Charles Gordone Criticism
Charles Gordone (1925-1995) is celebrated for his groundbreaking 1969 play, No Place to Be Somebody, which was the first drama by an African American to win the Pulitzer Prize and made history by receiving the award before a Broadway production. The play is renowned for its vibrant characterization and dialogue, tackling themes of rage, despair, and dignity within the human experience, transcending racial boundaries. Gordone himself emphasized that his works are drawn from the "American experience," not confined to any singular racial perspective. Born in Cleveland and raised in Elkhart, Indiana, Gordone's diverse heritage and personal experiences enriched his dramatic voice.
After a short stint at UCLA and serving in the U.S. Air Force, Gordone pursued music and drama studies in Los Angeles, eventually moving to New York City to act. His career included an Obie Award-winning performance in an all-black production of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. He also founded the Vantage theater in Queens and continued his work in theater throughout his life.
No Place to Be Somebody, set in New York City, follows Johnny Williams, a bar owner and minor criminal, as he navigates racial tensions and dreams of forming a black mafia. The play's complex narrative includes a range of vivid characters and culminates in a tragic shootout. Although some critics like John Simon criticized its structure and dialogue, others, including Edith Oliver and Catherine Hughes, praised its vitality and depth. The play's critical reception was largely positive, with Gordone being compared to playwrights like Edward Albee and Eugene O'Neill for his vibrant and engaging storytelling.
Contents
- Principal Works
- Gordone, Charles (Vol. 1)
- Gordone, Charles (Vol. 4)
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Gordone, Charles
- Author Commentary
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No Place To Be Somebody
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A Review of No Place to Be Somebody
(summary)
No Place to Be Somebody was written in 1967 and received several workshop performances before it debuted on 4 May 1969 in a production by the New York Shakespeare Festival at their Public Theater. In the following assessment of that production, Barnes expresses reservations about the play's construction but greatly admires the vivid dialogue and realistic acting and sets.
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No Place to Be Somebody
(summary)
In the following appraisal of the premiere of No Place to Be Somebody, Haskell finds the play an 'interesting, if not always successful patchwork of styles' but claims it is 'as messy and convulsive as the muddy truths it deals with.'
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Bar Stool in Black Hell
(summary)
In this review, the critic detects elements of melodrama in No Place to Be Somebody but concedes that "the drama ticks with menace and, for such an abrasive subject, is unexpectedly and explosively funny."
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A Good Place to Be
(summary)
In the mixed assessment below, Oliver praises the acting in No Place to Be Somebody and Gordone's evocation of "the sense of life and intimacy of people in a place, and of the diversity of their moods," but she also finds the play long and lacking focus.
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O, Blacks, Are We Damned Forever?
(summary)
The following is a sharply negative evaluation of No Place to Be Somebody. Riley finds some admirable qualities in Gordone's script—particularly the vivid characterizations—but considers the play's strengths overcome by deeply flawed direction and staging.
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No Place to Be Somebody
(summary)
In the following appraisal, Hewes argues that the acting and directing make up for the shortcomings of the plot of No Place to Be Somebody.
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Real Black Power
(summary)
The following is a review of No Place to Be Somebody after it moved to the American National Theater and Academy (ANTA) Theater. Kroll judges it an ambitious play, "written with a mixture of white heat and intellectual clarity."
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Underwriting, Overreaching
(summary)
Simon disparages nearly every aspect of No Place to Be Somebody— including the writing, the acting, and the directing— declaring that "there is nothing in this play to make a big fuss about."
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No Place to Be Somebody
(summary)
In the review below of the ANTA Theater staging, Gussow asserts that No Place to Be Somebody is "a play of great force and commitment, one that must be seen—wherever it is playing."
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A Drama of the Black Experience
(summary)
The following is a review of the printed edition of No Place to Be Somebody. Miller observes that the play seems less diffuse and better integrated when read rather than seen performed. Charles Gordone's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama depicts the black experience, but it is also concerned with people, black and white, who are filled with despair but who continue to hold on to their dreams, dreams shaped by their surroundings. The play takes place in Johnny's bar in New York City and in the mind of Gabe, an unemployed actor-playwright. Johnny tries to survive by operating his saloon, which is none too profitable, and by collecting the earnings of a white prostitute who loves him. Meanwhile he waits for Sweets Crane, a father figure, to be released from prison so that they can launch their black Mafia. That is Johnny's dream. In short, Johnny wants to emulate the successful white criminals around him. When the legendary Sweets is released, however, he is reformed, and this reformation of his idol only intensifies Johnny's efforts to make his dream come true, without Sweets. Johnny's determination eventually leads to his death and to the death of Sweets.
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America Hurrah?: No Place to Be Somebody
(summary)
In the essay below, Hughes contends that the mourning tone of Gabe's epilogue is "somehow wrong, false even," that it violates the "pungency" and "immediacy" of the rest of the play.
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A Review of No Place to Be Somebody
(summary)
- Further Reading