Ragtime Brings the Unsung to the Forefront of History
Ragtime returns its audience to 1900s New York, where those who made and changed history are named. Historical figures, immigrants, Black people, not the white families. As they observe injustice from the safety of their house in New Rochelle, Caissie Levy as Mother, Colin Donnell as Father, Ben Levi Ross as Younger Brother, and Tom Nelis as Grandfather become lenses through which the audience experiences the show. At times, these characters take on the role of narrators: observing and commenting. However, as mirrors for the audience to see themselves in, the musical forces you — as an audience member — to decide where you stand.
You can join the resistance like Younger Brother. Use your privilege to support and protect people of color like Mother. Turn away like Father. Be silenced like Tateh’s Little Girl.
Whereas many stories are told by the majority, this story is controlled by the minority. Brandon Uranowitz’s Tateh travels halfway across the globe and sacrifices his youth to create a better life for his daughter, Tabitha Lawing’s Little Girl. Uranowitz portrays the sincerity and fortitude of an immigrant man trying to keep his daughter safe, simultaneously allowing for moments of levity in contrast.
The larger narrative at play is how Joshua Henry’s Coalhouse Walker Jr. and Nichelle Lewis’ Sarah build a relationship so intimate and precious that Mother and Younger Brother are no longer prejudiced towards Black individuals. Their courting influences the lives of those around them in unexpected ways. Mother starts to see the cracks in her relationship with Father upon his return, cracks and schisms that were not previously there. Younger Brother realizes his need for passion.
Although so much of the story revolves around the experience of rich, white families in the 1900s, Ragtime reflects many modern sociopolitical issues: racism, police brutality, gun violence, and immigration. The show incorporates the tangible dread and fear of the audience into its set design when depicting Sarah and Coalhouse as victims of preventable acts of gun violence and police brutality. Henry and Lewis personify and embody the trope of star-crossed lovers in their performances as their characters meet their respective tragic demises.
Shows like Ragtime are often unsuccessful at tackling the multitude of issues within their scope. However, director Lear deBessonet’s revival is a timely work of art reflecting the state of American society today and the complex intertwining of political issues.
As we see ourselves in these characters, it is our job as audience members to decide if we will be complicit in the injustice. In critiquing the nameless characters, we critique ourselves. Ragtime gives its audience members the space to assess the roles they are playing as history unfolds and understand the impact one can have on the narrative: good or bad.
