Zo Friedman

10/16/14
Live Play Review: Fetch Clay, Make Man
Green Group
An Enlightening and Exciting Performance
Ms. Jeral
Drama
This October, Round House Theatre hosts Will Powers Fetch Clay, Make Man, arguably one of
the most stimulating and emotionally disturbing plays at Round House. After success on off-Broadway,
this play is as fresh as everhelped along by Director Derrick Sanders, who blazes his big debut at
Round House Theatre. Sanders executes the impossible: transporting viewers back to the year 1965 in
Lewiston, Maine, just days before Muhammad Ali takes on Sonny Liston in an epic boxing rematch.
Sanders paces the two hour and fifteen minute play (excluding a fifteen minute intermission) quickly
and fills every beat of time with action, a difficult feat. There is not one moment in which a character
fails to remind the audience of the high stakes surrounding Alis match.
Courtney ONeill does wonders transforming a small, circular stage into Alis private locker room
and later into William Foxs office. The achievement is greatly attributed to the simplicity of the set: a
brand new orange couch that suggests Ali never endures an idle moment, lockers that store Alis clothes
and jump rope, a bench, and a dressing table, on which a large mirror encourages Alis ego. Large
posters advertising the upcoming match line the wall above the couch, and long, hanging strands of
beads separate the back portion of the stage from the locker room, creating a useful hallway.
The absence of too many props allows characters to move around freely in the space. Whenever
two characters conflict, Derrick Sanders positions them to circle each other, as if in a boxing ring. Colin K.
Bills, the lighting designer, contributes to the seamless scene transitions by projecting pictures of
historical events in African American history on the wall. Sound designer Christopher Baine accompanies
the lighting with eerie music and captures Alis explosive character with bomb sound effects.
The theme of this play, that people should embrace themselves for who they are, is carried
throughout the entire performance. Muhammad Ali prepares for his rematch with Sonny Liston and
begs Stepin Fetchit, his secret strategist, to teach him the anchor punch, while Alis wife, who joined
the Nation of Islam, struggles to rid herself of her Islamic disguise and make Ali accept her true identity.
Alis Brother Rashid preaches for black supremacy and craftily uses Alis publicity to promote the Nation

of Islam. Stepin Fetchit also takes advantage of Ali, hoping that Ali will feed his acting career after he
was fired from NBC by William Fox. Everyones life revolves around Alibut, ultimately, most of the
characters motives are unethical.
Stepin Fetchit, played by long time Sesame Street actor Roscoe Orman, does a fantastic job of
keeping the audience entranced. Stepin Fetchit switches his accent and gait several times throughout
the play, and his ignorant face and short stature hide a sneaky, selfish interior. In Stepins own words,
Roscoe Orman takes a fabrication and makes it look real.
Katherine Renee Turner makes her first Round House Theatre appearance as Sonji Clay, Alis
wife. Her charming, girlish voice and playful nature disguise a strong willed, influential woman willing to
fight for the expression of her own beliefs. No one can shape her personality or force her to uphold the
nation of Islams platform, not even the great Muhammad Ali. We watch her internal conflict unfold not
through a change in scenery but a change in her clothing.
Jefferson A. Russell, a returning Round House actor, takes on the radical Brother Rashid on his
home turf. Brother Rashids phlegmatic appearance misleads the audience, for, behind his
expressionless mask, he will compromise human life to raise African Americans to greatness.
Playing William Fox in Stepin Fetchits brief flashbacks, Robert Sicular reinforces the plays
theme as he pretends to be white instead of accepting his true identity as a Hungarian immigrant.
William Fox [cant] escape who he [is] or return to his former self. His low, sharp voice drags the
audience into an inescapable black hole. Robert Sicular smokes cigars with elegance and embodies the
real William Foxs sneaky, greedy persona.
California based Eddie Ray Jackson can easily be mistaken for Muhammad Ali. His slow drawl,
unstable nature, and quick reactions reveal countless hours of research and preparation for the part. Ali
begins the play by jumping rope and, from then on, never stops moving. He is the only character in the
play who doesnt, as Stepin Fetchit says, wear a mask. He makes good use of the mirror on his

dressing table, and the constant talk of his greatness leaves the audience in no doubt of his self-image.
Muhammad Ali is simply a man who wants to win. Casting heads Danisha Crosby and Meg Pearson made
a wise choice in selecting Eddie.
Costumes accurately represent the 1960s. Heidi Leigh Hanson gives Ali a plain, grey sweat suit
and, later, a monogrammed bathrobe to reinforce his ego. William Fox dons an expensive looking silver
suit that warns Stepin not to cross him. Stepin wears tan slacks, a checkered sports jacket, and a brown,
felt fedora, his mismatched clothing confirming his indecisiveness. Brother Rashids plain grey suit and
tie match his imperturbable air but contrast with Sanji Clays loud, sparkly dress and stilettos.
The most emotionally intense scene in the entire play occurs washed in a bright red glow
created by lighting designer Colin K. Bills. Stepin Fetchit teaches Ali the coveted anchor punch and
channels generations worth of his ancestors rage and suffering, his agony culminating in an explosion
that touches every audience members soul.
This performance of Fetch Clay, Make Man offers a wonderful interpretation of Muhammad Ali,
leaving the audience inspired and energized. Those who wish to learn about the Nation of Islam or the
great American hero, Muhammad Ali, should hurry to Round House Theatre for a spectacular showing
before the play closes on November 2nd.