A heart-rending tale of triumph over adversity

I doubt there was a dry eye in the house at the end of Layon Gray’s Black Angels Over Tuskegee.

The play tells a the story of the six African American men whose sheer determination to become WWII Tuskegee Airmen triumphed over the prejudices they faced in an institution dominated by white men.

Their intelligence, their patriotism and commitment are all called into question by the bigotry and racism of the day but their spirit remains strong.

This was an outstanding addition to the Bermuda Festival of the Performin Arts line-up — it’s a shame there could not have been more performances.

It was certainly hard to deal with the inequality and racism committed against the men, but those atrocities were presented as undertones — implied and referred to by the characters, but barely played out by the white man directly on stage. Despite their frustrations and set backs, their team spirit and camaraderie rose above all.

It was the personal experiences of the characters, the human misfortune, the family crises and the way the whole group came together as one to try to alleviate one man’s suffering that really struck the heart.

Layon Gray’s portrayal of the grief experienced by Quenten Dorsey following a family tragedy was wrenching — compounded by the soft, sorrowful music.

The true strength of this play is how we see a friendship build in to something more akin to a brotherhood.

Ananias Dixon excelled as the softly spoken southerner Theodore Franks providing often much needed comic relief in a play that was laden with sinister undertones. His boyish, almost effeminate manner endeared him to the audience while his bursting enthusiasm as a student pilot was infectious.

Lamman Rucker, known from Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married films, was like the big brother of the group as Elijah Sams. He brought an elegant air to the stage with his philosophical outlook on life. The character, a former boxer, could also pack a moral punch when foolishness prevailed amongst the crewmembers and all this was all beautifully executed by Rucker.

Each of the men performed well, Thomas Scott II ably portrayed the confidence and underlying vulnerability of Abe Dorsey, Melvin Huffnagle dominated the loathable Jeremiah Jones yet gave us space to sympathise with him at the end, while David Roberts as Percival Nash was on the whole a quiet character but, when he took centre stage, made his presence known. 

The first half of the show was all set in a study room with the six men getting to know each other. It set the scene and introduced us to the characters but if I am honest I think it could have been cut a little.

It was the second half that was really packed full of action, laid out the twists, turns, emotional turmoil and camaraderie. Each man offered a deep and emotionally charged performance that went a long way to instilling a sense of pride in thier achievements.

Thaddeus Daniels seemed to inject genuine feeling into his role and was even seen with a tear in his eye.

This play could have made a big impact in Bermuda’s schools, allowing younger generation not only to remember the sacrifices that our forefathers have made for our freedoms, but also the strength of character and pride that black men have carried to put them on an equal footing with all, despite their set backs.