Dutchman (play)

Dutchman is a play written by African-American playwright Amiri Baraka. It played at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village, New York in March 1964 and won an Obie Award. [3] Made into a film in 1967, Dutchman was the last play produced by Baraka under his birth name, LeRoi Jones. At the time, Jones/Baraka was in the process of divorcing his white Jewish wife and embracing Black Nationalism. The play may be described as a political allegory depicting black/white relations during the time Baraka wrote it. ^[1]

The play was recently revived in 2007 at the Cherry Lane Theatre starring Dulé Hill.

Plot

The action focuses almost exclusively on Lula, a flirtatious white woman, and Clay, a young black man who rides the subway in New York City. Clay's name evokes symbolism that highlights the malleability of identity. In this case, identity likely relates to questions of manhood. Connotations of 'Clay' might also allude to the playwright's critique of the young male as an integrationist or assimilationist. ^[2] Lula boards the train munching an apple, an allusion to the Biblical Eve. After Lula bends over in front of Clay in an obvious sexual come-on, the two characters engage in a flirtatious conversation throughout the long train ride.

Lula then begins to insult Clay, implying that somehow he is not "really" black because he is college educated, wears a three button suit and because his "grandfather was not a slave". She is now dancing in the train and ridicules Clay by asking him to join her and "do the nasty. Rub bellies". Clay, who initially does not respond to the provocation, rises up in extreme anger, menacing the other riders, telling Lula that she knew nothing about him, referring to her and other white people as "ofays". Forcing her on her seat next to him he slaps her twice and tells her that the neuroses of black men can be cured with her murder. He asks his leave and expresses his pity that it wouldn’t work out between them. As he bends over to pick up his books, Lula stabs him into his chest in full view of the other (both white and black) riders who do nothing to stop the attack. She then instructs everyone else to help her throw his body out of the train and get off the subway at the next stop.

The play ends on a chilling note; Lula approaches another well-dressed black man in exactly the same way that she approached Clay. As the train conductor enters the compartment, dancing “soft-shoe”, Lula watches his movements.

References

1. ^ Davidson, Jiton Sharmayne, [1], "Sometimes funny, but most times deadly serious: Amiri Baraka as political satirist," African American Review. 37.2-3, Gale Group, Summer-Fall 2003, accessed 19 Apr 2011.
2. ^ Rebhorn, Matthew. [2], "Flaying Dutchman: Masochism, Minstrelsy, and the Gender Politics of Amiri Baraka's Dutchman," Callaloo 26.3, Gale Group, Summer 2003, accessed 19 Apr 2011.

References