September 11-17, 2003

cover story

Cultural Inheritance

History lessons: Gibbons' work is often inspired by Philadelphia and its historic surroundings. Photo By: Michael T. Regan

A new author series at Rutgers examines the world of children through literature.

by Lori Hill

Thomas Gibbons is obsessed with it.

"I'm always struck by how inescapable it is, in any kind of public issue," says the playwright. "In almost any situation, itís either right there on the surface or if you scratch away a little, itís right underneath."

The "it"? Race.

And once again, Gibbons has confronted it head on. His newest play, Permanent Collection, is inspired by the Barnes Foundation and the controversies of one kind or another that have plagued the multibillion-dollar art collection since the death of its founder in 1951. It's a story about custody and last wishes that became characterized by racial tensions and is still fueled by history, tradition and ethics. "So even a discussion or a controversy that doesn't seem to have anything at all to do with race," says Gibbons, "actually ends up having quite a lot to do with race."

The play, which begins rehearsals at the end of the month and has its world premiere at InterAct Theatre on Oct. 24, doesnít deal directly with the specifics of the Barnes soap opera. Gibbons stresses that "itís not a documentary," that the factual events were simply "a jumping-off point." While the cast of characters of the real-life drama -- Richard Glanton, Kimberly Camp, Lincoln University, the Merion neighbors who sued the foundation over the construction of a parking lot and Dr. Albert Barnes himself -- surely inspired elements of the play, "the whole central conflict is completely my invention," says Gibbons.

Permanent Collection concerns two men: Sterling North (played by Frank X), the newly appointed black director of the impressionist art collection known as the Morris Foundation and Paul Barrow, the foundation's white longtime education director (played by Tim Moyer). Trouble begins when Barrow gives North a tour of the collection's storage areas. North notices several works of African art and wonders why they are not on display in the galleries. Barrow contends that the will of the esteemed Dr. Alfred Morris (who makes several appearances in the form of actor Tom McCarthy) stipulates that the galleries must remain as he hung them, the way they looked the day he died. North is outraged and begins to fight Barrow on the issue. Accusations of racism are hurled in the press, resignations are given but the struggle over the collection has just begun.

Gibbons says he tried fiercely not to take sides in an issue that begs for it, but instead posed questions: "Who has the right to decide what hangs on a wall? Who has the right to decide what work will be visible and accepted by everyone as an essential part of the canon of our heritage? And what isnít going to be? Whatís going to get put in storage?"

Gibbons incorporates these questions into the internal struggles of the lead characters. Sterling North, seeing the African pieces in storage, believes "these pieces are part of the cultural patrimony of African Americans and so they have a right to see them," says Gibbons. Barrow, on the other hand, thinks the wishes of Dr. Morris must be honored. But, wonders Gibbons, "is he saying that because he believes that or is he saying that Cézanne is somehow more important than African art? It's a bit of both.

"The question is what's more important, the integrity of the collection as determined by [Dr. Morris'] wishes, or 60 years later, finding pieces that with the passage of time, have become very important to the place. That's an important question. I don't know the answer to it."

Unanswerable questions certainly don't deter Gibbons or InterAct. Playwright and theater company have had a productive relationship since Gibbons became playwright-in-residence in 1990. Artistic Director Seth Rozin commissioned 6221, Gibbons' 1993 play about the MOVE bombings. Black Russian told an intergenerational, intercontinental tale of a father and son. Then came Bee-Luther-Hatchee, which dealt with authorial integrity and race as voice. All told, it's a striking oeuvre.

"Having worked intimately with all of his plays, I feel I can say very confidently that this is his best," says Rozin of Permanent Collection. Rozin is excited that with this play, like 6221, audiences will be familiar with the inspiration for the story and come with opinions that he hopes they'll be willing to reconsider, or at least question.

"I always say that Tom has done as much for bringing InterAct to its level of notoriety as we have for him," says Rozin, noting that the two have a "true symbiotic relationship that is rare in the theater."

Of course, Gibbons' work has not gone unnoticed. He is the recipient of a Pew fellowship, five Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grants and a Barrymore Award for Black Russian.

A playwright by very early morning and a medical editor by day, Gibbons is a Philadel-phia native who finds the city "fertile ground for a writer." He says, "You've got everything you need here."

Including a history of racial tensions.

"I don't know if that's a particular aspect of Philadelphia because it's an old city with a lot of history and tradition or if it's just an American reality," says Gibbons.

So how do you end a play about an ever-evolving situation?

"The day the Barnes had their press conference announcing that they wanted to move into the city, a friend of mine called me and said, åLook at the Inquirer's website. They're having a press conference, they want to move into the city.' So I looked it up and read it and I knew right away that was the ending of my play. Perfect. It just had such a dramatic rightness and inevitability to it that that was it."

So even as the tides seem to be turning for the Barnes' expected move, it doesn't matter to Gibbons. He's asked the questions he wanted to ask, and now it's up to audiences to hash it out.

What's next? He's been thinking a lot about the irony of the new Liberty Bell pavilion being constructed over former slave quarters

Permanent Collection runs Oct. 24-Nov. 23, $14-$25, InterAct Theatre at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-568-8077.