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The Great White Hope | Introduction

The Great White Hope won three of the most important awards on Broadway—the Pulitzer Prize, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, and a Tony—a phenomenal achievement in the history of twentieth-century theatre. The play is based on the life of black boxer Jack Johnson. When white American fighters refused to compete with Johnson, he traveled to Australia and defeated Tommy Burns in 1908, becoming the first black Heavyweight Champion of the World. Sackler’s work explores with deep consideration the consequences of Johnson’s achievement in a climate of deep racial unrest.

Curiously, Sackler’s original work was meant to be a musical, more lighthearted than tragic. He eventually abandoned his plans and completed the play in 1967. The Great White Hope opened in December of that year at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Although the work is fictional, many of the events of the play, such as Jack’s arrest, actually happened to Johnson at some point in his life. Thematically, the play also explores, with depth, perceptiveness, and brutal honesty, the nature of racism and racial conflict in American society. The voices of Sackler’s characters, black and white, offer a colorful collage of insights. In examining the motivations of these characters, the audience gains exposure to a wide range of perspectives and, by extension, a much greater understanding of the issues surrounding them.

The Great White Hope Summary

Act 1, Scene 1
The play opens on Brady’s farm in Parchmont, Ohio. There is a discussion between Brady, identi- fied as ‘‘the heavyweight champion’’; Fred, his manager; Cap’n Dan, ‘‘a champion of earlier days’’; Smitty, ‘‘a famous sportswriter’’; and several members of the press including photographers. Goldie, Jack Jefferson’s manager, is also present. The group, with the exception of Goldie, is encouraging Brady to re-enter the ring in reaction to the recent performance of black athlete Jack Jefferson, who is a serious boxing contender. Cap’n Dan pitches to Brady, ‘‘You’re the White Hope, Mr. Brady!’’ He shares his fears with the heavyweight, asking how he can let the whole country down, how he can live with a reputation that ‘‘he wouldn’t stick a fist out to teach a loudmouth nigger, stayed home and let him be Champion of the World.’’

The scene ends with a flurry of negotiations after Brady agrees to fight Jefferson. The terms are 80–20 in favor of the promoter, the location is Reno, as suggested by Cap’n Dan, who believes it is necessary to avoid big towns and the likelihood of having ‘‘every nigger and his brother jamming in there.’’ Goldie departs for the train, leaving Brady to pose for photos with members of the press.

Act 1, Scene 2
The action shifts to a small gym in San Francisco, California, where Jefferson is shadowboxing in the presence of his trainer, Tick, as Eleanor Bachman watches. Jack and Tick are working on a strategy for the upcoming fight when Goldie arrives.

Jack relays to Goldie that he met Eleanor on a boat from Australia and that Eleanor is from Tacoma, Washington. When Goldie asks Eleanor to leave because the press is coming, Jack says, ‘‘she stay where she is.’’ Goldie knows he can protect Jack from some adversaries, ‘‘guys who want to put dope in your food there, a guy who wants to watch the fight behind a rifle.’’ He is not prepared to deal with the racist backlash of those unsympathetic to Jack’s involvement with a woman outside his race.

Act 1, Scene 3
Outside the arena in Reno, the day before the fight, Jack calls out to his ‘‘homefolks’’ and moves to their group in the back of the room. When a member of this group of black men tells him they are rooting for him because they believe that his victory will instill in them a sense of pride, Jack responds, ‘‘Well, country boy, if you ain’t there already, all the boxin’ and nigger-prayin in the world ain’t gonna get you there.’’

In a personal moment, Cap’n Dan shares with the audience his fears about a possible victory for Jack. He confides that, unlike being the world’s best engineer or the world’s biggest genius, to Cap’n Dan, the possibility of Jack becoming the heavyweight champion makes the world seem ‘‘darker, and different, like it’s shrinking, it’s all huddled down somehow.’’

Act 1, Scene 4
Jack is hosting the Grand Opening of the Café de Champion in Chicago and has decided to use the event to openly announce his engagement to Ellie. He is suddenly confronted by the Women’s League for Temperance, whose members are protesting the opening. Jack’s reaction to the crowd is to offer them chairs and refreshments outside of the café, an act that serves to disperse the crowd. The conflict is diminished by the arrival of Mrs. Bachman, Ellie’s mother, who has come with an attorney to entice Ellie to leave the festivities.

Act 1, Scene 5
Cameron, district attorney for the city of Chicago, is meeting with several civic leaders and Smitty, a detective, among others, to discuss the incident outside the café, during which Clara, Jack’s common-law wife, fired a shot at her ‘‘husband.’’ As a group, they determine that Jack ‘‘personifies all that should be suppressed by law’’ and agree to work towards such lawful ‘‘suppression.’’ Smitty and Cameron... » Complete The Great White Hope Summary