Making it “Through the Night” at Union Square

by Deardra Shuler

Playwrights, performers and Obie & AUDELCO award winners, Daniel Beaty and Ruby Dee joined me on my show “Topically Yours” on Blakeradio/Blogtalkradio to discuss Daniel Beaty's one man show “Through the Night.” Formerly at the Riverside Church, “Through the Night” is now running at the Union Square Theater located at 100 East 17th Street in Manhattan. Produced by Daryl Roth and directed by Charles Randolph Wright, this spiritually uplifting and hope-filled play officially opens on September 26 and is a must see production.

“Through the Night” weaves together a tapestry of troubled lives intertwined by their need to find the formula which helps them make it through the night in the hope of a brighter day. Written in a way that inspires and enlightens, Beaty's play concocts a powerful love potion which excites the sensibilities and touches the heart.

Beaty makes a smooth transition into the personalities of each of his six characters with an ease and assuredness that brings them to life. He is a deft and timely storyteller who blends music, humor and drama into the situations that affect the lives of his characters and indeed could play out in the viewer's own life as well.

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Beaty did his undergraduate training at Yale University and went on to do a three year graduate acting program at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. “When writing the play, I really wanted to ask the central question concerning all the difficult things that are happening in our world. Issues like people losing their jobs and homes and dealing with the challenges of being human, particularly during this time of recession. I raise the question via my production of how we as people can make it through the night while endeavoring to deal with these issues and problems that we all tend to deal with,” said Daniel.

“What struck me about the play was that it touches on aspects of all our lives but we haven't yet decided how we are going to deal with being human beings. Deal with living on earth with the kinds of problems, temptations, challenges, definitions and practices that confront this extraordinary condition called being human. I appreciated Daniel's capacity to articulate these conditions. These are enormous conditions we face as we make our way through unraveling this life. The characters find a sideline. They find some remedy and find a way to reach for what I call the divine equation,” said Ms. Dee. “The creator did not give us any uniform presence or formula concerning how to forge ahead in life. Although, we as human beings are given gifts, given the glory, promise and possibility of doing something different with our gifts, Daniel's play suggests we have yet to live up to our greater potential. Daniel's characters come to a point that each must face and address the human experience via some different perspective that enables them to find the hope, that strength and that greater insight that gets them through the night. As I see it, these characters try to find their way to that central experience that frees them. Each of the characters seem to be moving toward what they know, learned, feel, and sense is the purpose of life and kernel of joy. Perhaps it could be described as the rationale behind the eternal rationale,” said the veteran actress. “I think that is what “Through the Night” implies. I think its a play you want to see over and over due to its richness of relationships and its ability to offer the promise that there is something greater awaiting us,” remarked Ruby.

Daniel studied opera and while he does not sing opera in the play, his voice is enriched with soul making his songs stunning. Via his characters, Beaty takes a faith walk bringing a singularity of personality and added depth to each varied voice. “Through the Night” addresses trust, new vision, and a different way of seeing things. It suggests that with a change of vision, each of us can bring greater order and add dimension to our lives and situations.

“As the playwright, I wrote from the lens of what I know,” Beaty explained. “Sometimes people behave as if they are defined by their problems because in some ways we have lost that divine closeness to our oneness a child still has. The child in my play has not lost his innocence. He still has an optimism. He sees the immense possibility the male characters truly have and is confused why they are not living up to their possibilities and greatness. He wonders why they do not have the faith and determination to rise above their circumstances. He observes this and tries to figure it out. He tries to cure this thing that seems to be hidden or lost for the community of men in the play. Thus, throughout the play the child seeks to find a potion to heal their situation. I think my play says we must be greater than we think we are. We must make it through the night because our children are watching,” stated Beaty.

“Through the Night” is supported by Artistic Ambassadors who have lent their voices and names in order to draw people in to see the play. Some of these ambassadors are Ruby Dee, Phylicia Rashad, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Ben Vereen and Bill Cosby.

Audience members are welcome to donate toward student tickets so students can see the production. Ticket prices are $65.00 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com by calling (800) 982-2787 or by visiting the website: throughthenightonstage.com. The Union Square Theatre Box Office is open Tuesday-Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., for people who want to purchase tickets in person. Also, there is a 50% ticket discount offered from Sept 10-Oct. 10th in an effort to get people to see the play early. Thus, interested parties can get discounted tickets for $32.50 until October 10th by using the code word “Daniel.”