A not so invisible man

Ralph Ellison's Masterpiece Brought to the Stage
 

Saw Oren Jacoby’s stage version of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man at the Studio Theater recently. Brilliant. Just plain good. This play, with its incredible cast, its extraordinary script and its fantastic staging shows just how affecting art can be. As a white guy sitting in the audience and then mingling with the mixed race crowd during the two intermissions, I can tell you, was a decidedly stirring yet uncomfortable experience. Making eye-contact with black people in the Men's room mirror has never made me uncomfortable before. This is that kind of play. We should all spend a few such self conscious minutes from time to time. The usual privilege of not thinking about race goes out the door when you sit in that audience. The play’s central character may see himself as invisible, but I could not. Running through October 21, 2012.