Ernest Harden Jr.
By Darlene Donloe
A one-person
show is always a slippery slope. It’s one person, alone on a stage, keeping the
attention of an audience. Not everyone can pull it off. It’s more than a
notion. The show has to have an
interesting subject matter, some creativity, a good director and an even better
actor.
Well, Joni
Ravenna’s Beethoven & Misfortune
Cookies has all of the above and more.
The show, which
has one more performance, Sun., Dec. 15, during its current run at The Odyssey
Theatre, stars Ernest Harden Jr. (The
Jeffersons) and is directed by T.J. Castronovo. It is presented by The
Odyssey Theatre and CRC Entertainment.
What makes this
show so compelling is not only Harden’s performance, but also the fact that
it’s a true story.
Harden tells the
story of Kabin Thomas, a musician, who, for 11 years was a professor music at
the University of Arkansas, but was removed for using foul language and showing
a rather provocative and controversial picture.
Thomas, a native
of Detroit, has led an interesting life. In 2002, he narrated The Sound of Dreams, the award-winning documentary by
the UA’s Dale Carpenter,
which told the story of several young people and their mentors during two weeks
of rehearsals and performances.
Then, in 2006, Thomas, who
had declined to travel the tenure path during his time at the UA, was removed
for using “foul” language during his lectures.
It didn’t help that he also
ran into trouble with the university after teaching a lesson about Abel
Meeropol and his song, ‘Strange Fruit’ about the lynching of black folks in the
south. The song was made famous by legendary performer, Billie Holiday. The
lesson was accompanied by a now famous, but notorious, photograph of two,
black, male, lynching victims.
That proved to be a
temporary stumble in Thomas’ life. In the years since, he found several
different ways to tell his stories, including a program on Fayetteville’s Community Access Television
before moving out.
Thomas’ story is compelling.
It’s dramatic. It’s intense.
When he came to Hollywood,
he was cast in a reality TV show. That’s when he became aware that not only was
he the same age as his now deceased father, (43), he also learned the truth
about how his dad died.
The two-act play is a
history lesson, a revelatory life’s lesson, a psychiatric session as well as a
lesson in morality.
Harden grabs the
audience at the beginning of the show by revealing (for some) the fact that
Beethoven was black. He goes on to
teach a lesson about the struggles of Beethoven, a composer of mixed European
and Moorish ancestry who not only coped with hearing loss in his later years,
but who also created his Ninth Symphony while deaf.
Harden has put
his years of acting experience squarely on the stage and presented a stunningly
honest and effective performance.
Castronovo’s
direction makes good use of the stage. Castronovo, who was a regular on the TV
series, Taxi, has directed several
L.A. shows including Brooklyn, U.S.A.,
The Leopard, Campaign and Women in
Shorts.
Harden, who was
seen at the MET Theatre in Savage World
and whose TV and film work includes Santa
Barbara, White Mama and White Men Can’t Jump, confidently and easily
maneuvers around the stage while effectively making valiant points.
A Detroit native
himself, who studied theater at Michigan State University, in his latest
offering Harden exhibits both his comedic and dramatic acting chops.
Partially set in
a classroom and a psychiatrist’s office, Harden systematically takes his audience
on a journey of self-discovery.
There is more to
this show than just a professor who lost his job due to profanity and
sensationalism. The story is engulfing and fully envelops the audience as does
the music, which includes Moonlight
Sonata, the haunting music of Beethoven (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tr0otuiQuU), Lady Day’s Strange Fruit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs)
and Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1uelY2SGmw).
Harden has the behemoth
task of conveying both the academic and personal side of Thomas’ life. The audience hears about Thomas’ early
childhood as well as the question of whether he suffers from mental illness. At
times this emotional drama is gut-wrenching as Harden exposes Thomas’ inner
demons, emotional turmoil and vulnerability, as well as the comparison to
Beethoven who reportedly was frequently berated and beaten by his father. At times it's uncomfortable to watch as Thomas begins to unravel and even contemplates suicide.
Harden gives a
warm and inviting performance as he commands the stage. With Harden at the helm, Beethoven
& Misfortune Cookies is on solid ground.
Beethoven and Misfortune Cookies, The Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda
Blvd., Los Angeles, CA; 5:30 p.m., Dec. 15; $20-$25; 323 960-4418 or www.Plays411.com/beethoven.
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