‘Topdog/Underdog’ a tragedy about sibling rivalry and social injustice
ALBANY, N.Y. » Sibling rivalry has been around for as long as recorded time.
Just go to the Cain and Able story in the Old Testament of the Bible. Family dysfunction also seems to have been around forever. Refer to a number of stories within the same source.
Tonight and continuing Thursdays to Sundays, the Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY is presenting “Topdog/Underdog”, a play that addresses both issues, plus adds revealing insights to the social plight of the African-American community. The play, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002.
It’s both sad and enlightening that the social issues about race, class and power in America have changed little in the 20 years since the play was first produced. But, despite the specific social issues addressed in the play, it’s almost impossible to leave the play without thinking about the critical problem society has breaking the cycle of self-destruction.
That endless loop dooms an entire class of people to guaranteed poverty and a potential life of crime.
The founder of the company and director of “Topdog/Underdog”, Jean-Remy Monnay, who is affectionately known throughout the theater community as “Remy,” says the story of a dysfunctional family is as relevant to white audiences as it is to black theatergoers.
“Black audiences will see it and cry,” he says. “They will experience their everyday world.” He insists that white audiences will get it too. “Every family understands dysfunction,” he explains.
Yet, he’s concerned that because the brothers in the play are black and criminals who are not loveable people, white audiences are prone to miss the true message of the work. It is his belief that the play, in essence, touches the root cause of the problems concerning poverty and class in the United States.
“It’s that too many people do not realize the need for education, health and mental care.” He emphasizes “There is an essential need to grow up in a loving, supportive, family en
vironment.”
As for addressing those issues in the play, he starts with family dysfunction. The two-character play is about two African-American brothers who are about 30. The oldest son was named Lincoln. When the second son was born, the father named him Booth, because he thought it funny. Do you need to know more about the environment in which they were raised? You might think not, but as described by the brothers, it was worse than you can imagine.
At the age of 16 and 11, they were given a small sum of money and told they were on their own. Link became an expert street hustler specializing in dealing threecard monte. He stopped after a friend was murdered for doing the same thing. He is now paid by a shooting arcade to dress like Abraham Lincoln so people can mimic the president’s assassination. Booth is a shop-lifter who idolizes his brother’s skill as a card hustler and wants Link to teach him the tricks of the trade.
Link is separated from his wife and lives in his brother’s small apartment. Though connected and dependent on each other, their lives are toxic and doomed to get worse. It becomes sibling rivalry out of control.
Remy has admired the play since it opened and admits he still regrets not accepting a role in the play 15 years ago. He explains that as an immigrant from Haiti he felt his English was not strong enough to do justice to Parks’ intense dialogue. He takes this moment to point out that because the play is rather absurdist in nature, it provides a lot of humor.
“Sometimes you have to laugh even though you don’t want to,” he says.
Even though social problems have not changed significantly, the always optimistic Remy says he is content if one person leaves the play with a new understanding on the link between racism, poverty and childhood. Most of the social problems of those who live amongst us start with not having a solid home and a nurturing upbringing.
His thoughts echo playwright Parks, who, when asked what the play is about, answered “I think it’s about what it means to be connected to family and, in the bigger sense, to the family of man.”
“Topdog/Underdog” is produced by the Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York and performed at Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany, Thursdays to Sundays through March 12. For tickets and schedule information call (518) 346-6204 or go to capitalrep.org.