Jackie Robinson in Youth Theatre

 

Not only has Jackie Robinson been made popular in print and on the big screen but he also has been well represented on stage. That is, he has been well represented on the “smaller” stage. Robinson’s remarkable story has become a part of many different forms of entertainment, including youth theater. There have been several children’s plays written and produced featuring Robinson as either a central or secondary character. The message that each play ventures to put forth is clear. They want to pass on the legacy of one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game, as well as one of the best people of his time.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

A few of these plays are based upon books that are geared towards children. One such story is called, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. The play is based off the book by Bette Bao Lord, and was adapted by Mark Branner. The original production premiered in November 2019, and because of the COVID pandemic the new work has not had much of an opportunity to make the rounds. However, it was produced by the Hawaii Theater for Youth in Honolulu, Hawaii.1

Becky Dunning, who is the Managing Director of the Honolulu Theater for Youth, said of the play, “The show was very well received.”2 The total attendance for the play was 10,041.

The theater collected testimonials and several recorded remarks about the play that signaled its popularity, not only with students, but with educators. One person commented that they “Really enjoyed the play! It was clever. For us in particular, we do topical studies on human rights and Jackie Robinson so it was a wonderful tie into both!”3 In terms of the educational value of the play, one comment stuck out. “Everything is via video or the internet nowadays, and for my students to have empathy for human beings who are bravely performing on stage right in front of them, that is essential.”4 The creators capitalized on children’s familiarity with video, as the part of Jackie Robinson was “played” by a projection, while the part of the little girl central to the story, Shirley, was played by a live actress.

Jackie And Me

Yet another play for youth that featured Robinson was Jackie and Me, adapted by playwright Steven Dietz. The story is based on a series of books written by Dan Gutman that feature a time-traveling youngster. Holding a baseball card in his hand, the youth can travel back in time to meet the player featured on that card. In this book, he travels back to meet Robinson.

Jackie and Me premiered in 2010 and has proven to be a popular show among children. It helps provide them with not only a history lesson, but a lesson in American culture. It shows children what things were like back in the days when Branch Rickey decided to take a stab at ending segregation in baseball and bring in the first African-American player to the big leagues. It continues to be a part of youth theater around the country although, like In the Year of the Boar, the number of productions were minimized due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After a showing of the play at the Chicago Children’s Theater in the Ruth Center for the Arts, the ChicagoCritic.com website had several great things to say about the play. “The 80-minute show is truthful, fun and filled with worthy life lessons for kids.” Critic Tom Williams (somewhat sexistly) suggested that you “take your kids and grandkids (especially boys) to see this fun show. The actors knock it out of the park.”5

The play attempts to give a first-hand look at several social issues including racism and equal rights. Its educational value for youth cannot be denied.

Jackie and Me has made it onto the stage in several cities and towns across the country and has developed into one of the more popular plays about Robinson. Yet another production premiered at the Knoxville (Tennessee) Children’s Theatre in March 2022.

MVP: The Jackie Robinson Story

Yet another play that places Robinson at the center is Most Valuable Player: The Jackie Robinson Story. This youth play has appeared at several venues in the past and has become a popular show. The play was written by Mary Hall Surface. Surface had previously written such theatrical works like Forward, 54th, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.6

According to Surface, “Most Valuable Player was created collaboratively at a theater company in the Bay Area of California, the now closed California Theater Center.” She talked about the actor who starred in the play, Dorien Wilson, whose acting credits include The Steve Harvey Show and The Parkers. She said, “In 1984, we had an especially strong group of actors, including Dorien Wilson, who has had a successful television career. As a company, we were committed to creating theater for young audiences that expanded their perspectives and deepened their understanding of the of the world around them, both the past and the present.”7

When talking about the origins of the play, Surface said, “While I am credited as the playwright, the play was born through research and improvisations crafted by our director, J. Steven White.” About the process of coming up with the “body” of the play, she stated that, “As a company, we all read biographies and other research about Robinson, Rickey, and more. We’d bring our research into the rehearsal room and improvise scenes based on historic moments that we felt were inherently theatrical and essential to Robinson’s story.” Surface then explained that she “would then craft the improvisations into the scenes that ultimately became the play.”

As Surface recalls, “the play was the most successful project of their theater company, touring across the United States, to a festival in Peru, and on an 11-week tour of American military bases.” What kind of impact did the story of Jackie Robinson have on the audiences? “Robinson’s story of both living with and confronting racism resonated deeply with audiences of both adults and young people worldwide.”

The play was welcomed outside of the United States, including in Japan. Surface directed the play at the Theater Seigei. She stated that it was an “extraordinary experience given the love of Japanese for baseball and their unease of confronting racism.”

It’s interesting to note that the play catered to a whole new generation of children who did not know the story of Robinson. The writer stated, about Robinson, in her final comments, “As far as the value of the play, we were honored to introduce his story to a new generation. His courage and strength in facing racism in baseball and beyond inspired us to encourage young audiences to not only revere but embody his qualities.” She concluded, “We also, at the time, felt that we were opening new conversations around the toll that racism takes on us all – African American and white – and on our society’s health. I sincerely hope that the play planted the seeds of a deeper understanding and a desire to move us forward as a nation in the hearts and minds of our audiences.”

The play is a take on Robinson’s life from his growing up in California all the way through his playing days with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Despite the fact it was a children’s play, the script does contain the use of derogatory language, which one theatre chose to immediately address. At a showing at the Children’s Theater in Madison, the derogatory word is explained up front to help ease its impact.8

Black Diamond

The play Black Diamond is not completely about Robinson, but does feature him in it. The show is part of the “Greatest Stories Never Told” series, which introduces youth to stories from the past that aren’t often told to children, in an effort to allow them to learn about the lesser-known past.

Some of the famous baseball players featured in the play include, along with Robinson, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Andrew “Rube” Foster, and Moses “Fleet” Walker. The names remind baseball fans of a time when White and Black players played in different leagues. The focus on Robinson centers around his breaking the color barrier in baseball.

The Smithsonian Associates Discovery Theater produced the show and when asked about the play, Company Director Roberta Gasbarre stated that “We are very proud of Black Diamond.” She explained, “It was created in 2002 from a script written for the Smithsonian (Institute) by Raquis D’ Juan Petree, and was produced each year from 2002-2007, and again in 2011, 2018-19. The script was updated almost every year it was produced, notably by Michael Bobbitt, now Executive Director of the Massachusetts Arts Council, who also played Satchel Paige.”9

When asked how many attended the play, Ms. Gasbarre said, “It is difficult to estimate how many people have seen the interactive museum theater piece since we have performed it, both at the Smithsonian; on tour in schools, museums and art centers as far as Greensboro, North Carolina; at the Library of Congress; and even on the field of the Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium.” She went on to say, “Although we have incomplete records, we have confirmed a number of 76,323 people, youth and adults, who have seen it. The likelihood is that it is close to 90,000.”

When asked about how popular the play was, Ms. Gasbarre replied “The play was a huge hit each time we produced it, and audiences consistently cited Jackie Robinson as their most favorite character, who is the youngest among the veteran players featured, and the character young audiences most connect(ed) with. He is well-educated (a character calls him a “warfighting college boy”), idealistic and not accepting of the systemic racism present in the sport he loves.”

She goes on to say that “His final scene uses his own words in first-person, direct address to demonstrate his extraordinary place in baseball history”. In this quote, Robinson said “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me…, All I ask is that you respect me as a human being… A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

Ms. Gasbarre said that “Black Diamond poses a question to the audience at the end of the play, which asks them to put themselves into the story of Jackie Robinson and the Negro Leagues.” Gasbarre explained that “The characters ask, ‘What do you do when they won’t let you play? Do you run away and cry? Do you get mad and let yourself hate yourself and the world? Do you stop playing a game you love? Or…do you go and start your own game… and get so good that they ask you to play, and then you decide…. Whether you want to play with them.’”

She continued, “That’s what Jackie Robinson did. In Black Diamond, Jackie and the other historic figures ask this of the young people in the audience, who always respond with a roar. They know the answer. And they take it home with them—with Jackie teaching them the lesson from the stage.” A teacher who viewed the show said that she, “loved that the show was interactive and engaging. My kids are huge sports fans and teaching history through sports was perfect for them.”

Jackie Robinson

There are a host of smaller plays that have cropped up over the last few years. One that is still being staged by the Bright Star Touring Theatre Company is simply called Jackie Robinson. This play is aimed at children from kindergarten to fifth grade, covers Robinson’s life, and teaches children about how tough it was for him to survive as a baseball player. The play has been shown both in the theater and online and is still touring today. In fact, one can go to the theater company’s website and see the pricing that they charge for each of their shows, including Jackie Robinson.

The play, like so many of the others we have looked at, teaches children about the fascinating life of Robinson and all that he had to go through. As the accompanying study guide explains, “It’s always so much fun to learn about ordinary Americans who accomplish extraordinary things. Jackie Robinson began his life humbly, and was able to become a ground breaker in professional sports. In addition to being the first Black major league baseball player in modern times, Robinson was a symbol of hope and inspiration for young people across the United States. We know young audiences will find inspiration in Jackie Robinson even today.”10

Plays like this help to not only show youth how tough and complicated Robinson’s career was, but it also fosters the hope that if they work hard, they can eventually live out their dreams. Robinson’s dream was to be a professional athlete, and through a lot of hard work, he was able to reach the highest point of his dreams. Eventually, following his baseball career, he became an important part of the Civil Rights movement helping to earn freedoms for people of color.

Jackie Robinson: A Game Apart

Another play is called Jackie Robinson: A Game Apart. The play was written by Mike Wiley and is a story about Robinson’s life in the big leagues. The play takes the viewer back to the time and place that Robinson lived in and gives them a chance to see how life was for a man of his race and his position in life.

As the website for the play states, “Witness the hopeless humiliation of a star player who was showered with adulation on the field and became a second-hand citizen when he walked off the diamond.” The description goes on to say, “Meet Jackie’s compatriots fighting the same battles between the end zones, inside the ring and around the track. A Game Apart is a powerful lesson in courage through dedication, perseverance and leadership.”11

Play To Win: The Jackie Robinson Story

Finally, yet another play that involves Jackie Robinson is, this time, a musical, called Play to Win: The Jackie Robinson Story. This show featured a book written by Charles Cleveland and James de Jongh. The music was composed by Jimi Foster. The New York Times reviewed the play and stated “There are painful memories in the Jackie Robinson story, but on the whole, it is one of the best stories Americans can tell about themselves. “Play to Win” tells it economically, with a lot of feeling.”.12

An interview with the musical director of one of the touring productions, Laura Brenneman, gives a look inside the musical and what it was all about. Ms. Brenneman directed the music for the company Theater Works USA, based out of New York City. The musical also went on a national tour.13

She remarked that “the play is really geared for kids” and that it has been “revived a number of times,” including the year that she was the musical director for in 2005. The play has a small cast. Some of the memorable players include Branch Rickey, Robinson, and his wife Rachel. “There were a handful of other players,” Ms. Brenneman said.

In preparation for the play, in order for the theater company to go out on the road an execute the play with success, according to Ms. Brenneman, “it involved a three-week process.” When asked how many people saw the show, she stated that “it was very well attended.”

The author asked Ms. Brenneman what she thought the message of the musical was and she said, “It’s one of standing up for what you believe in. It’s one of perseverance despite having so many obstacles. The biggest meaning is in the title. Playing to win. This is a play that supports people who are facing oppression.” She stated, “It sends a positive message. It’s a message of fighting against implicit biases.”

BRYAN DIETZLER has been writing about sports for close to 20 years. While he has written about football for the most part, Dietzler has written most recently about the Chicago White Sox and is getting ready to get back into writing more often. He currently lives in North Liberty, Iowa and works in the Educational Technology Industry.

 

Notes

1 “In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson,” Honolulu Theater for Youth, February 21, 2021, https://www.htyweb.org/boar/

2 Rebecca Dunning, interview with the author, January 14, 2021

3 “In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson Collected Comments,” Rebecca Dunning January 14, 2021

4 “In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson Collected Comments,” Rebecca Dunning January 14, 2021

5 Tom Williams, “Jackie and Me, by Stephen Dietz,” Chicago Critic, February 11, 2021, https://chicagocritic.com/jackie-and-me/

6 “Most Valuable Player,” Plays Available for Production, MaryHallSurface.com, March 26, 2021. https://www.maryhallsurface.com/plays

7 Mary Hall Surface, interview with the author, February 18, 2021. All quotations attributed to the playwright come from this interview.

8 Amelia Cook Fontella, “Children’s Theater of Madison’s Inspiring ‘Most Valuable Player’ tells Jackie Robinson’s Story,” Isthmus.com. March 22, 2021, https://isthmus.com/arts/stage/childrens-theater-of-madisons-inspiring-most-valuable-player-tells-jackie-robinsons-story/

9 Roberta Gasbarre, interview with the author, May 5, 2021. All quotations attributed to Ms. Gasbarre come from this interview.

10 “Jackie Robinson,” BrightStarTheatre.com June 26, 2021. https://www.brightstartheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/JACKIE-ROBINSON-PDF-2014-.pdf

11 Mike Wiley, “Touring Performances,” MikeWileyProductions.com, July 12, 2021. http://mikewileyproductions.com/touring/

12 “Review/Theater: Play to Win a Musical About the Integration of Baseball”, New York Times, February 15, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/21/theater/review-theater-play-to-win-a-musical-aboutthe-integration-of-baseball.html

13 Laura Brenneman, interview with the author, May 8, 2021. All quotations attributed to Ms. Brenneman come from this interview.