"Remember one thing, son,
every name has a story to it."
This is what actor Phillip Nixon, who plays Cassius Clay Sr,
said to actor, Trigney Martin, who played his son, Cassius
Clay, Jr in a scene about what their names meant.
This prolific line is part of the stage production of "And In This
Corner....Cassius Clay," the story of the young life of
Muhammad Ali.
Written by Detroit native/Chicago bred playwright Idris
Goodwin, and directed by Metro Theater Company's Julia
Flood, "And In This Corner", which is currently staged at Lee
Auditorium inside the Missouri Historical Museum in Forest
Park, tells the life of Ali growing up as
a youngster in a segregated Louisvllle, Kentucky in the
1950s and 1960s and how the racial and social climate
influenced his aspiration to become a boxer.
Actor Trigney Martin plays the title role of Cassius Clay
Overall "And In This Corner" is an entertaining rendering of Ali and gave a good dose of what his life endured when trying to make sense of racism and following dreams.
The standout is Martin who plays Clay. His energetic approach to the role was a a delight to watch. Although it seems a bit challenging seeing Martin playing the role starting off as a 12 year old, he is still able to embed the innocence of a youngster and him morphing into a young, assertive man. Martin also handles the rhyming Shakespeareanesque monologues in between most transitional scenes nicely as well as channeling Ali's vocal cadence during the monologues during Ali as a young man.
The ensemble cast also does a respectable job including actor David Wassilak who plays Clay's boxing coach Officer Joe Martin and Jaz Tucker who plays his socially conscious friend Eddie.
The set design also is quite impressive. The staging
comprise of rotating panels to transition each scene and
the portable boxing ring to show some of the boxing
scenes with Martin. Historical footage from the time period
including Clay in Rome during the 1960 Olympics and Dr
King on Washington D.C. grounds during the I Have A
Dream also helped incorporate the social state of the
times.
The ensemble cast and the silhouette of a boxing scene of Cassius Clay fighting in Rome, Italy.
The only drawback of
"And In This Corner"
is its a One Act Play
and only 70 minutes long. But, from a particular discussion
with the playwright and director after the premiere Feb 12,
the time factor is set based on young students in schools
coming to see the matinees during school hours. Thus, this
play can easily be revised as an actual Broadway play where
his story could be delved more and how the social injustices
of the times affected him and his relationships with his
family, his friends and his boxing trainer.
But, besides that, it is definitely a play worth going to see
especially for those who enjoy biopics.
"And In This Corne Cassius Clay" runs until Feb.-28
with Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m.
matinee on Sundays. Tickets are $12-$18 and available
at http://cassiusproject.com or by calling the Metro Theater
Box Office at 314-441-5792.
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