect of a regular job when he had danced for the entertainment of white people had me considering historical perspectives that I really hadn't thought about before. The ending was tragic, but in a way that felt natural and devastating, in part because of the performance that Turman delivered.

Overall, I think parts of this play didn't sit right with me, but a lot of it was moving and thought-provoking, and the performances really brought it to life, so I can't help but look upon it favourably.

[Kahmal Sealey · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I truly enjoyed about this play, and is a trend among Black playwrights, is the variety of attitudes from the protagonists, that allow you an insight into the differing attitudes of that era.

Some, like Adele, went out to work ‘for the man’
Some, like Mr Parker and the boys, decided they didn’t want to work for ‘the man’
Some, like Blue, decided he was going to forge his own lane.

This is one of those plays that, when things are going well, has you wondering why they just can’t keep going like that! Have you ever watched a horror movie and shouted at the main character to just “Not go upstairs!?” – this play has you see the exact moment where things are about to slip from good to bad, making you want to jump into the play and physically give the characters a shake!

I enjoy, and always will enjoy, plays that empower black people and allow them to step outside the confines of what was placed on them or depict them as docile or victims. What I also liked was, due to the age variety, you got to further explore viewpoints and experiences; adding an entirely new level of depth.

It is extremely refreshing to find a play that could transcend colour, a common want within the black community for ‘films and TV shows depicting black people just being black people and not having every issue evolving from their race’. This play felt like one of economic hardship, one of trying to beat the odds and break the expectations placed on you; which yes them being black helped fill in blanks/pad out the situation, but ‘fighting the man/system’ is a timeless story.

What is beautiful, however, is that the story being about black people added a hidden depth, nuances and pathos. So kudos for striking that balance

[Aaron Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This play... has some serious problems. Chief among these is the way the characters are drawn: there are four members of the Parker family, and all of them are very, very different in act one and act two – almost unrecognizably so. This character shift is supposed to be because of "vice" or somesuch moral judgment that Elder is making, but the flaws in character development actually undermine Elder's arguments about vice. His situations aren't realistic enough for the actual social analysis his realism intends to do. The other immense problem with Ceremonies in Dark Old Men is that it actually doesn't do any social analysis. This play doesn't really have any critiques to level. Are liquor and women the problem here? White labor freeze-outs? Laziness? Government support of the bourgeoisie rather than workers? This play doesn't actually analyze any of these things. Now, a play doesn't need to analyze anything, but that is what Ceremonies in Dark Old Men purports to do. As family drama, the play certainly moves toward tragedy and tragic theatre, but this isn't a play that has anything to say, as far as I can tell. If you're going to kill off a major character at the play's end, the writing needs to justify that death a bit better. The death at the end of this play felt completely arbitrary.

[MH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elder's solid 1969 play about a family of African American men trying to find themselves and improve their lives (and the bad decisions they make) gets an excellent production from L.A. Theater Works. It's energetically directed by Judyann Elder, and there are some fantastic moments here from the actors - Parker is compelling, Adele's final scene is heartbreaking, and Blue's big monologue in the second act is an absolute killer.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Pulitzer prize runner up from the 60s is an antidote to most of the anodyne PC drama of our current age that is afraid to offend minorities.

A black father and 2 black sons who don't want to work because the only jobs on offer to the urban poor are demeaning, subsistence work, choose a life of crime for the easier money they can make with predictably tragic consequences.

Set in Harlem, there is much antithesis to the White Man, but the real enemy is the poverty and lack of opportunities that drive poor people of all races to desperation and a feeling of failure.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elder's family drama starts off with a light touch then accumulates the gravity of a tragedy by O'Neill. The main characters are each intoxicated by daydreams of success (on their own terms) without being able to see how their very actions are undermining this possibility. The dialogue is playful yet packs more than one punch and the patriarch's final monologue is the kind of rapturous writing that great actors long to perform. Please message me if you hear of a revival.

[Donny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an audio play, given free by Audible sempena Black History Month. The story is about a black family in 1950s-1960s Harlem. Russel Parker runs a barbershop, while his two sons Theo and Bobby are small-time bad boys with a penchant for larceny and have a hard time holding down a job, due to racism and other general malaise. Russel's daughter Adele is the only one with a job, and supports both the barbershop and the men. She's obviously unhappy about the situation (as well she might), and basically told them off to get their najis bersama-sama.

Theo gets involved with the local gangster and persuades Russel to front a bootleg alcohol business with the barbershop. Things very quickly go south, due to Russel squandering the earnings instead of properly keeping the books in order, which is apparently very unhealthy when the people bankrolling the operations find out. Eventually Theo wants out, but not before Bobby meets his untimely demise at an attempted larceny gone wrong.

The story's quick and pretty good. I especially liked the character development here, especially Theo who previously didn't believe in working for 'The Man', but ends up learning about responsibility when picking up the work left undone by Russel, even though the motivation was grounded essentially in self-preservation. He learns the lesson here about responsibilities, but unable to back out in time.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hardbound Script

[Mary Squier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story by Lonne Elder and outstanding ensemble cast to tell the story of life in 1960s Harlem.