I was moved to tear by this. My reaction was emotional and I after the fact thought the piece worked very well. The first part began as just the Bertha/Julynne portion. The Freedom Rides were added on. I didn't find this a problem at all. We see the decision to follow the rides (made possible for Benny by having to take Bertha to her niece's home) emerged organically from his 'ordinary' life.
The second half carried the story into a third generation. Black in the South (and in the US) really means a continuous threat of violence even deadly violence. This was made clear.
Ms. Clark, by the way, was at the performance I attended.
I strongly recommend this work. Having gone to the South as part of the civil right movement, the play captures the hope and the horror of that time and still of this.
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Even though this Inner Voices didn't expand as a hit, it is great to see Transport Group getting placement all over the theater sites like it's become at some point a really major off-broadway company. I remember constantly shlepping to the Connelly, that comfortable homey theater in the middle of that quirky downtown East side block, the first time thinking idly I hope I reach the theater before I hit the East River (or get mugged frankly).
From those years of Inner Voices one-acts, I recall Victoria Clark having triumphed in a one-woman one-act , and then when I saw the expanded show "Los Otros" at the Mark Taper Forum starring Michele Pawk - Victoria Clark happened to be playing in "Follies" as Sally maybe ten steps away at the Ahmanson, and the local papers had glamorously covered that she was at the "Los Otros" opening. It was fun reading about Ms.Clark getting helped out of her costume at "Follies" into her dress for the "Los Otros" opening, almost conjuring up images of waiting cabs to a red carpet. But when I saw the shows, my friend pointed out she just strolled from that stage door (the Ahmanson) to that door (the Taper),like going from the Newhouse to the Claire Tow. (That was a great expansion, Expanding is always a crapshoot; that Inner Voices expansion worked.)
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PS. An expansion of a one-act that REALLY worked -even commercially - "Next to Normal" was in the BMI Workshop as a 15-minute musical that absolutely felt like a terrific complete work. (It was called 'Feeling Electric" then.) Then what they did the show on Broadway years later, I thought it never felt padded for an instant.
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