In Through the Night, a one-person show that wound up its run yesterday in Shirley Recital Hall at Salem College, Daniel Beaty took on a nearly impossible task. That he succeeded so memorably is a testament both to his frightening talents as a performer-writer and to the National Black Theatre Festival for having the good sense to showcase them yet again.
Beaty last appeared at the festival in 2007, playing multiple characters in an acclaimed one-person show called Emergence-See.
Through the Night had him doing something similar.
He played six black males, ages 10 to 60, who were featured in several interconnected narratives. The characters ranged from an “alien” executive in corporate America to his father, an elderly minister.
Beaty used his portrayals to deal with a slew of daunting issues. These included the difficulty in finding employment after incarceration; homophobia in the black church; the consequences of fathering children out of wedlock and the tendency to set the wrong example by giving up in the face of adversity. Another issue, namely overeating, provided a bit of comic relief.
Normally, I’d say this was way too much material to take on in a single play. But somehow Beaty managed to pull it off.
And he displayed an astonishing command of each character he portrayed—despite the fact he quickly jumped from narrative to narrative and had to play multiple characters within each. He also sang a bit, showcasing a rich and expressive sound when he did.
Through the Night conveyed a positive message of hope, driving it home not with preaching but with powerful suggestion. It deserves a long life beyond the festival.
■ Ken Keuffel can be reached at 727-7337 or at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).