NEW YORK—Standing up for a cause may be hard, but it's much tougher when almost no one is standing beside you. Such is the issue explored in Michael Murphy's very involving The Conscientious Objector.
In 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (DB Woodside) was a major force for civil rights in the United States. With the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, and a very sympathetic U.S. President in Lyndon B. Johnson (John Cullum), King is looking forward to many positive changes for his people. However a new issue is appearing on the horizon—the conflict in Viet Nam.
King, as he explains to wife Coretta (Rachel Leslie), was brought up to believe one does one's duty for his country proudly, but he has some serious misgivings after being unable to answer a young man who asks why he has to serve. After some of King's comments about the danger of violence as it relates to Viet Nam are misinterpreted by the media, he removes himself from the issue.
King's coworkers, such as Ralph Abernathy (Bryan Hicks) and Stanley Levison (Steve Routman) don't want to alienate Johnson, who they see as an invaluable ally. But the continuous rise in casualties, plus pressure from anti-war advocate James Bevel (Jimonn Cole) convince King he can no longer keep silent. In a speech, he urges all who have received induction notices to register as conscientious objectors-in keeping with his non-violence policy. However such a stance threatens to cost him not only his status in the black community, but also puts the breaks on many of the legislative goals he and his followers have long been seeking.
While there are parallels which can be drawn between the Viet Nam era and today's political situation, the play is more a focus on one man (brilliantly played by Woodside) torn between keeping a safe course and doing what he feels is right.
The work also shows how hard it can be to be ahead of public opinion (widespread opposition to the war didn't really start until after King was assassinated in April, 1968) and how rules are different for an individual and for one who is considered a symbol of a cause.
Also excellent is Cullum as Johnson, combining both passion and pragmatism in the role. Neither Woodside nor Cullum look or sound much like the people they portray, but both bring to life the passions and conflicts of these pivotal figures.
Other strong performances include Hicks as the cautious Abernathy; Cole as the firebrand Bevel, whose speech outside the United Nations makes one feel actually at the event, and Leslie as King's supportive wife. Also deserving of mention are Jonathan Hogan and Geddeth Smith, who play several roles quite convincingly including, for the former, a William Buckley-like journalist and a quietly sinister J. Edgar Hoover.
Direction by Carl Forsman keeps the action moving nicely, sets by Beowulf Boritt and costumes by Theresa Squire are good, and lighting by Josh Bradford and sound design by Daniel Baker work especially well.
Also in the cast are James Miles, Harold Suratt and Chad Carstarphen.
The Conscientious Objector
Presented by the Keen Company
The Clurman Theater, Theater Row Studios
410 West 42nd Street
Tickets: 212-279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com
Running Time: Approximately Two Hours, Thirty Minutes
Closes: April 19, 2008
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
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