Turn Me Loose

Reviewed by Daphnie Sicre

For some reason, I was expecting to see Joe Morton in "Turn Me Loose" in which he portrayed the comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory with a Dick Gregory beard, even though the posters showed him without one. I thought to myself, how can you create a show about Gregory without his iconic beard? Let me assure you it can be done, because the moment Morton started talking, he was Gregory. His posture, his mannerisms and his voice were Gregory’s. Plus, the play switches back and forth from the 1960’s to present day and in the 1960s, when Gregory did not have his iconic beard he had his iconic presence.

In "Turn Me Loose" the audience is taken on a journey that exposes how little racism has changed in this country over the past five decades. Morton uses humor to discuss racism and then quiets down the audience to talk about prejudice, just like Gregory was capable of doing at his first iconic debut at the Chicago Playboy Club. Morton, relives that moment on stage where Gregory addressed a white southern audience and won them over through his humor and class. Morton also relives the moment Gregory was called to perform on the "Tonight Show" starring Jack Paar, but refused because Black comics would only perform, but were not allowed to sit on the coach and talk with Paar.  Thanks to Gregory declining the offer, the producers allowed him to stay after his performance and sit on the couch; a first on prime time for a Black comic. Through a beautiful internal monologue we understand how Gregory would later become a civil rights activist.  Gregory said, “You can not laugh social problems out of existence."

Morton’s physicality and voice of Gregory are right on. He is able to adapt, regardless of the time period, from young to old, and old to young with swiftness. For anyone who has seen videos of Gregory’s performances through time, Morton nails every moment of them.  Although the show can get preachy at times, the message is necessary as the play is relevant to today’s contemporary issues on segregation and race.

Produced on a minimalistic stage, with just three tables and a couple chairs, Morton's performance is the show. The Off-Broadway show was produced by singer John Legend, written by Gretchen Law and directed by John Guild.  It opened to great reviews, and extended its run for an additional month. Gregory was in attendance on opening night; he loved it and so did the audience.

"Turn Me Loose" by Gretchen Law. Directed by John Gould Rubin. Set Design: Chris Barreca. Costume Design: Susan Hilferty. Lighting Design: Stephen Strawbridge. Sound Design: Leon Rothenberg. Production stage manager: Erin Cass. At The Westside Theatre, 407 W 43rd St, New York City.  Ran from May 3 - July 17, 2016.

Daphnie Sicre is a full-time instructor at BMCC-CUNY, where she teaches courses in theatre, social justice, and advanced public speaking.  Some of her NYC directing credits include: "Shower Me" at FringeNYC, "Stranger" for Stage Black where she won a Best Director Award and the Audelco nominated "Not About Eve."