THE DOUBLE V

A little-known aspect of World War II-era African-American history is brought to life in Carole Eglash-Kosoff’s entertaining, elucidating, mostly successful The Double V, an International City Theatre World Premiere.

ICT favorite Jennifer Shelton stars as plucky Madge Evans, “girl reporter” at one of America’s leading black newspapers, the Pittsburgh Courier, whose job generally entails nothing more than responding to readers’ complaints about paper boys with bad aim or obituaries printed in so small a type size that they’re “too hard to read.”

Then comes the day in early 1942 when a Letter to the Editor arrives from Wichita airplane factory worker Jimmy Thompson, whose eagerness to enlist in the armed forces following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor has been met not with cheers but with jeers.

Told in no uncertain terms that “This is a white man’s war!” Jimmy proposes that Madge and her paper embark on a Double V campaign, the first V being for victory in the war being fought abroad and the second V for victory against racism at home, in particular against the systemic racism that had so far allowed a mere “5,000 Negroes in uniform and most doing shit jobs in four units left over from the Civil War,” as Courier Editor Ira Lewis (Nic Few) explains to Madge before telling her to stick to responding to more benign correspondence than Jimmy’s potentially incendiary letter.

Instead, Madge takes it upon herself to travel to Wichita to meet the young letter writer, his father Clem (Idrees Degas), and his pretty young fiancée Annie Culver (Nicolette Ellis), and before you know it, Jimmy’s letter has spread from the pages of the Pittsburgh Courier to points far beyond, though not always with approval, the New York Times opining that the Double V Campaign diverts too much attention away from the war and suggesting that the Courier be investigated for, as reporter Frank (Degas) puts it, “helping the enemy by stirring up colored folks.”

Heck, even J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI gets involved, sending field agent William Taylor (Lee James) to Pittsburgh to inform Ira and Madge in no uncertain terms that Double V needs to stop.

It doesn’t, which is why The Double V is worth seeing if for no other reason than the light it shines on a fight for civil rights that predates the Montgomery bus boycott by over a decade and the Selma to Montgomery marches by more than two.

The Double V may not dig much deeper into its characters or subject matter than a made-for-TV movie, but an all-around terrific cast make the most of it under Michael A. Shepperd’s sharp direction.

International City Theatre artistic director caryn desai once again gives Shelton, one of SoCal’s most glorious musical theater stars, the chance to flex her dramatic muscles, and her Madge is as captivating as she is spirited.

The instantly engaging Powell invests Jimmy with a heart of gold and a spine of steel in a performance that portends big things ahead for the recent Pepperdine grad.

Few is dynamic as all get-out as Ira, Degas excels in two very different roles, Ellis is a bubbly charmer as Annie, James is obnoxious, overbearing perfection as FBI agent Taylor, and John E. Phillips (as factory supervisor Charlie Simpson) is fearless in revealing the ugly racism Jimmy faces on a daily basis.

The modular units of Tim Mueller’s ingenious set allow lickety-split scene changes and Crystal R. Shomph’s lighting is topnotch as are Gordon and Patty Briles’ period props and Dave Mickey’s rousing sound design.

Kimberly DeShazo’s costumes, on the other hand, get mixed reviews at best, the outfits she has designed for Madge looking nothing at all like the distinctive knee-length, big-shouldered looks sported by WWII-era American women, and Anthony Gagliardi’s wigs are equally off for the early-1940s.

The Double V is produced by caryn desai. Jamie Tucker is production stage manager and Jaclyn Gehringer is assistant stage manager. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA, and Richie Ferris, CSA. Lucy Pollak is publicist.

If you’re anything like me, Carole Eglash-Kossoff’s latest historical drama will come as a revelation. Its characters may not be as richly developed as they could be and its dialog may lack sophistication, but for its educational and entertainment value alone, The Double V is worth a look-see.

International City Theatre, Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach.
www.InternationalCityTheatre.org

–Steven Stanley
August 23, 2024
Photos: Kayte Deioma

 

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