As a theatre major and history minor – and Shakespeare nerd – I got the most interesting, informative and the most entertaining history lesson of my life from Barely There Theatre’s world premier performance of local playwright Alexander Richardson’s An All-American Riot. I only wish that Richardson had been one of my history professors in college and his collaboration with wife, Sydney Richardson, who directed the show, has resulted in a profoundly enlightening study of an all but forgotten chapter in U.S. history that also resonates with America’s current socio-political issues. In fact, in my opinion, An All-American Riot is comparable to the works of Greek playwright, Aristophanes, who skewered society’s ills on the spit of his satiric wit and Richardson achieves no less accolades.
In this work Richardson explores the themes of political corruption, what a certain someone today calls fake news, racism and anti-immigration sentiment as played out in the all but forgotten Astor Place Riot which took place in New York City in 1847 over which – of all things – a feud between the two most popular Shakespearean actors of the day: William Macready, a Brit, and Edwin Forrest, an American. The riot resulted in the deaths of at least 22 people and garnered over 200 injuries. Ironically, as appalling as that sounds, like Aristophanes, this is an absolutely hilarious comedy that makes this lesson in an abominable notch in our history not only palatable but indelible and it’s FUN that includes noisy plastic clappers and pelting the players with paper balls to mimic audiences from the 19th century.
Back then, Shakespearean plays were, by far, the most popular productions. Actors vied for the coveted roles in the Bard’s most prestigious works like Hamlet and Macbeth. Forrest was rather impressed with himself and the Green-eyed monster within hated Macready’s popularity in this country. His jingoism caused him to stalk Macready, following him throughout his U.S. tour to perform in the same plays trying to draw bigger crowds. Sound familiar?
Per a Wikipedia article: “According to historian Nigel Cliff in The Shakespeare Riots, it was ironic that both were famous as Shakespearean actors in an America that had yet to establish its own theatrical traditions, one way to prove its cultural prowess was to do Shakespeare as well as the British, and even to claim that Shakespeare, had he been alive at the time, would have been, at heart at least, an American.”
Four actors, Micah Bernas, Adrienne Evans, Jo Vasquez and the playwright himself take on multiple roles without regard to gender that include, among others, Forrester and Macready, an Irish immigrant, a run-away farm girl, a minor mob boss, and an inept mayor to tell the story of this shameful event that – wait for it – was the impetus to the formation of the New York City Police Department.
You really don’t want to miss this both hysterical and sobering history lesson. Don’t worry: there won’t be a quiz later.
Barely There Theatre’s production of An All-American Riot continues at the Black Box Theatre, 1623 5th Avenue in Moline, Thursday through Saturday, September 26 through 28 at 7:30 p.m.
I’m Chris Hicks…break a leg.