Poet Dunbar’s words, life brought to stage

Kimberley McGee

Friday, Oct. 19, 2001 | 9:40 a.m.

After actor Joseph Mydell folded the last delicate edges of 19th century poet Paul Laurence Dunbar's handwritten letters, he could feel the passion and power of the man behind the words.

That day in the late '80s would propel Mydell to gather all he knew from studying the acclaimed black poet to create a live performance based on the poet's short life.

The one-man show, "Lyrics of the Hearthside," chronicles the friendships, loves and accomplishments of Dunbar, one of the first critically acclaimed black poets in American history. The performance will be Saturday at Reed Whipple Cultural Center.

Mydell poured over letters from Dunbar to Dunbar's wife, family and colleagues such as Mark Twain and the Wright Brothers. The handwritten notes -- sometimes angry or proud and often thoughtful -- revealed the soul of the man behind the printed words, Mydell said.

"I wanted to do a show about a black writer writing about those characters that he saw in (the 19th century)," Mydell said. "I wanted to show the man, so that you've got the human side of the character who wrote all those incredible poems."

The 12-year-old show has won two awards in the past five years at the Edinburgh International Arts Festival in Scotland, and has toured Britain, Europe, Africa and the United States.

Mydell has also earned accolades for his stage acting around the world. He graduated from New York University's School of the Arts and went on to receive the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the Royal National Theater's production of "Angels in America" in 1994.

"This is my holiday break that allows me to do the show, because I love the show," Mydell said.

Although Dunbar's life was relatively brief (he died of consumption at age 34), his influence on literary circles around the world and the formation of American literature, particularly black literature, is immeasurable, Mydell said.

Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1872 to freed slaves. He was the first black poet to garner national critical acclaim in the United States with such poems as "We Wear the Mask" and "Negro Love Song." The title of author Maya Angelou's 1983 autobiographical book, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is taken from a line of Dunbar's poetry.

During his lifetime Dunbar published 12 volumes of poetry, four novels and lyrics to popular show tunes.

His second book of poetry, "Majors and Minors," was published in 1895 and propelled him into the most respected literary circles across the country. Dunbar's work was featured in Harper's Weekly, the Sunday Evening Post and other literary magazines of the late 19th century.

In 1897 his popularity in the United States had soared, so Dunbar traveled to London to recite his works to appreciative audiences there.

For more than three years Dunbar lived in England and composed an operetta with British composer Samuel Coleridge Taylor. He later wrote lyrics for the Broadway show "In Dahorney." The early 1900s show made its way from New York to London's Shaftesbury Theatre and a command performance was requested by Buckingham Palace.

Dunbar was heralded for his use of dialect in his poetry, such as in "Lil' Gal," which Mydell uses as a transition in his play, "Lyrics of the Hearthside."

"Oh, de weathah it is balmy an' de breeze is sighin' low. Li'l' gal,/ An' de mockin' bird is singin' in de locus' by de do', Li'l' gal; Dere's a hummin' an' a bummin' in de lan' f'om eas' to wes',/ I's a-sighin' fu' you, honey, an' I nevah know no res'./ Fu' dey's lots o' trouble brewin' an' a-stewin' in my breas', Li'l' gal."

"It's the imagery that he gives that I love. It's about people trying to forge their way and defining themselves," Mydell said. "That's what America is culturally, in my opinion. That's what we are all about."

Dunbar, who abused alcohol during the latter years of his life, died in his hometown in 1906, four years after a painful legal separation from his wife.

"He was very respected for his work and the man that he was," Mydell says. "It's something I don't think we should lose."