Holding bold mirrors on the past and present

Way back in 2001, an extraordinary play rocked the firmament of New York Theater when Suzan Lori Parks “Topdog/Underdog” debuted at the Public Theater.
The wrenching tale of two brothers dealing with their lot as young African-American men trapped in the dilemma of surviving and thriving in a hostile environment — and its haunting effect on their relationship — went onto Broadway and win the 2002 Pulitzer Prize.
Fast forward to 2014. Now long established as a seminal voice in bringing the world to contemplate the still existing complications of racial hostility, Parks has given the world the further enlightening gift of “Father Comes Home From the Wars, Parts 1,2 &3.” Her magnificent trilogy, which also recently debuted at the Public — that bastion for fearlessly sharing crucial concerns in our history — the play is one of the most moving, haunting and insightful dramas to ever grace an American stage.
In just three fly-by hours we come to understand the origins of the dilemmas faced by a black populace, when they were slaves to white masters at the time of the Civil War. Just the bare bones of Ms. Park’s tale give us a slave, ironically named Hero, who must choose, in part 1, whether to follow his master into the holocaust that ended the Civil War — in return for the promise of freedom from an ever deceitful “boss.” Part 2 has the pair bringing a captured Union soldier back to the Confederacy and the awful discoveries of that fraught road trip. In the searing Part 3, Hero — now referred to as Ulysses (Homer’s wandering Greek) comes home to a wife and family unsure if he would ever return — and about to attempt their own escape to freedom. The choices in this final part seem to foretell the ongoing dilemmas of Black Americans to this very day.
As exquisitely directed by Jo Bonney, ”Father Comes Home…” not only re-opens our eyes to the current fearsome re-awakening of racial tensions — despite centuries of progress: against discrimination — but brings us to a challenging understanding that family, love, hope and striving have also brought us to momentous victories as “ the land of the free” and” the home of the brave.” With its message conveyed in equal parts soul wrenching and glowing with rich humor, this masterpiece has just been extended to Nov. 30: I urge you get thee to the Public at 425 Lafayette St.! (Tickets at 212-967-7555 or www.publictheater.org.

“The Fortress of Solitude,” also at the Public, is not in any way a companion piece, but equally reflects the ongoing challenges faced in a white/black world. Itmar Moses’ rousing, soul sobering musical exploration (based on a novel by Jonathan Lethem) explodes through the magic of intoxicating, adrenalin charged dance that reflects the fervor of a neighborhood coming of age with little else to cause exuberance as black youth come into an adult life that too often shatters their hopes and dreams. In this tale a white youth’s mom chooses to migrate to a nearly all-black section of Brooklyn — then deserts her husband and young son. The latter finally forms a tight friendship with a hip black youth — who is later tragically imprisoned and finally turned desperate to survive in his diminished life — his “fortress of solitude.” The musical is overlong in reaching its sobering conclusion that race, class and American history can damper even the most seemingly bonded of relationships. Go for the dance, performances and sublime energy of the production-and realize attention must be paid to its cautionary tale.
‘Disgraced’ is a stunner!
Ayad Akhtar’s “Disgraced” has come hurtling (sometimes literally) onto Broadway in a magnificent revival of the Pulitzer Prize winning drama that originated at Lincoln Center; and with a brilliant cast is now sure to be thrilling theatergoers for seasons to come. The clash between long assimilated Amir (brilliant Hari Dhillon), a successful well-to-do believer in his Pakistani faith — but hardly obsessed with it — confident in his rising position at his firm, with a beautiful, loving accomplished artist wife (Gretchen Mol) is magnificent) — explodes when a supposed friend from work blind-sides Amir with the force of a mortar.
Without divulging the mayhem that threatens to tumble John Lee Beatty’s plu-perfect set of an Upper East Side lair the winds of prejudice that built over a six-month period become a tsunami.
You have to be at the Lyceum to feel the tension and experience the “all hell breaks loose” resolution of this most timely drama. Directed by Kimberly Senior with maximum shock effect — there are also haunting memories to take home in a era when no one seems immune to backstabbing discrimination in every arena (148 W. 45th St., .212-239-6200)