(L-R) Roslyn Ruff plays the pragmatist as opposed to her father, the idealist, played by Delroy Lindo in the poetic, "Things of Dry Hours." (Joan Marcus)
Rural Alabama in 1932 can be a dangerous place to be, especially if you're a black man with high ideals that clash with the status quo. Such is the case with Tice Hogan (Delroy Lindo). A former steel worker who lost his job as a result of the depression, he is now a Sunday school teacher and also works on a restoration project in a nearby park—a park that will be for whites only. Living with Tice is his daughter Cali (Roslyn Ruff) who brings in extra money doing wash for the rich people in town.
Tice's biggest passion is a closely guarded secret. He's a member of an organization seeking better rights for workers (higher pay, better working conditions, etc.). This organization (not yet a union) meets in secrecy, as even a hint of organized labor is not tolerated by the bosses at the steel mills and elsewhere.
One day, the Hogan's relative calm is shattered by the appearance of Corbin Teel (Garret Dillahunt), an illiterate and itinerant white man on the run from a possible murder charge. Corbin, who knows Tice is sympathetic to the worker's plight, threatens to expose him if Tice turns him away. Over his daughter's objection, Tice agrees to help.
As time goes by, Tice sees Corbin as a personal and intellectual challenge and begins to try to educate him. He begins to teach him how to read. Yet while Corbin is seemingly having his mind expanded, he also begins to grow closer to the no-nonsense (and rather opinionated) Cali. Their different backgrounds, (racial as well as intellectual) may be too big for them to bridge.
Not only a tale of ordinary men trying to find their voices, Things of Dry Hours is also a tale of dreams and possibilities, as seen through the eyes of Tice, who believes that all men have the potential to be better than they currently are. It's a philosophy he tries to pass on to Corbin.
The two men's verbal duels are fascinating to watch with Tice constantly prodding the young man to look beyond questions of race and money to understand why certain things are the way they are (i.e. why some men get "a ticket" to ride while others get no "ticket" at all).
Wallace has crafted a wonderfully textured work, filled with nuances and layers, as she challenges the audience to get beyond the stereotypical and surface issues to try to find out what's hidden underneath.
Lindo is excellent as Tice, a proud man who carries a world of hurt just below the surface. Humiliated that he no longer has his job as a steel worker, but certain his day will come for him and others like him, he has an idealistic streak and believes anything is possible. There's also a sort of regal aura and quiet dignity about him, which gives the piece an ethereal quality.
With a good sense of timing (especially when it comes to making a point, or getting off a sarcastic remark), Ruff is spot-on as Cali, a woman verging on spinsterhood. Her viewpoint is also a marked contrast to her father's, as she sees things as they are, rather than how they could be. A widow of a husband who did not love her, she and her dad have a sort of armed truce when it comes to relationships. (Neither tries to fix the other up with a potential mate.)
Cali sees Corbin as an opportunist, even as she begins to warm to him and what he can offer. In a riveting scene, she makes Corbin try to understand what it's like to be a black woman and vents the rage and anger she's carried inside for years.
Dillahunt is good as the initially angry, eventually very curious Corbin. At the same time Corbin is battling his baser instincts in regard to Cali, he confronts his feelings about living in a "dog-eat-dog" society where those with the power crush those without simply because they can.
At first appearing deliberately one-dimensional, Corbin is forced to open up and look inside himself as he tries to enter Tice's sphere of consciousness. In this conflict, the playwright illustrates the plight of an entire class of people. Specifically, it shows that some are unwilling to change unless it's made exceptionally easy for them to do so.
Direction by Ruben Santiago-Hudson is very strong, complimenting the actors' often minimal movements and gestures, and letting the powerful message of the text and three strong performances come to the fore. Santiago-Hudson also keeps the pace of the production moving nicely, with few slow spots present.
Also good is the deliberately sparse set by Richard Hoover and excellent lighting by Marcus Doshi. Special mention must go to David Leong for his dream effects and fight direction, all of which combine to add to the powerful atmosphere of the piece.
Things of Dry Hours
New York Theatre Workshop
79 East 4th Street
Tickets: 212-239-6200 or ww.telecharge.com
Running Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
Closes: June 28
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication, The Stage.