''Native Son'' is a 1941 Broadway drama written by Paul Green and Richard Wright based on Wright's novel '' Native Son''. It was produced by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

and

John Houseman John Houseman (born Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a Romanians, Romanian-born British Americans, British-American theatre and film producer, actor, director, and teacher. He became known for his highly publ ...

with Bern Bernard as associate producer and directed by Welles with

scenic design Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including Play (theatre), plays and Musical theatre, musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, wher ...

by John Morcom. It ran for 114 performances from March 24, 1941 to June 28, 1941 at the St. James Theatre. This is the last time Welles and Houseman, co-founders of the

Mercury Theatre The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury also r ...

, ever worked together.

Synopsis

In Chicago's South Side during the 1930's, 20-year-old Bigger Thomas struggles to realize his dreams in a world that has shut him out. After taking a job in a wealthy white man's house, Bigger unwittingly unleashes a series of events that violently seal his fate.

Differences in plot

Richard Wright and Paul Green edited ''Native Sons plot to fit the time constraints of a play more easily. Certain parts are edited or cut completely. In the novel, the daughter of Bigger Thomas's employers, Mary, has a communist boyfriend, Jan, whom Bigger tries to blame for Mary's murder. Bigger even tries to collect ransom for Mary's supposedly missing body. He also becomes the Daltons' chauffeur only after a failed robbery attempt of a white man's store. In the drama, these details are erased. It becomes simpler and more objective—Bigger becomes the Daltons' chauffeur because of a social worker. He kills Mary by accident, as in the book, but is shortly found after a manhunt through Chicago. Green's original script called for Bigger to become devoutly religious at the end of the story, a theme not present in the novel; Wright helped Houseman remove this aspect and did not inform Green. Houseman believed that the religion twist went against Wright's viewpoint.

Production

Cast

Canada Lee Leonard Lionel Cornelius Canegata (March 3, 1907 – May 9, 1952), known professionally as Canada Lee, was an American professional boxer and actor who pioneered roles for African Americans. After careers as a jockey, boxer and musician, he beca ...

as Bigger Thomas *

Frances Bavier Frances Elizabeth Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American stage and television actress. Originally from New York theatre, she worked in film and television from the 1950s until the 1970s. She is best known for her role a ...

as Peggy *

Everett Sloane Everett H. Sloane (October 1, 1909 – August 6, 1965) was an American character actor who worked in radio, theatre, films, and television. Early life Sloane was born in Manhattan on October 1, 1909, to Nathaniel I. Sloane and Rose (Gerst ...

as Britten * Philip Bourneuf as Buckley, District Attorney * Ray Collins as Paul Max, defense attorney * John Berry as a reporter *

Helen Martin Helen Dorothy Martin (July 23, 1909 – March 25, 2000) was an American actress of stage and television. Martin's career spanned over 60 years, appearing first on stage and later in film and television. Martin is best known for her roles as Wanda ...

as Vera Thomas * Evelyn Ellis as Hannah Thomas *

Joseph Pevney Joseph Pevney (September 15, 1911 – May 18, 2008) was an American film and television director. Biography Born in New York City, Pevney made his debut in vaudeville as a boy soprano in 1924. Although he hated vaudeville, he loved the thea ...

as Jan Erlone *

Erskine Sanford Erskine Sanford (November 19, 1885 – July 7, 1969) was an American actor on the stage, radio and motion pictures. Long associated with the Theatre Guild, he later joined Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre company and appeared in several of Welles ...

as Mr. Dalton * C. M. "Bootsie" Davis as Earnie Jones * Eileen Burns as Miss Emmett * Anne Burr as Mary Dalton * Nell Harrison as Mrs. Dalton * Jacqueline Ghant Andre as a neighbor * William Malone as Judge * Rena Mitchell as Clara * J. Flashe Riley as Jack * Wardell Saunders as Gus Mitchell * Rodester Timmons as G. H. Rankin * Lloyd Warren as Buddy Thomas Newspaper Men: * Don Roberts * Stephen Roberts * Paul Stewart * George Zorn

Versions

The 1941 adaptation of the novel was revised in 1978 for the dedication of the Paul Green Theatre at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

. The script by Green and Wright was adapted again in 2006 by Cheryl West for Seattle's Intiman Theatre, however, she withdrew the right to perform it prior to the play's opening. An adaptation by director Kent Gash was presented in its stead. A later adaptation, not based on the Green-Wright script, was written by Nambi E. Kelley in 2016 for a joint production from American Blues Theater and Court Theatre in Chicago.

Critical reception

Critics greeted ''Native Son'''s 1941 premiere warmly, especially praising Canada Lee's turn as Bigger Thomas. Said Rosamond Gilder in ''Theatre and Arts,'' May 1941: " Much of what is important in the novel but is lost in the play -the profound subjective exposure of the Negro's unconscious motivations- is restored by the actor's performance. Bigger's smouldering resentment against the world as he has always known it; his unreflecting violence breaking out even more easily against the things he loves -his mother, his friends, his girl- than against the things he hates; his profound frustration stemming from the denial of his right to live;". ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' said it was "powerful" and "exciting". ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' called it "the strongest play of the season". Aljean Harmetz wrote in ''

'' stated "the play got excellent reviews and did good business."

References

External links

* *
archive

"Native Son: Best-Selling Novel is Turned into Tense Drama Strikingly Staged by Orson Welles"
''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'', April 7, 1941, pp. 94–96
Major Dramatic Works: ''Native Son'', 1940–1980
in the Paul Green Papers, #3693, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Actual Stage Timing, Court Room Scene
from the Mercury Theatre Production of ''Native Son'' (1941). ''Orson Welles on the Air, 1938–1946'',

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

. Orson Welles reads the role of Paul Max. {{DEFAULTSORT:Native Son (play) 1941 plays Broadway plays Plays set in Chicago Plays by Paul Green Orson Welles Plays based on novels Works by Richard Wright (author) Plays about race and ethnicity