By Kenyatta Coleman
Invite people in with an open heart through the art, according to Ethan Hawke, as he expressed the journey of the passion project “The Good Lord Bird.”
The show told the story of the abolitionist John Brown and his fight to end slavery. Within the show, there is a prominent twist as the story is told through the eyes of Onion, a young slave who accompanies the antics of John Brown through his battle to end slavery.
As the Panther represented through the roundtable discussion, cast members Ethan Hawke, Joshua Caleb Johnson, Daveed Diggs, and the author of the novel James McBride discussed the message and impact that they hope the show has on people.
The sense of reward that came with sharing the past stories became prominent as the actors discussed the show. “That’s the particular genius of James McBride. He uses satire in a way to make the story emotional and exciting,” Hawke said.
Hawke, who played John Brown, discussed the duty that artists must share the story so that people can open their minds and nourish them with history.
As viewers dive into the show, they can get the story from Onion’s perspective, Henry’s real name, but John Brown mistakes him for a girl. Played by Joshua Caleb Johnson, his role touched on how gender roles are in society.
“As Onion playing more, I don’t necessarily think it was between male and female. I think it was Onion trying to survive, and if he had to wear a dress, then that’s what he had to do,” Johnson said. “He's going after a larger sense of identity and how we see ourselves and how other people see us,” Hawke said.
The actors discussed the importance that the story of John Brown held for those who did not know about his life story and his contributions. “John Brown was the straw that broke the camel’s back when it came to the Civil War and freeing slaves,” Johnson said.
As viewers get deeper into the story of John Brown, they understand the person who held a lot of importance in his life, which was Frederick Douglass.
With Daveed Diggs playing Douglass, he dissected his journey of becoming the historical figure and why he thinks people should learn to know more about him.
“One thing about Frederick Douglass that I did not know about was what good friends he and John Brown were and what a huge amount of love and respect he had for that man,” Diggs said.
He elaborated on how John Brown and Frederick Douglass’ friendship was something important to talk about simply because they both influenced and helped each other throughout a period where there was not much help.
As the show premiered on Oct. 4, the release became much more intense due to the world’s climate right now. The author of the novel “The Good Lord Bird” shared his insight into people’s importance in viewing this show.
“I have faith in this next generation that more subjects such as this will be talked about, and I am not worried,” James McBride said.
All in all, the impact of “The Good Lord Bird” should be something to remember and create a reflection on what is happening in the world right now.
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