Posted on Oct 12, 2023
'Last Drive to Dodge' gallops into Seattle with tale of Black cowboys in the Old West
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“Last Drive to Dodge” is an ambitious play penned by an up-and-coming playwright who is embarking on a nine-play cycle that bookends the legendary cycle of August Wilson. This grandiose idea made it hard to view this production without judging it in comparison with the work of perhaps the greatest Black playwright in the history of our country. Even so, I left the theater impressed by the work of Andrew Lee Creech, and convinced he is a playwright with a big future.
Everything about this production felt simple, from the pristine washed-wooden set by scenic designer Matthew Smucker, to the delicate stars placed upon the set by lighting director Brian Engel. But I’d argue that the standout choice on the production team is director Valerie Curtis-Newton, who brought this poetic and historical depiction of the Old West, 20 years after emancipation, to life.
Everything about this production felt simple, from the pristine washed-wooden set by scenic designer Matthew Smucker, to the delicate stars placed upon the set by lighting director Brian Engel. But I’d argue that the standout choice on the production team is director Valerie Curtis-Newton, who brought this poetic and historical depiction of the Old West, 20 years after emancipation, to life.
'Last Drive to Dodge' gallops into Seattle with tale of Black cowboys in the Old West
Posted from kuow.org
Theater
American History
Black History
Seattle
Posted 7 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Here’s What to Expect
This play is full of historical references that are impossible to miss. On its face, “Last Drive to Dodge” is a story about Prophet, a Black cowboy (Yusef Seevers), and his girlfriend Ro, a Black domestic worker (Dedra D. Woods), who work on the ranch of Bennett Bailey (Tim Gouran) in 1884 Texas. But underneath the plight of Prophet, who has big dreams of owning his own cattle and land, Creech weaves in historical events that highlight the changing times the characters are immersed in. We see the impact of the invention of barbed wire. We witness the changes that came with the privatization of cattle ranching as land was quickly being purchased and, for the first time, fenced off. We see how this physical division of land caused problems for ranchers who were used to allowing cattle to graze on open land and having direct access to sources of water.
But more than all of that, we learn about the people. That is the strength of Creech’s writing. I came into the theater expecting to side with Profit and Ro, but was pleasantly surprised to see a side of white southerners that I have read about, but never seen humanized in this way. Creech gave space for Bennett and his sister Millie (Jonelle Jordan) to let audiences explore the sentiments of poor white people and come to our own conclusions on how to view them."...
..."Here’s What to Expect
This play is full of historical references that are impossible to miss. On its face, “Last Drive to Dodge” is a story about Prophet, a Black cowboy (Yusef Seevers), and his girlfriend Ro, a Black domestic worker (Dedra D. Woods), who work on the ranch of Bennett Bailey (Tim Gouran) in 1884 Texas. But underneath the plight of Prophet, who has big dreams of owning his own cattle and land, Creech weaves in historical events that highlight the changing times the characters are immersed in. We see the impact of the invention of barbed wire. We witness the changes that came with the privatization of cattle ranching as land was quickly being purchased and, for the first time, fenced off. We see how this physical division of land caused problems for ranchers who were used to allowing cattle to graze on open land and having direct access to sources of water.
But more than all of that, we learn about the people. That is the strength of Creech’s writing. I came into the theater expecting to side with Profit and Ro, but was pleasantly surprised to see a side of white southerners that I have read about, but never seen humanized in this way. Creech gave space for Bennett and his sister Millie (Jonelle Jordan) to let audiences explore the sentiments of poor white people and come to our own conclusions on how to view them."...
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I would hope to see a quality made movie on this. As long as they don't fall back to the old "good guy-bad guy" scenario.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
Lawmen: Bass Reeves | Teaser Trailer | Paramount+
From executive producers Taylor Sheridan (1883) and David Oyelowo (Selma) comes the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West: Bass Reeves. L...
MSG Stan Hutchison I Like Good Guys! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehkbn36ohCY
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MSG Stan Hutchison
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel - I do to, but we know not all good guys are 100% good and not all bad guys are 100% bad. Lot of gray areas.
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