[Review] “EDGES OF TIME” At Playmakers, Interview with Playwright Jacqueline E. Lawton

CHAPEL HILL, NC – In honor of World Press Freedom Day, PlayMakers Repertory Company will release a limited encore run of the world premiere production of “Edges of Time,” written by Jacqueline E. Lawton. Directed by Jules Odendahl-James, “Edges of Time” will be available to stream from May 3 – 9, 2021.

Synopsis and Background:

“Edges of Time” is the story of the marvelous Marvel Cooke, a pioneer activist for freedom of the press. Her career as a journalist and an editor led to a turn in the witness chair in 1953, during the Army–McCarthy hearings held by the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Investigations.

Marvel has remained a largely hidden figure in American history, despite playing an important role as a Civil Rights activist and women’s rights activist, rubbing shoulders with poets and writers like Langston Hughes, working for W.E.B Du Bois, and serving as one of the first readers and critics of Richard Wright’s “Native Son.”

“Edges of Time” features Kathryn Hunter-Williams as Marvel Cooke (“The Life of Galileo,” “Skeleton Crew,” “Dot”) and Jeffrey Blair Cornell as the Voice of Joe McCarthy (“Julius Caesar,” “Leaving Eden”).

The Creative Team of “Edges of Time” includes Jules Odendahl-James (Director), McKay Coble (Scenic Designer), Bobbi Owen (Costume Designer), Kathy Perkins (Lighting Designer), Alex Maness (Projections Designer and Video Editor), Brandon Reed (Sound Designer), Lormarev Jones (Dramaturg), Charles K. Bayang (Stage Manager) and Elizabeth Ray (Stage Manager).

Join Playmakers on World Press Freedom Day in celebrating the story of Marvel Cooke, and the work of Jacqueline E. Lawton, herself a pioneering American playwright who writes with a strong vision for racial and social justice, and gender parity.

SpecMagShorts:

In this episode of #SpecMagShorts, playwright Jacqueline E. Lawton talks about the importance of bringing Black stories and voices to light, Marvel Cooke’s life and legacy portrayed in “Edges of Time,” and her upcoming work in the performing arts industry.

Watch #SpecMagShorts: Playwright Jacqueline E. Lawton:

 

Review:

This one-woman show takes us into the life of investigative journalist, editor, and activist, the marvelous Marvel Cooke, the first Black woman writer to have her own byline in a major US newspaper. We meet Marvel in 1963 in the wake of the Birmingham church bombing, as she threads the story of mid-century Civil Rights with her own trailblazing journey from the suburbs of Minnesota to the newsrooms, labor unions, and arts societies of New York– with a fateful detour into the witness chair under interrogation by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Always unconventional and willing to pay the price for speaking her mind, Marvel calls us from the past with warnings about our present.

Escaping sexual assault, breaking off a two-year engagement, and fighting for women’s rights to work in the newsroom, Marvel brings us alongside her past to tell us the lessons she has learned. Amidst her retelling her own history, the booming voice of anti-Communist Senator Joseph McCarthy looms on Marvel’s television screen and her own witness accounts. As a member of the Communist Party long before the Red Scare of the 1960s, Marvel must not incriminate herself or her fellow party members to avoid jail time, or worse.

Kathryn Hunter-Williams, an esteemed PlayMakers company member, does an excellent job portraying the large life of Marvel Cooke. Her expressions and passion as Marvel were realistic, believable, and powerful. It amazed me how well she performed during this one-woman show, which had nearly no break in its one-hour and fifteen-minute runtime. The voice of Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Senator McCarthy was frightening and added suspense and danger in between Marvel’s tales of life. Marvel’s story is empowering, true, and lends itself to be a representation of modern struggles in America still. The lighting, sound, costuming, and stage effects all added to the story of Marvel Cooke’s life without being distracting. This play is a historical marvel that can be enjoyed by a range of audiences. I rate this play a 5 out of 5 stars.

 

Tickets/Streaming:

PlayMakers Repertory Company is streaming an encore presentation of the world premiere drama, “Edges of Time,” by Jacqueline E. Lawton, in honor of World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd. “Edges of Time” will return for a one-week streaming run from Monday, May 3 through Sunday, May 9.

For information and to purchase tickets, call 919.962.7529 or visit www.playmakersrep.org. Individual ticket prices are $24 for one week of streaming access.

All photos courtesy of Playmakers Repertory Company.