Before “The Double V” story begins, one of the actors steps forward as a Cal State Long Beach grad student to say how his grandfather James Thompson in 1942 knew of only three Black heroes – Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Booker T. Washington. Though we can add a few more names to that list today, our collective knowledge of Black history is still lacking.
Case in point is the story of the “Double V” – V for victory during World War II and V for victory over racism at home – an actual campaign launched by a Black-run Pittsburgh newspaper based on a 26-year-old young man’s letter to the editor. The campaign resulted in Black men and women being allowed to enlist in the army in proportion to their population, which was about 10% at the time.
Thanks to historian and playwright Carole Eglash-Kosoff, we get that story – replete with the shocking racism from which it stemmed – on stage at International City Theatre (ICT) through Sept. 8. Excellent acting and a dynamic set bring this pivotal movement to dramatic life, adding to the list of heroes a young man who dared to ask and a female reporter who dared to take up his cause.
One would think that in a time of war, the U.S. government would be keen to enlist anyone willing to fight for the country. But the play depicts how in the early 1940s, entrenched racism was alive and well, not just in terms of segregationist policy but verbal and physical confrontations on the street and in the workplace, not to mention Ku Klux Klan (KKK) cross burnings, attacks on property and lynchings.
Inspired by the government’s promotion of the war effort after the attack on Pearl Harbor that initiated the U.S. into WWII, young Jimmy Thompson (K.J. Powell) went to enlist only to be blocked by two white men who tell him in no uncertain terms that this was a “white man’s war” with no place for “negroes.”
The condescension, physical assaults and racist terms in this play – nearly every demeaning word you’ve probably ever heard – are shocking to our sensibilities today, like a slap in the face each time, even if you are not Black. It’s not that the play is violent, but the times were such, and Eglash-Kosoff did not shy away from depicting that in her play.
With the help of his girlfriend Annie (Nicolette Ellis), Jimmy writes a letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Courier, proposing that “colored Americans adopt the double VV” instead of just the “V for Victory” war slogan: “the second V [is] for victory over our enemies within. For surely those who perpetrate these ugly prejudices here are seeing to destroy our democratic form of government just as surely as the Axis forces.”
Madge Evans (Jennifer Shelton), a female reporter relegated to covering bake sales by managing editor Ira Lewis (Nic Few) – whom she is demurely dating – takes it upon herself to take a train to meet with Jimmy and get his story.
Ira gets on board when he hears what she has learned and tells his team to promote the “Double V” with every article, soon inspiring 200 other Black-run newspapers across the country to follow suit. But of course, all of this causes backlash, not just from the FBI putting pressure on Ira to shut down the campaign, but Jimmy being harassed at work and his family’s home victimized by the KKK.
Though the play’s first 10 minutes or so while we are introduced to some of the characters is a little dry, it become lively and intriguing once Madge connects with Jimmy. Two sets of love stories and inspiring moments of progress interspersed with ugly bouts of racist violence and suspenseful FBI appearances keep audience interest high.
Invested acting by all the players helps carry the story as well, with Shelton especially expressive and emotive as the intrepid yet elegant Madge. Powell captures well Jimmy’s youthful fortitude and hope, with Ellis providing a bright and natural note as girlfriend Annie. Few is believable as the gruff yet warm editor Ira, while Idrees Degas commendably immerses himself in two different roles – seasoned newspaperman Frank and Jimmy’s aging grandfather Clem, who warns Jimmy from experience not to act “uppity.”
As the necessarily vilified white characters, Lee James is sufficiently smarmy as FBI agent William Taylor, and John E. Phillips, as Jimmy’s boss Charlie Simpson, makes palpably scary the white racist attitude of the time, calling Jimmy “boy” and other demeaning words in telling him to stay in his "place."
ICT resident costume designer Kimberly DeShazo dresses the cast in textured period clothes – Madge in tailored skirts, clasped purses and a coat with a fur collar, and the men in rich dapper suits – with khaki army uniforms eventually making patriotic appearances.
Scenic design (by Tim Mueller) is equally compelling, almost like another character, with three set pieces that the actors move between scenes, accompanied by upbeat contemporary music designed by Dave Mickey that helps propel the energy of the production. Lighting (designed by Crystal R. Shomph) also aids in transitioning between scenes and adds to the shock of Jimmy being assaulted, flashing each time he is punched by two white men.
One only wishes stage design included video projection of the newspaper headlines the characters frequently discuss, first to show the Double V so the audience had a sense of what it looked like in print and also to better understand the timeline of how the articles impacted the nation.
But the play is nonetheless extremely compelling due to the power of its story and the energy of the actors conveying it, fluidly directed by Michael A. Shepperd. Illuminating history in this visceral way brings it to life and makes it unforgettable, making “The Double V” must-see theatre.
International City Theatre’s “The Double V” continues through Sept. 8 at the Beverly O’Neill Theater, 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach, with shows Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $49 to $52 and can be purchased by calling (562) 436-4610 or visiting ICTLongBeach.org. Run time is 2 hours, including intermission.
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