Evan Carrington Talks “Save My Black Soul,” Black Hollywood and Building Your Own Table
Hollywood’s Golden Age created some of cinema’s most enduring stars, but opportunities for Black performers were often limited by an industry that rarely allowed them to display the full range of their talent. Actor and playwright Evan Carrington explores that history with “Save My Black Soul,” a play inspired by the experiences of Black actors navigating Hollywood, the theater world, and an entertainment industry filled with both opportunity and barriers.
Reviews & Dunn spoke with Carrington about the inspiration behind the play, what his research taught him about Black Hollywood, and why the experiences of performers from decades ago still resonate with Black actors today.
Reviews & Dunn: What drew you to the experiences of Black actors during Hollywood’s Golden Age as the foundation for this play?
Evan Carrington: My parents LOVE Turner Classic Movies. I was amazed by the types of films that were put out during the first half of the 20th century and seeing how they held up by modern standards. But one thing that always puzzled me was how little opportunity Black actors received to show their talents, and how so many talented artists wound up forgotten or misrepresented today. I remember having a conversation with someone about Hattie McDaniel’s impact on our culture, and they were quick to dismiss her. Hattie McDaniel was the first Black person to win an Oscar for anything. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t even have the inroads to create this play.
Reviews & Dunn: How did you approach depicting the opportunities and limitations Black performers faced during that era without reducing their stories solely to struggle?
Evan Carrington: I consider myself to be an actor first, so there was connective tissue between myself and virtually every character in the play. While they cut their teeth in an era with its own set of challenges, our shared experiences helped me see these individuals as people.
They have families, goals and passions just like anyone else. Struggle aside, they would have different ways of approaching the craft of acting. There’s the sting of not getting the part that you want, finding the best ways to memorize your lines for a show, and avoiding people in audition rooms who talk too much. You see what I mean?
I would be doing these characters a disservice if all they had to focus on was the struggle. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be touched on, but good writing should flesh out characters and make them three-dimensional while showing how they tackle obstacles like those struggles.
Reviews & Dunn: What did your research reveal about Black Hollywood during that period that you think audiences may be surprised to learn?
Evan Carrington: That there were many successful artists who reached back to help someone else. For example, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson used his estate to help individuals who were struggling with substance abuse. In fact, the main character in this story, Edward Foster, is based largely on a man named Frederick O’Neal. Not only did Frederick O’Neal become the first Black president of Actors’ Equity Association, but he was also one of the founders of the American Negro Theatre, a training ground for successful artists like Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Isabel Sanford and, oh, some guy named Sidney Poitier…
Reviews & Dunn: The public often saw the glamour of Hollywood without knowing what Black performers were dealing with behind the scenes. How does the play explore that contrast?
Evan Carrington: Rather directly. Edward gets denied opportunities that he’s more than qualified for because of the color of his skin. Groups of actors get misled when they try to audition for a major motion picture, and they are forced to compete with each other because of the lack of good roles. And believe it or not, that’s just the first fifteen minutes of the play.
There are several scenes and moments throughout where we see our characters hit their respective heads on the glass ceiling.
Reviews & Dunn: Although the play looks back at an earlier era of Hollywood, are there aspects of those actors’ experiences that you feel still resonate with Black performers working today?
Evan Carrington: One thousand percent! Again, I am an actor first, so I see many of these same issues pop up in the present day. There still aren’t enough roles for Black actors, and for whatever opportunities we do get, we usually have to go up against each other to play characters that aren’t as fleshed out as our white counterparts. If you’re a theater actor and you’re Black, you’d be lucky to have a Black show that you can audition for in a given year, and if you do, it will always be in February. One thing that I wanted to hammer home with “Save My Black Soul” is the importance of building your OWN table and creating the opportunities that you wish the powers-that-be would give you My prayer is that this play will either inspire people to do the same or create opportunities for my contemporaries to show off their talents.
Hopefully, it’s not too much to ask for both.
Here is the link to get tickets if you are interested in attending:
