Ceremonies in Dark Old Men (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Lonne Elder, III
- First Published: 1969
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: Early spring in an unspecified year, probably in the 1960’s
- Setting: 126th Street in Harlem, New York City
- Principal Characters: Russell B. Parker, William Jenkins, Theopolis “Theo” Parker, Bobby Parker, Adele Eloise Parker, Blue Haven
- Genres: Drama, Psychological drama
- Subjects: African Americans, 1960’s, Murder or homicide, Harlem, Alcohol, Barbershops or barbers, Board games, Robbery or robbers, Single parents or single-parent families, Unemployment or unemployed workers
- Locales: Harlem, NY
The Play
Ceremonies in Dark Old Men is set in Harlem, in a run-down barbershop on 126th Street. The play is divided into two acts of about equal length. The staging is very simple and naturalistic. The barbershop owned by Russell Parker is dominated by a barber’s throne, which Parker appropriates whenever he is in the room. Elsewhere around the shop are a wall mirror, several projecting shelves, a clothes rack, a card table, and six chairs. Off to the right is a back room with an old refrigerator, a desk, and a bed. A short flight of stairs on the far right leads up to...
[The entire page is 2541 words long]
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