MPR’s Euan Kerr speaks with Penumbra Artistic Director Lou Bellamy about Claude Purdy, a founding member of the Penumbra Theater in St. Paul. Bellamy says Purdy offered many strengths to the stage.
Purdy is being hailed as a director, an actor, and a mentor to many artists including Pulitzer-prize winning playwright August Wilson. Purdy brought Wilson to St. Paul after convincing him to write plays instead of poetry.
LOU BELLAMY: He had, first of all, a very firm grasp of black history and black culture that has nothing to do with the craft of directing or theater. But you've got to have that kind of understanding of history and culture so that you can put it on the stage. And because black culture and history and the maintenance of it tends to be almost a clandestine activity in the United States, it's difficult to gain a mastery of that information without all the erroneous and debilitating parts that other people will feed into that history. So he had that, first of all.
Then he was clearly an artist. He understood the way in which art can relate to those kinds of truths. One of the things he said early on in dealing with August Wilson-- and I will never forget it. It colors everything I do. He said, these people are not ever to be laughed at.
They're not funny. They tend to, inside of themselves, be hilarious in dealing with each other. But the cumulative effect of their interaction can never allow anyone to laugh at them. They must laugh with them. And it's guided me ever since.
EUAN KERR: I've read that he was also considered a very visual director.
LOU BELLAMY: He had an eye that would guide him. He would know when something was right. He'd say-- he'd look at a scene and say, this scene isn't working in the daytime. It should be played at night because it needs shadows.
Or in our first show-- I will never forget him for hours and hours driving us. I played the lead in it. And he would say 1920 movements. I want 1920 movements.
Well, none of us knew what the hell he was talking about. But-- so we started doing these film things, clips, when you see the old movies. And it was just hilarious. But he was able to place a sepia tone on that production by exploring those movements and sending us to-- we'd never, ever done anything like that before. And I think that's what people mean when they say he was visual.
EUAN KERR: So he is credited with bringing August Wilson here. What-- tell me what happened there.
LOU BELLAMY: Well, we were doing a production of Home, and Claude was directing it. And he had been talking with his friend August Wilson, who at that time was a poet, really, and telling him about this theater that had these high production values and standards, and all that stuff in a real theater. And sets and props, and all that kind of thing, and a philanthropic environment, as well as an educated audience that was coming to support this kind of work. And he said, you've got to come here and see this, man.
So August got on a plane, and within 20 minutes was sitting in the theater watching a production of Home. And I remember him giving speeches since then, August that is, saying that he sat there in the theater wondering if ever he would write a play that would be good enough to be on this stage. And well, he did, and then some.
Digitization made possible by the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.
Views and opinions expressed in the content do not represent the opinions of APMG. APMG is not responsible for objectionable content and language represented on the site. Please use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report a piece of content. Thank you.
Transcriptions provided are machine generated, and while APMG makes the best effort for accuracy, mistakes will happen. Please excuse these errors and use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report an error. Thank you.