Native Son: A Breathtaking Performance

This past Wednesday our classes went on a field trip to go see the play Native Son, a novel by Richard Wright that had been adapted for the stage; and originally I considered not going. Looking back that would have been a huge mistake. What can I say about this incredible performance that hasn't already been said by past critics and attendees?

To start, after seeing this play I now understand why it had been receiving so much praise and how lucky I was to get the opportunity to see it. I assume that certain parts of the novel were left out of the show in the interest of time, but the story was incredible nonetheless. It aims to shine a light on race in America during the 1930's and does so in a very interesting way, through a story that uses its main storyline to support the racial undertones, that are sometimes forgotten during the story. 

Not only was the story highly-deserving of praise, but the performance was just as good. The use of the small space to represent so many different scenarios was one of the best examples of staging I had ever seen. When I was reading the pamphlet given out upon entrance to the show I saw a mention of an odd representation of how the main character would be depicted on the stage, and I'll admit, it was a little off-putting. That is, until the performance actually started. The physical representation of Biggger's conscience on stage quickly became one of my favorite aspects of the performance.

I have recently found out that there has been a copy of this novel in my home for quite a long time, and after seeing such an incredible show, I am strongly considering reading it.